From day one, theft has been a concern for micro market operators. Watching hours of video or taking a time consuming and perfectly executed market inventory are two ways to establish whether theft is occurring, but then what? Proving your case to the client and gaining their support is the difficult next step.

In this episode of Automatic Merchandiser’s Vending & OCS Nation podcast, host Bob Tullio talks to three companies who use advanced technology, including AI, to identify theft as it happens and make it easier for operators to have that difficult conversation about product theft with their customer. The goal is better communication, cooperation, deterrence and in some cases, compensation.

According to the 2023 Automatic Merchandiser State of the Industry Report, there are over 42,000 active micro markets being operated in the US. Since the very first micro market was placed over a decade ago, product theft, aka “shrink” has been an active topic of conversation and an ongoing challenge for just about every operator.

In that same study, operators were asked to identify their average level of micro market theft. While 3% optimistically said they were at a 0% shrink, the vast majority fell into the 3% to 7% range.

One might conclude from the report that the shrink situation isn’t that bad and generally speaking, operators have it under control. Those three companies that are using advanced technology to monitor security and catch thieves in micro markets would beg to differ. Panoptyc, ProWatch Solutions and Theft Detective have all experienced different journeys on their way to catching a thief. Today, they can offer hard evidence that theft is an inherent issue in micro markets and unless strong deterrents are in place, along with effective communication – shrink happens in a big way.

While this podcast takes a deeper dive into the issue of micro market theft and efforts to deter it, many of the interviews were also conducted for the Automatic Merchandiser article that Tullio wrote for the magazine’s upcoming November, “Protecting your investment - A technology driven approach to mitigating micro market theft.”

From all indications, smart markets are a game changer. Driven by AI, featuring the security benefits of vending and the product merchandising power of a micro market, it is no wonder that smart markets are emerging as the next big thing.

In the first part of a two-part episode of Automatic Merchandiser’s Vending & OCS Nation podcast, Tullio takes a deeper dive. He speaks with many of the entrants into the smart market space, big and small. Each is beginning to find their niche in what is almost certain to become a massive opportunity for everyone involved.

You can't tell the players without a scorecard. This podcast is your scorecard for the micro market game.

Part one features Evan Jarecki from Gimme, Ryan McWhirter of 365 Retail Markets, Elyssa Steiner of Cantaloupe, Yang Yu of Micromart, and Arthur Siller from Evergreen Refreshments.

Part two of this podcast on smart markets will be available on Tuesday, October 15. Part two will include interviews with other smart market providers, including Mike DeLazzer, founder of Redbox, now with Instant Retail Systems, Detlev Goedbloed of Structural Concepts, Fred Kahn at Kooick, Guy Moshe at Shekel and more.

Editor's Note: Many of the interviews in this podcast (which offers a timely post-season baseball theme) were conducted by host Bob Tullio for an article that appeared in Automatic Merchandiser Magazine’s August edition.

Over the years, there was always talk among operators about somehow using the front of a vending machine for advertising. Or maybe the little screen on a bean to cup brewer would work. Or – how about a monitor in a micro market? Ten years ago, it was just talk and it seemed like science fiction.

Today, advertising in micro markets and on other payment devices is a reality – and a nice profit center for operators. Leave it to the folks at 365 Retail Markets to deliver with an entity they call Advana.

In this episode of Automatic Merchandiser’s Vending & OCS Nation, the podcast for the convenience services industry, host Bob Tullio looks at the explosive growth of micro market advertising. For Tullio, this podcast really belongs in the file that’s entitled - “I can’t believe this wasn’t available when I was operator.”

As Jacob McNulty from 365 put it, every operator starts out by pressing the easy button – allow advertising and watch the checks come in. It can get even better than that as revenue multiplies with more screens and supplier support.

While 365 Retail Markets is the advertising frontrunner with Advana – in this episode, Elyssa Steiner talks about the advertising program that Cantaloupe has brought to the table for their customers, leveraging the vast number of screens and devices in their network.

Either way – it’s a win for operators. In the podcast, Tullio asked McNulty, “Doesn’t this seem like a no brainer?” Allow advertising. Cash checks. He agreed.

That’s why Tullio calls it, “easy money.”

As co-owner of Quality Vending & Coffee, Dean Prather is a hard-working operator with 34 years in the business. His invention, Q-Tote, is having an impact on the micro market industry. Dave Marler of Lightspeed calls it a “game changer.” Beyond his work, he is driven by giving back in several directions.

In this episode of Automatic Merchandiser’s Vending & OCS Nation, the podcast for the convenience services industry, Dean Prather talks to host Bob Tullio about the three things he is invested in – his employees, his customers and the community. It is Dean Prather – Part II.

