The Power of Pico: Evergreen Refreshments executive shares PicoCooler impact

As far as vending and micro market solutions are concerned, the PicoCooler from 365 Retail Markets is starting to make its mark, and operators are taking notice.

Evergreen Refreshments, operating in the Pacific Northwest, is no exception. Since August of this year, they have started deploying the PicoCooler and realizing significant results.

With sales doubling, and even tripling, at various locations, Arthur Siller, SVP of Evergreen Refreshments, could not be happier.

According to Siller, one of the most obvious use cases is to replace existing vending machines.

“The PicoCooler has already unlocked new opportunities for our markets,” said Siller. “Simply installing it has strengthened relationships with our clients, filled gaps in our revenue, and enhanced variety in our product mix at those locations.”

Pair that with route drivers who are thrilled with the ease of stocking compared to vending, and it really is a no-lose solution.

Aside from replacing existing vending machines, Evergreen Refreshments is also seeing additional benefits in using the PicoCooler. The lingering effects of COVID-19 leave some full micro markets turning fewer transactions due to flexible work arrangements, which beckon less consistent workforce on-site. Clients are clamoring for solutions to keep their employees happy while they are in the office.

However, Evergreen Refreshments found one – installing PicoCoolers in place of micro markets that see less traffic. From an operator perspective, stocking one cooler with both fresh food and beverages is ideal in terms of efficient use of space. Pair the PicoCooler with a snack rack, and suddenly you have a robust solution for locations of any size.

From a consumer standpoint, Siller is finding that the purchase experience presents significantly less friction than vending, allows consumers to touch and feel products, and have access to more product variety.

Siller and his team at Evergreen are taking steps to make the consumer experience as easy and enjoyable as possible, including leveraging custom signage to help first-time users understand where to start.

“Really, the learning curve is not steep. It truly is easy as 1-2-3, and our clients and consumers all appreciate that,” said Siller.

What’s next for Evergreen Refreshments and the PicoCooler?

“I see us continuing to put these out in the field at a fast clip. They are helping us meet client needs in all sorts of scenarios and it just makes business sense,” Siller added.

He is also excited about deploying in settings that involve multiple office buildings for a single client. “It’s the perfect arrangement to foster an enhanced level of convenience for consumers who may need to collaborate across multiple locations in a single campus,” Siller said.

When operators leverage multiple 365 Retail Markets devices, they automatically reap the benefits of its interconnected environment, known as the Connected Campus. Their fully integrated, consumer-experience ecosystem seamlessly connects a location’s 365-based micro market, office coffee service (OCS), vending and dining technology. “If I have a client that has employees in three adjacent buildings, I can place a micro market in the highest traffic office and still provide a great client experience with a PicoCooler in the buildings across the parking lot, that may have less employees on-site,” Siller said.

365 Retail Markets offers solutions that operators can leverage individually or as a collective ecosystem in order to work in concert for the greater convenience of the client, the consumer and the operator. The flexibility of its solutions is boundless, and that is key to consistently meeting consumer needs while also remaining at the cutting edge of technology and innovation.