Six Technologies That Will Disrupt the C-store Industry

Disrupt: to break apart; to throw into disorder; to interrupt the normal course of unity.

“Disruption” is a term getting tossed around a lot these days in the retail industry. As technology continues to advance in all aspects of daily life and consumers get savvier using it, they are expecting the same level of sophistication in their shopping experiences.

From no-touch commerce to touchpoints everywhere, emerging technologies are changing the game for convenience and fuel retailers, with even more transformation to come.

“The old rules are out the window, and new ones are still being written. Businesses and their leaders will rise or fall based on their ability to anticipate and creatively respond to rapid change,” innovation expert Robert Tucker told a roomful of professionals in the convenience and fuel retailing industry at a recent conference.

The brick-and-mortar store of old no longer cuts it. Brick-and-mortar stores still have a place in the retail landscape, but only if they embrace innovation. Consumers today want retailers to know who they are and provide them with personalized deals. They want retailers to give them the option to shop whenever and however they want: in-store, online, mobile, voice order, connected car, delivery, click-and-collect, frictionless, etc.

In this special report, Convenience Store News presents the six technologies we believe will disrupt the c-store industry. We have combed through our daily news stories, analyzed the latest research reports and talked with leading thought leaders to arrive at this final six. These are not the only technologies that will have an impact, but they are the ones we believe are most critical.