Golf carts have them.
Airline seats have them. Your car probably has one. Does your micro market have one?
We’re talking about USB ports or multiple power outlets for device charging.
Charging stations are a simple idea with a huge impact on a micro market.
“Really Good Wi-Fi”
If you follow Steve Closser on LinkedIn, you already know that Closser and his crew at Translucent are the busiest micro market consultants in the business. According to Closser, 2020 is already packed with commitments.
Translucent offers a broad spectrum of business coaching services for operators, usually initiated by micro market consulting. With constant exposure to micro markets around the country, Closser sees the importance of Wi-Fi and charging stations in micro markets.
Today, employees want “really good” Wi-Fi and according to Closser, that can mean open, non-company Wi-Fi – “where big brother isn’t watching.”
Meeting Demand
Steve Orlando, an experienced operator of 10 years who co-founded Fixturelite, the leading supplier of micro market retail displays, seating and design features, said that operators are increasingly recognizing the importance of charging stations in a micro market and Fixturelite is meeting the demand.
“Wi-Fi and a place to power up is critical because micro market users are spending so much more time in the breakroom,” said Orlando. “That’s why furniture with built-in charging stations and electrical plugs should be integrated into a design. We have six different options for charging stations in our furniture, but without question, our Parson’s Table is the most popular place to put one.”
Orlando said that charging stations make sense for operators. “Anything you can do to encourage employees to spend more time in the breakroom is a positive,” he said. “That includes charging stations as well as the nature of seating.”
Collaborative Seating
“We’re seeing a demand for bar height round tables with stools that can seat four to five people and even bigger tables that are up to eight feet long,” said Closser.
“This type of seating is becoming more common because of the collaborative nature of breakrooms and dining in general,” said Orlando. “Shared tables are becoming a mainstay at many urban eateries, so it’s not surprising that the trend is moving to the workplace. At Fixturelite, our furniture line and our designs have been accommodating this need for some time,” he added.
Comfortable - Right Around the Market
Closser said that comfortable, colorful, soft seating is become a micro market mainstay. “What’s changing is that clients want to build that comfortable breakroom environment, that place to relax, around the market itself – not in the next room.”
Orlando said the trend varies from one company to the next, but in most amenity hungry accounts – typically the best kind, clients want the breakroom and the micro market area to be about refreshment, recharging, relaxation and collaboration. “This client objective isn’t accomplished without a thoughtful approach to design,” said Orlando. “It is one of the big reasons that so many operators are turning to Fixturelite for customer experience related designs, products and solutions.”
Learn More!
Micro market furniture, design and solutions at www.fixturelite.com
