C&I sits down with Karla Borland, CEO and Founder of Morsl, to discuss the company’s recent $5 million capital raise.
Morsl currently operates its fully automated, self-checkout marketplace at 13 warehouse and logistics companies across NSW and Victoria, including Amazon and Officeworks, and services over 5000 of these company’s employees.
The innovative business plans to use the capital raise to execute its current pipeline of over 20 new sites across Australia, expansion into new channels, and hiring of key management positions.
C&I: Can you tell me a little about Morsl and what you hope to achieve with it?
Borland: Morsl’s mission is to improve the eating habits of Australian employees via its self-service cafés or otherwise known as micro markets. The markets are fully automated and are available 24/7 which solve the challenge of employees accessing fresh and healthy food throughout their entire workday.
The employee picks a product from an open rack display, or reach-in refrigerator and scans the item at the self-checkout kiosk. The product range offers over 1,000 fresh food and better-for-you snacks and drinks, including ready to eat meals, sandwiches, salads etc. There is still a ‘naughty corner’ with the market operating according to the 80:20 rule; in order to be healthy and balanced, eating 80 per cent better-for-you foods is enough and the remaining 20 per cent is about indulging without a guilty feeling.
The benefit of Morsl is that it enhances employee health and wellbeing by providing access to healthier eating choices whilst improving company productivity and engagement.
C&I: What drove the decision to start Morsl?
Borland: Morsl was started to solve a challenge I faced everyday within the office environment of seeking easy access to healthier food choices throughout the day.
C&I: Are there any other businesses in the market similar to morsl?
Borland: Morsl’s self-service cafes are providing a solution different to vending machines, food trucks and the traditional in-house café models as it provides fast and easy access to fresh and healthier food options, 24/7 availability, customisation, an enhanced customer experience and unrivalled adaptability.
C&I: When do you expect your will be expanding into Queensland and what is your execution strategy for that market?
Borland: Morsl will be expanding into Queensland 1Q23 with an anchor Government client, supporting over 3,000 employees. We have a number of other QLD clients in the pipeline in order to build fast efficiencies with the state.
C&I: How has Morsl adapted the traditional convenience store model?
Borland: Morsl has adapted the traditional convenience store model into a health and wellness offering that is tailored to the demographics and work habits of each location. With the shift to cashless and unattended, Morsl is taking smart retail straight into Australian workplaces.
C&I: How do you choose your stock?
Borland: Our fresh food offering is constantly rotated in order to avoid menu fatigue. Our snacks and drinks are selected based on nutritional guidelines, ingredients, portion size, price point, taste and category. The product selection for each location is then tailored according to demographics, dietary preferences, work and eating habits.
C&I: What new sectors is Morsl planning to expand into?
Borland: Morsl is passionate to expand into new sectors such as hospitals to support our essential workers who work long shifts and require access to fresh and healthy options on a 24/7 basis.
C&I: Can you explain how the payment technology works?
Borland: The payment technology is cashless, with payment made via card, apple pay etc. Market accounts can also be set up at the kiosks allowing for payment with fingerprint technology.
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