Published • 19 May 2021
NEW! 365 Status Page
We are always working to bring more efficiencies and value to our partners! One new feature we are excited to launch this year is the new 365 Outage Communications Status Page. Moving forward, we will be using our new status page to keep you informed and up to date during outages and scheduled maintenances. This page will serve as the main communication tool if we are having any system upgrades or issues.
Initially our communications team will send out an email alerting you to an outage or maintenance and then from there we ask that you check for status changes on our page. Check out the documentation within the HelpCenter for more info. If you have any questions, please reach out to your 365 Rep. We are very enthusiastic about bringing new and enhanced ways to communicate to you and your teams.
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A Year Later: Self Service After Covid
As vaccines continue to roll out worldwide, we see things turning to normal. Businesses are opening, mask mandates are lifting, and people are heading back into the office. But what does that mean for self-service providers? In this month’s edition of The 365 Dish, we take a look at what self-service looks like after the pandemic.
Looking Back: How Self Service Helped During Peak Pandemic
While many offices made the move to work from home, many more didn’t have that option. Essential employees still needed to work in person. To combat that, self-service providers stepped up with their micro market and other unattended retail technology.
Our industry allowed essential workers in these spaces the ability to get food and beverages safely, be it with contactless pay, social distancing, and reducing touch points within the office.
To this day, many offices remain mindful of the protocols they instilled for covid. Even the new 365 Retail Markets office was built with those in mind. So, what does that mean for the self-service industry? That the post-pandemic offices and workspaces will still need low-contact and contactless options.
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How Self Service Helps Get Back to the Office
During the pandemic, we saw the addition of more touchless options for everything from vending to coffee, but we also saw operators taking care of common touch points in micro markets with PPE and different sanitizers. By doing so, operators set the standard for pandemic-proof and post pandemic-proof community spaces within the office.
As your locations let their workers back into the office, there are a few things to consider with your micro markets: the placements of your technology, the products you offer, the pricing of your products, and how you promote your products. This probably sounds familiar. The 4 p’s take on a new meaning in a post-pandemic world, and this article from Vending Market Watch takes a deeper dive into it.
Worried not enough people will return to the office? According to this survey by SHRM, only 33% of workers plan on remaining remote. That means a whopping 77% will still be in office and will need safe self service options at their fingertips.
If you’re looking for technology that gives your clients flexibility, larger locations will enjoy 365Dining. However for smaller locations, may we suggest the PicoCooler. Yes, a shameless self-promotion. But don’t take our word for it—our friends over at Rustlers had this to say about PicoCooler:
“…with PicoCooler, we could easily provide a fully rounded, automated retail solution, for a variety of environments going forward.”
- Carl Hunter, Rustlers’ Field Sales & National Account Manager – Food Division
Sounds almost too good to be true, right? Read it for yourself in this Planet Vending article here. If you’re interested in learning more about the PicoCooler and how it’s the perfect addition for your self-service operations, reach out to us here.
People Are Back in the Office. Now What?
During the pandemic, consumers’ habits and interests in snacking have shifted. According to this article from Food Dive, 35% of consumers said they were snacking more often, and 20% have changed how they snack from the previous year. Even views on snacking have shifted! Where before consumers viewed snacking as unhealthy, more now see snacking as a healthy way of life. This, of course, depends on the type of selection that consumers have access to.
Self-service providers should consider this change in eating habits by focusing on offering healthier snacking selections in their location. What’s considered “healthy” is no longer dependent on the number of calories in the food, but what ingredients are in the food. Food Service Snacks Desserts said, “51% of Americans have adopted a restrictive diet focused on increased consumption of plant-based products.” This focus is for a greater over-all well-being opposed to caloric intake.
To Recap:
- The self service industry played a key role in helping essential workers during the pandemic.
- For the post-pandemic world, the self service industry will continue to provide low-contact and touchless technologies for offices and work spaces.
- The PicoCooler helps self service providers offer flexible options to their clients.
- Consumers are snacking more with a focus on plant-based food.
If you need help expanding your self-service operations, reach out to us at 365 Retail Markets!
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