TECHNOLOGY
The 2022 Technology Hit List Frictionless checkout, all things digital, data management and labor optimization are the biggest priorities c-store operators have for technology implementation this year By Tammy Mastroberte
two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, its aftermath is still having a huge effect on all aspects of retail, including convenience stores and the industry’s technology priorities. