Published • 27 Sep 2022
Technological advancements and COVID concerns continue to impact the world’s social norms, but 365 Retail Markets has redefined the dining and retail experience keeping consumer convenience and contactless concerns in mind. The global leader in unattended retail technology has raised the bar with its Connected Campus(SM). This first-of-its-kind, fully-integrated, consumer experience ecosystem seamlessly connects a location’s 365-based micro market, office coffee service (OCS), vending and dining technology. What does this mean for high-traffic locations hoping to cater to consumer whims as the world continues to establish post-pandemic protocols for safety and convenience? Simply stated, there’s an app for that.
Consumer Convenience
Leveraging a Global Market Account (GMA), both operator and consumer can create and fund accounts, view purchase history, scan and pay for products, and connect to any location’s 365 devices all with the flexibility of either direct kiosk interaction or mobile app. In short, GMA empowers consumers to execute retail transactions globally across any 365 device in a given location with only one account. No more struggling to sign into multiple profiles or remember multiple passwords. No more foregoing lunch or snack breaks if consumers do not have cash. No more waiting in long lines to select, pick up or purchase food. Now, it’s even easier to connect people with products as they carry out their day-to-day activities.
At the crux of 365’s Connect Campus℠ is the company’s mobile app, 365Pay. The app is a consumer’s virtual market card that is compatible with all 365 devices. It leverages QR codes in markets and dining spaces and uses Bluetooth technology to connect with mobile markets, coffee and vending machines. On the app’s home screen, consumers can easily:
- Access their QR code connected to their payment methods
- View current account balances
- OrderAhead to have their dining order ready for pickup when they arrive
- Redeem points earned via purchase reward programs
- View recent transactions
- Learn about product promotions and offers available through their location’s vendor
Additionally, 365Pay allows consumers to connect to any location’s 365-based unattended retail and dining solutions. What does this actually mean? A consumer can use the 365Pay app at work to purchase food for their lunches and breaks, and upon visiting a completely unrelated organization who may also use 365’s solutions, consumers can use that same app and account to identify and link to a new location’s market via the shop tab located the bottom of the app’s home screen. No pesky key tags or membership cards to crowd a consumer’s pockets or purses, and nothing for the operator to replace when lost. Everything is housed in the convenience of an app.
Vendor Versatility
365 Retail Markets’ Connected Campus not only benefits the consumer, but it also enhances the business experience for food service operators (FSO) and their clients. Through its vast product and service portfolio, 365 Retail Markets boasts a unique ability to address all of an FSO’s retail technology needs as a single company. All of these products are compatible with 365Pay and its Global Market Account enhancement, which thereby creates a seamless end-to-end technological experience for operators, as well.
The entire 365 Ecosystem is supported by the ADM back-end system. Its technology interconnects everything from 365Pay and GMA to the 365Ops application. ADM serves as the centralized control panel for operators utilizing 365’s technologies while 365Ops empowers operators to manage their business with a mobile device. FSOs can check the status of a 365 kiosk in real-time, perform remote reboots and a full sync right from their phones. From the 365Ops app, FSOs can also:
- Self-provision 365Beacons
- View a dashboard of devices with current online/offline status
- View a consumer’s last credit card purchase, account purchase and cash purchase date and time
- View a connection graph reflecting device online/offline status history
Thus, FSOs currently leveraging 365 technology are already well-equipped to offer a Connected Campus(SM), and by also downloading 365Ops, they, too, have all necessary tools at their fingertips.
Moreover, Global Market Account is used to link all the locations in the operator’s ecosystem, whether they are in the same building or across the country. The convenience of GMA reduces wait times and drives opportunity for more revenue streams. Consumers can quickly check out using their accounts at multiple locations, thereby facilitating opportunity for the number of transactions taking place across an entire ecosystem to significantly increase. GMA also increases the reach that operators have with their consumers. Whether FSOs are using a MicroMarket, PicoMarket™, Beacon or Vending solution, an FSO’s consumers will be able to use their GMA account to complete the transaction.
Offline? No Problem.
In many retail environments, when the system goes offline it means lost sales. That is not the case with 365, who has designed offline functionality into all of their consumer-facing kiosks. During instances in which a 365 device is offline, the user experience does not change. In fact, the device logs the offline transactions, catching up once it comes back online.
With Connected Campus℠ by 365, FSO’s can offer any product anywhere, and consumers can make a quick and easy purchase in the cafeteria, the breakroom, the vending machine or even from the comforts of their desk when using 365’s Order Ahead solution for dining. Connected Campus(SM) provides the most comprehensive and easy-to-use solution in the industry—thereby increasing an FSO’s competitive advantage against their industry peers.