Troy-based 365 Retail Markets, a global leader in unattended retail technology, today announced the availability of PicoCoffee, a compact, cashless payment device for automatic tabletop coffee machines.
The new platform allows consumers to purchase beverages and micro market items in the same transaction.
Prior to the innovation, consumers were required to purchase barcoded products separate from coffee, adding friction to the buying experience and lessening the chance consumers would buy both.
With PicoCoffee, European and U.K. Micro Market operators now can simplify the consumer journey and back-office administration with a single device. Operators focused on office coffee service (OCS) now have a way to expand their services strategically and economically by selling complementary products alongside coffee, such as pastries, fruit, and snack bars.
“Before the introduction of PicoCoffee, consumers had to pay for snacks at a dedicated micro market kiosk and then transition to another payment device to … pay for coffee,” says Ryan McWhirter, vice president of product strategy at 365 Retail Markets. “We’ve now been able to take our industry leading self-checkout experience and integrate coffee purchasing in the most seamless way possible.”
Removing friction from the checkout experience increases the likelihood consumers fulfil their buying potential. Furthermore, snacks positioned within arm’s reach of the coffee machine can lead to impulse buys that dramatically increase revenue, according to 365 Retail Markets.
Utilizing one self-service checkout solution reduces technology acquisition and management costs for operators, while offering a view into both coffee and market analytics with consolidated reporting.
Easy integration via a single MDB cable makes PicoCoffee plug and play for operators just as easy to deploy as the single function legacy products now in use. Modifying coffee equipment to mount a payment device is no longer necessary, eliminating a challenge for operators with financed equipment. As a standalone compact kiosk, PicoCoffee sits next to the tabletop automatic brewer and physically raises the point of sale higher than other, less visible countertop alternatives. This positioning further elevates the consumer experience making it easier to locate and utilize the payment device.
“I think Operators will look back at this moment and ask why PicoCoffee didn’t come along sooner” says McWhirter. “We are extending the vision of what an OCS and micro market location can be, and I’m excited to see the industry continue to reinvent itself as a result of this innovation. …”
PicoCoffee also can help operators turn loyal coffee drinkers into loyal consumers. As part of the 365 Connected Campus, consumers can use their 365Pay mobile app to make it easy to pay for purchases, earn rewards, and redeem promotions the more they purchase.
On average, 75 percent of unattended solution sales in the United Kingdom include automatic tabletop coffee machines with preference for the machines growing over traditional hot beverage vending within both the U.K. and E.U. Both trends confirm this is the ideal time for operators to take advantage of the benefits of PicoCoffee, according to 365 Retail Markets.
PicoCoffee is available for immediate purchase in the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, and Austriawith more countries coming soon.
To learn more about PicoCoffee or make a purchase, visit 365retailmarkets.co.uk or contact a sales representative at 365international@365smartshop.com.
Founded in 2008, 365 provides a full suite of best-in-class, self-service technologies for food service operators including end-to-end integrated SaaS software, payment processing, and point of-sale hardware. Today, the company’s technology solutions autonomously power food retail spaces at corporate offices, manufacturing and distribution facilities, university and college campuses, and more.
