How Are HR Managers Handling the End of Meal Voucher Acceptance in Retail Chains?

Important Update for HR Managers: New Year Shake-up for Employees!

Modern retail outlets like Big Bazaar, More, etc., have posted notices in their stores. Acceptance of Sodexo and Edenred vouchers has ceased as of January 1, 2012. Our Meal Card customers (Camp Card Solutions) are not affected.

This isn't the first time there is noise by a section of modern format retailers against brands. In the past as well, some of these retailers wanted to avoid brands like Cadbury and Kellogg's over issues like margins. These FMCG majors continued to make their products available at traditional retail outlets, and consumers had the choice to procure from there.

Similarly, even if the chain stores stop accepting meal vouchers, there is a much wider network of restaurants, food outlets, food courts, bakeries, pizzerias, and cafeterias that will continue to accept meal vouchers. With customizing services being the favorite mantra for the industry, consumers can also register on the service providers' sites by sharing the details of their favorite restaurants and food outlets to be added to the merchant network.

Besides, meal vouchers bring in more business as well as brand awareness for these stores while being a tax-exempt benefit for the employees. I think these modern retail outlets will need to reconsider their stance.

Regards

This isn't the first time there is noise by a section of modern format retailers against brands. In the past, some of these retailers wanted to avoid brands like Cadbury and Kellogg's over issues like margins. These FMCG majors continued to make their products available at traditional retail outlets, and consumers had the choice to procure from there.

Similarly, even if the chain stores stop accepting meal vouchers, there is a much wider network of restaurants, food outlets, food courts, bakeries, pizzerias, and cafeterias that will continue to accept meal vouchers. With customizing services being the favorite mantra for the industry, consumers can also register on the service providers' sites by sharing the details of their favorite restaurants and food outlets to be added to the merchant network.

Besides, meal vouchers bring in more business as well as brand awareness for these stores while being a tax-exempt benefit for the employees. I think these modern retailers should consider the broader implications.

This isn't the first time that there is noise by a section of modern format retailers against brands. In the past as well, some of these retailers wanted to avoid brands like Cadbury and Kellogg's over issues like margins. These FMCG majors continued to make their products available at traditional retail outlets, and consumers had the choice to procure from there.

Similarly, even if the chain stores stop accepting meal vouchers, there is a much wider network of restaurants, food outlets, food courts, bakeries, pizzerias, and cafeterias that will continue to accept meal vouchers. I think these modern retail formats will resume acceptance of the meal vouchers in some time, until then we can use meal vouchers at the other outlets.