Tech Tips that Make Sense for Your C-Store

When you think of cutting-edge technology revolutionizing the c-store experience, it’s easy for our imagination to go sci-fi. And while the robots are coming, there are plenty of more grounded, incremental opportunities that operators can adopt today. Whether finding an edge or keeping pace with your peers, tech integration is a critical and continually evolving piece of the c-store puzzle.

#1

Digital Signage

Digital signage offers an engaging and immersive experience from the pump to the register. Easily updated with attention-grabbing, high-quality images and videos, digital signage is a simple solution for stimulating extra purchases.

Did You Know?

As your partner, Rich’s works with you to create and deliver content for your omnichannel opportunities,

marrying your consumers’ in-store experience with digital touchpoints.

These value-added benefits can range from SEO, to social posts.

#2

MAKE LOYALTY PERSONAL

Hyper-personalization is the next big step for c-store loyalty programs. Enhancing redemption flexibility and efficiency, adding gamification, and tapping into your brand’s personality to build deep relationships can all make your loyalty program the go-to over a bounty of competition.

C-store loyalty programs provide the highest lift in check sizes of any segment, with loyalty member checks 12% higher on average than non-loyalty checks year after year.

Paytronix C-Store Loyalty Report, 2023

person looking at ordering food on mobile phone

#3

Optimized Menus & Ordering

Helping customers find what they want faster leads to reduced order times, which equates to increased sales and profitability. Simplifying and speeding up menu navigation in-store and online can strengthen brand positioning, better convey value and boost check averages.

A 10-second improvement in order time can increase customer throughput from 30 to 33 per hour — a $100,000 increase in annual sales (based on a $10 average check).

C-Store Dive ‘How shorter customer order times can boost your bottom line,’ 2024

#4

Options for Frictionless Checkout

Even small irritations can aggravate c-store shoppers seeking to expedite their checkout process. While many shoppers still prefer interacting with staff, advancements in scan & pay, automatic age verification, and just-walk-out technology provide opportunities to build loyalty with shoppers who’d rather do it themselves.

Consumers are most drawn to technologies that streamline the payment aspect of their c-store experience as opposed to foodservice ordering.

foodservice IP ‘Capturing Opportunities in Convenience Store Foodservice,’ 2023

#5

Unified Commerce

This convenience store’s overhaul of its reward app last year was driven by one overarching goal: unified commerce. This means simplifying and increasing continuity within the core digital components of the customer experience — including purchasing, payment and rewards.

‘Customer experience management’ is a top capability gap in digital customer experience platforms.

Harvard Business Review ‘Using Technology to Create a Better Customer Experience,’ 2023

#6

EV Chargers

The growth rate of EV drivers will continue to bite into the share of gas vehicles for the foreseeable future. C-stores are only middle-of-the-pack in terms of retailers adding high-speed EV chargers, according to Consumer Reports. Attracting more such drivers can drive in-store traffic and sales.

The turn-in rate for EV drivers can be nearly 45% higher than for drivers of gas vehicles, while average food spend can be around 25% higher.

C-Store Dive ‘How c-stores can capitalize on the mainstreaming of electric vehicles’ 2024

Operators who can best integrate and ease customers’ journeys will be well-positioned for the next wave of c-store technological innovations… which may indeed involve robots.

DISCOVER MORE C-STORE SOLUTIONS

Subscribe to the C-Store Newsletter!

As a subscriber to Rich’s C-Store Newsletter, you are the first to receive the latest trends and insights, but you also gain exclusive access to all past issues so you never miss an inspiring trend.

Take me back to the Resource Center!

Resource Center

¹Yodeck ‘Digital Signage: How to Build a Competitive Advantage for Brick & Mortar Retail,’ 2024

#1