Smart coolers have moved into the mainstream. More than half of respondents to our 2026 State of the Vending and Micro Market Industry survey said they operate them, and smart coolers represented 33.5% of the equipment deployed by respondents.

At the same time, micro market growth showed signs of slowing. In 2025, 38% of respondents increased their number of micro market locations while 52% reported no change. In 2023, 84% had reported growth.

That does not mean smart coolers are replacing micro markets. Operators may be using them to replace vending, serve smaller locations, manage shrink, test accounts or supplement existing markets.

But it raises a question worth answering: Are smart coolers winning locations that, only a few years ago, would have automatically become micro markets?

VendingMarketWatch.com wants to understand whether the operator decision tree has changed.

• When does an operator recommend one smart cooler, several smart coolers or a full micro market?
• How do the formats compare on sales, shrink, labor, margin and return on investment?

If your company operates or evaluates smart coolers or micro markets, please share your experience. And operators, if willing to discuss what is happening at actual locations, you can tell us that too.

To streamline your time, the survey will show questions based on your answers, up to 14 questions. You will not have to answer questions that do not apply to your operation.