Frescobreak's implementation of Selfly Store's smart vending machines
Introduction to Frescobreak's and Selfly Store's collaboration
Frescobreak, a pioneering division within the larger food Company ParmaFood Group, is at the forefront of retail innovation in the Parma region of Italy. By integrating Selfly Store's smart vending machine technology, Frescobreak is redefining the landscape of ready-to-eat food services and testing new products in a dynamic market. This case study delves into their implementation, operational efficiencies, customer insights, and future aspirations.
Frescobreak was sprung out of ParmaFood Group to solve COVID-19 challenges
Frescobreak emerged as an extension of ParmaFood Group, a significant Italian food producer known for its commitment to freshness and quality. ParmaFood Group's use of High Pressure Processing (HPP) technology, a cutting-edge method to extend shelf life and maintain food quality, sets them apart in the industry.
Frescobreak was founded as a response to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, with the aim to transform the landscape of food services in the Parma region. With many traditional food service venues facing closures or reduced operations due to the pandemic, Frescobreak identified a unique opportunity to fill this gap.
FrescoBreak turned to RFID solutions provider Murata ID Solutions, who engineered and proposed an RFID solution built around Selfly Store. Leveraging the smart vending machine technology from Selfly Store, Frescobreak was not just solving an immediate need for accessible food options but was also creating a platform for product testing. The smart vending fridges provided a safe, contactless, and 24/7 accessible solution for people in offices and production sites who were still operational during the lockdowns. This innovative approach allowed Frescobreak to offer a range of food products while simultaneously testing their acceptability and popularity in a real-world setting.
Smart vending machine implementation by Selfly Store
Starting out, Frescobreak had to individualize the right RFID tags for each type of products and packaging. Research, testing and selection of the most appropriate tags were carried out with the assistance of Murata ID Solutions. Today, 16 Selfly Store smart vending fridges have been installed in Parma, targeting office and production sites. These machines offer a wide range of products, from Frescobreak's own fresh offerings to a diverse selection from other brands. Embracing the smart vending machine concept, Frescobreak can reach and satisfy the request for high quality food products, available 24/7 for busy professionals.
The smart vending machines are the backbone in Frescobreak's operations. They utilize the real-time data and advanced features of the machines for inventory management, product rotation, and dynamic pricing strategies. The interactive screens on the machines serve as effective tools for engaging advertising and promotions, enhancing the consumer shopping experience. Moreover, the screens provide an opportunity to increase the Frescobreak brand awareness. Coupled with the smart vending fridges, Frescobreak has also developed an app for payments, to offer their consumer base alternative payment solutions. The app development for payments was integrated using the complete and open API from Selfly Store.
Frescobreak’s experienced benefits with smart vending machines
The Selfly Store smart vending machines have brought several advantages to Frescobreak:
- Efficient waste management: The machines' real-time monitoring capabilities help significantly reduce food waste.
- Customer engagement: Interactive advertising on the machines' screens captivates customers, driving sales.
- Insightful sales data: The machines provide valuable data, revealing sales patterns
Consumer behaviour insights thanks to Frescobreak’s use of smart vending machine technology
Frescobreak's use of Selfly Store's smart vending machines has revealed key consumer behavior insights:
- Consistent sales with event-driven peaks: Sales data from these machines show a stable trend, with noticeable increases during holidays or special events. This pattern indicates how consumer buying habits shift in response to specific occasions, highlighting the Selfly Store smart fridges' ability to cater to changing demands.
- Impact of employer food subsidies: Locations where employers subsidize food see higher sales, demonstrating the effectiveness of such initiatives in boosting Selfly Store smart fridge usage. This suggests that employer involvement plays a significant role in influencing employee consumption habits.
- Importance of consumer education: The consumer feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. However, Frescobreak early identified that in a workplace, educating users about features like pre-authorization is beneficial for a smooth vending experience. This awareness ensures that customers can fully utilize the advanced capabilities of these machines, enhancing overall satisfaction and ease of use.
- Price Tags, Products Displays and Digital Advertising: In their smart vending machines, Frescobreak skillfully merges digital advertising with traditional physical price tags and products displaysThis strategy appeals to various consumer preferences, with some attracted to interactive digital displays and others comforted by the familiarity of physical price tags, in a well-organized showcase . This approach not only enriches the vending experience but also offers insights into diverse consumer behaviors, helping Frescobreak tailor their services to different customer needs.
Future vision with fully integrating the Frescobreak mobile app with the smart vending machine technology
As Frescobreak continues to innovate with smart vending machine technology, a significant focus of their future vision includes enhancing their current mobile application. This app development aims to augment the user experience of their Selfly Store smart fridges, making it more interactive and personalized. Planned key features for the app include:
- Personalized offers and feedback mechanisms: The future version of the app will likely include personalized product recommendations based on user preferences and purchase history. Additionally, it will offer a platform for customers to provide direct feedback on products, aiding in R&D and product improvement.
- Enhanced payment and loyalty programs: Integrating more sophisticated payment options and loyalty rewards within the app to encourage repeat usage and enhance customer loyalty.
- Educational content and collaborations: Working with educational institutions, Frescobreak aims to include nutritional information and educational content in their app. This initiative will not only educate consumers about the products but also promote healthier eating habits.
Alongside app development, Frescobreak plans to transfer knowledge to the mother company, Parma Is, to broaden the use of RFID tagging in their core product range also sold outside of Selfly Store’s smart vending machines. This will streamline inventory management and provide richer data for customer behavior analysis.
With support from their technology implementation partner, Murata ID Solutions, Frescobreak is poised to make significant strides in smart vending machine technology. These advancements, coupled with a more feature-rich mobile application, will undoubtedly create a more engaging, efficient, and customer-centric retail experience.
Conclusion
Frescobreak's adoption of Selfly Store's smart vending machines exemplifies the potential of modern retail technology in transforming food service operations. Their commitment to freshness, quality, and technological innovation sets a new benchmark in the retail food sector, paving the way for a smarter, more efficient, and customer-focused future in vending solutions.