The Consumer Confidence Index has been around for 46 years. It’s a tool that indicates the degree of optimism on the state of the overall economy that consumers are expressing through their activities of savings and spending. In simple terms, increased consumer confidence indicates economic growth, while a decrease implies a slowing economy.
Well, starting this fall, Automatic Merchandiser and VendingMarketWatch.com are bringing the tool to the vending, micro market and office coffee service channel. We are launching the first ever Operator Confidence Index (OCI).
A close up look
Sponsored by Mondelez International and published online and in a quarterly management eNewsletter, the OCI will track operator sentiment for the vending, micro market and OCS industry. It will provide a snapshot of how operators view the current state of the channel and the why behind the views.
For the first time, industry members will be able to see how the business is doing on a quarterly basis, instead of waiting for a once-a-year report. And the best part is that the results will be timely, based on that last quarter instead of numbers from previous year.
Based on operator response
The OCI will be made up of monthly surveys and comments made by vending, micro market and office coffee service providers with active businesses. In short, the panel is made up of you, our readers. Their commitment to the industry and joining the VendingMarketWatch Board of Operators will be recognized with regular acknowledgment on our Website and in the print editions of the magazine. Due to their time commitment and willingness to share their experiences, we will all benefit. The OCI will allow us to benchmark views on sales, industry growth and future outlook.
Much like the Consumer Confidence Index does for the retail world, the OCI will give us an indication on the growth or decline or the industry on a more regular basis. It’s a great opportunity and I’m delighted that Automatic Merchandiser and VendingMarketWatch will call it home. The first OCI installment will be available the first full week of October, so make sure you’re signed up on our eNewsletter subscription for VendingMarketWatch Daily Update so you don’t miss this exceptional new resource.
Emily Refermat | Editor
Emily has been living and breathing the vending industry since 2006 and became Editor in 2012. Usually Emily tries the new salted snack in the vending machine, unless she’s on deadline – then it’s a Snickers.
Feel free to reach Emily via email here or follow her on Twitter @VMW_Refermat.
