Smart Fridge for employee catering in the company

Hybrid work remains stable in Germany: in February 2025, 24.5% of employees worked at least partly from home.⁽¹⁾ This tends to make rigid canteen models less plannable, while flexible, modular solutions are gaining importance (assessment). At the same time, cashless is growing in the self-serve market: in Europe, cashless systems are installed on 85% of the „pay vend“ base according to EVA.⁽²⁾ Insights-to-action: rely on flexible supply (24/7 + modular assortments) and plan cashless/identity (e.g. an employee card) as a standard, not as a „nice to have“.

[1] https://www.ifo.de/en/facts/2025-03-24/working-home-rate-germany-stabilizes-just-under-25-percent?utm_source=chatgpt.com
[2] https://www.vending-europe.eu/new-eva-market-report-reveals-that-growth-is-slowing/

With Livello, companies can either stock the fridge themselves (in-house) or work with a service partner – both are common, and the right approach depends primarily on internal resources and the number of locations. In-house often makes sense if logistics/purchasing already exist or if certain product standards are to be managed internally. Service partners make sense if the organizational effort should remain minimal or if several locations need to be supplied reliably. We usually recommend choosing the model with the lowest start-up effort for the pilot, and then optimizing for efficiency based on real usage data. What matters is not „who stocks it“, but whether availability and assortment are consistently right – which can be ensured through clear restocking routines and data from operations.

Via the Livello Cloud, you can see stock levels, sales, peak times and legally compliant temperature logs. Exports for accounting/controlling are possible at any time – for full transparency and efficient planning.

You create items centrally and adjust prices, names, SKUs, tax rates or planograms. Changes are applied promptly at the kiosk.

In practice, three points are decisive: power, a stable internet connection and a location that is easily accessible in everyday life (e.g. kitchen, lounge, near meeting rooms). In addition, it should be clear how restocking, cleaning and internal responsibilities are organized – this is often more important than the technology. If the fridge is too hidden or no one takes ownership, usage and availability drop noticeably. We therefore recommend a brief site check before go-live, including walking routes and typical usage times. Better a location with high visibility and clear responsibility than „perfect“ square meters somewhere off to the side.

Yes. Any tax rate can be configured per item (including 7% and 19%). The kiosk reflects these correctly and applies them automatically.

Employees open the Smart Fridge, select products and close the door again – the purchase is thereby completed. Depending on the setup, a brief cashless pre-authorization takes place beforehand (e.g. by card or smartphone), so that the purchase can then be settled automatically. After the door is closed, the amount is charged and, if desired, a digital receipt is available. A clear signage right at the device is important („How it works in 3 steps“) so that first-time users can get through without help. For a smooth start, we recommend a brief onboarding at the location (poster + internal email) and, in the first two weeks, a look at typical drop-off points (e.g. failed pre-authorization, unclear payment rules).