Prather talks about his take on the coffee service industry and the fact that today, it is looking more and more like pantry service. He discusses his enthusiasm for one piece of equipment that he believes is the next big thing – a departure from his usually conservative approach to business.

Suppliers are critical to success and Prather identifies the key partners who have elevated his company. He explains the thought process behind Q-Tote and how the product, while not a perfect fit for every operator, is taking off.

Of course, he has his own recipe for the secret sauce that is perfectly in line with his approach to doing business.

Since the NAMA Show in May, while some operators are discouraged and turning away from coffee service, Bob Tullio has been beating the same drum, urging coffee service operators to ramp up their sales efforts.

In this episode of Automatic Merchandiser’s Vending & OCS Nation, the podcast for the convenience services industry, Tullio looks at the upside and downside of the reality that OCS will never be the same – although, it’s hard to say “never” about anything in today’s world.

What really sparked this whole premise – that now is the time to ramp up the OCS sales effort, is some of the conversations Tullio had with OCS operators over the past several months. While there is plenty of frustration out there, selling OCS opens a tremendous amount of opportunity for operators because of one reason:

Selling OCS is the easiest way to get in front of a decision maker.

Jennifer Fox of Fox Vending, Jon Fishman, Tullio’s former business partner, Orrin Huebner, business consultant, Linda Saldana of Seventh Wave Refreshments, Kim Lenz from Associated Services and veteran operator, now retired, Tom Konop, all contributed to the content of this podcast.

In this conversation with Tullio and his panel of industry leaders, the message is clear:

Face to face on site engagement is key. Get in the door. Get in front of prospects. Double down on OCS selling. Take the road less travelled and enjoy the expanded opportunity that comes with being a committed OCS operator in this new office refreshment landscape.

In this episode of Automatic Merchandiser’s Vending & OCS Nation, the podcast for the convenience services industry, host Bob Tullio sat down with Holiday House co-founders Butch and Lynn Winkler, partners for 48 in marriage and business, Barbara Russell, the vice president of sales and marketing for the company. You won’t believe what Barbara’s role was the first time she worked for Butch and Lynn.

This is a story of hard-working people who have evolved within an industry — in this case, the coffee service business. Butch and Lynn started as operators from 1981 to 1991, when they sold the company and launched Holiday House, selling a few plumbing parts.

Today, their massive catalog has products that serve 3900 operators and is growing. They are also the driving force behind the Holiday House Technician Training and Trade Show. Barbara Russell is the brainchild and quarterback of the event, which will take place from September 30 to October 2 at the Hyatt Regency in Irvine, Calif.

It's a great story. Butch and Lynn share their journey, looking back and looking forward.

Dean Prather's story at Quality Vending & Coffee in Kansas City, might remind you of Jon Holden's story at All Star Services in Michigan. Proof that son-in-laws can be a great hire!

In this episode of Automatic Merchandiser’s Vending & OCS Nation podcast, Prather takes host Bob Tullio on a company tour of Quality Vending & Coffee, a company that has served the greater Kansas City metro area for decades. He also shares the company journey and his own personal route to becoming a prominent figure in the convenience services business. As it turns out – he has emerged as an inventor and his product is having a positive impact with operators around the country.

This is part one of a two-part episode, because once Dean Prather gets going in an interview, he has some excellent insights to offer. Part two will be released on Tuesday, September 3rd.

Like so many great companies - Quality Vending and Coffee was started in a garage. In 1991, Don Miceli and his late wife Jo Beth launched the company, a bold move following Don’s 30 years in the business working for Interstate United and another local independent operator. Don and Jo Beth decided it was time to do their own thing and they brought in their son Carl as well.

Less than a year into their new venture and with a growing list of accounts, Don reached out to his son-in-law, Dean Prather, about joining their team. Over 30 years later – Prather, now a co-owner, knows he made the right choice.

More than ever before, technology is being associated with vending and micro markets. For many, it seems to have all happened overnight, right after the pandemic. In reality, pioneers like Evan Jarecki have been at it for a decade.

Today’s episode of Automatic Merchandiser’s Vending & OCS Nation, the podcast for the convenience services industry, focuses on a company and industry leader who offers a classic entrepreneurial story. Host Bob Tullio talked to Evan Jarecki, CEO and co-founder of Georgia based Gimme Vending, a leading software company that builds management, delivery, and invoicing tools for micro markets and vending operators.

Gimme was built around three core values.

Empathy – caring deeply about their customers and how their teams operate.

Determination – not stopping until the job is done and being passionate about quality.

And Problem-Solving - embracing challenges and working with partners to find solutions.

Those core values have served the company well during what has been a very eventful 10-year ride. Jarecki shares his journey - the pivots, the milestones, the progress and how his product has evolved over the last decade. It’s a great listen - 15 minutes well spent - for operators, suppliers and entrepreneurs.