Vending Machine Options

What are ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages? It’s any type of prepared beverage that is packaged and sold, usually in a single-use container. Bottled iced tea is a popular example. The tea has already been brewed, and sugar and other flavors have been added. Available for purchase in a bottle or can, the tea can be consumed by Columbia, MD employees immediately after opening.

RTD beverages are not new; they have been available for many years. But their popularity has recently skyrocketed in the U.S. and abroad, especially among mainstream consumers. A 2020 report from Fortune Business Insights estimated that the value of the global RTD market is likely to grow from $919.13 billion in 2019 to $1,257.77 billion by 2027. That’s an increase of $338.64 billion in just eight years.

Growing Demand

For an RTD product to appeal to Columbia, MD employees it has to offer two things: convenience and options. The new RTD beverage market offers both. 

• RTD beverages are convenient. They come in both shelf-stable and perishable formats; are served in cans and bottles; include chilled and on-the-go options; and can be purchased in break room vending machines.

• RTD beverages offer variety. Options can be any combination of flat or carbonated and clear or colorful. Ingredients can vary from traditional to functional or both (ex. caffeine = energy boost and antioxidants = health benefits).

Whether an individual is looking for a traditional beverage or a better-for-you option, there is an RTD option for everyone.

A Popular Segment: Coffee-Related RTD Beverages

An excellent source of instant energy, ready-to-drink coffee is popular among individuals of all ages. Not only are coffee-related RTD beverages a safe on-the-go option, but consuming them provides many health benefits including a reduced risk of death, type-2 diabetes, heart disease, and different types of cancer as well as improved memory, a short-term mental boost, better group performance, and feeling happier. Coffee, in reasonable amounts, is beneficial for the body and the mind.

For those Columbia, MD employees looking for an alternative to traditional coffee, cold brew and nitro cold brew coffees are great options. Cold brew is less acidic than traditionally brewed coffee, but it still contains the caffeine everyone wants. Nitro cold brew combines traditional cold brew with nitrogen creating a beverage with a rich and creamy mouthfeel. New specialty RTD coffee trends offer more variety and include carbonated coffee, functional coffee, single-origin brews, coffee cola, and additives including coconut milk, MCT oil, and plant-based beverages (includes plant-based protein blends (ex. brown rice, pea and chickpea)).

Whether a beverage is caffeinated or not, employers should offer a wide selection of RTD beverages in their Columbia, MD break room, especially during the time of COVID-19. With fewer surfaces to touch when locating and picking up a beverage, employees can have a safer break room experience. Serving individually packaged snacks in the break room also helps employees remain on-site during the workday, further lessening the chance of exposure.

For more information about how SunDun Office Refreshments can help create a safer break room experience and about all our break room services, please contact us at 800.466.2731.

What was the last pre-COVID item you purchased from a vending machine? Would your choice change if you were to purchase something today? If it would, you aren’t alone. A recent survey performed by Shorr Packaging revealed insights about how U.S. consumers’ purchasing behavior has shifted since the onset of the pandemic.

In addition to traditional food shopping locations, Gaithersburg, MD employers should also be aware of these shifts as they can also impact how and what employees purchase from break rooms. Even though employers don’t have control over how companies package or label their products, they do have control over which products are offered in break room vending machines. Regularly analyzing purchasing patterns and comparing them to the current break room refreshment menu provides exact data that can be used to create an inviting and engaging break room and keep employees on-site when they need something to eat or drink.

Let’s look at two areas of the survey that are relevant to the break room — COVID related changes and food labels and packaging.

COVID-19 Related Changes

For good or for bad, the pandemic has changed the way Gaithersburg, MD consumers shop. During the three months prior to the survey being completed, 61 percent of participants agreed that pandemic-related purchasing shifts will change how they shop in the future with 66 percent of those individuals saying they would pay more attention to product labels and packaging. 

Survey participants aren’t only paying more attention to packaging and labels; they are changing the products that they buy. For example, over three quarters of those who purchased brands they were unfamiliar with said they would purchase that brand/item again.

Food Labels and Packaging

So, what do consumers look for when choosing a product? Of the different parts on packaging, the ingredient list is considered the most trustworthy followed by the brand or logo, the price, and popular phrases such as fresh, no sugar added, all-natural, whole grain/multigrain, organic, and good source of fiber.

While almost two-thirds of participants were willing to pay more for a snack or beverage with popular labeling phrases, the remaining one-third consciously chose not to purchase items with the same phrases. The key takeaway is to make sure that any vending machine refreshment menu includes options that appeal to everyone.

SunDun Office Refreshments offers Gaithersburg, MD businesses the opportunity to do just that. We offer a variety of traditional and healthy snacks, cold beverages, and can customize a vending refreshment menu to fit both your and your employees’ needs. For more information about all our break room services including office coffee service, please give us a call at 800.466.2731.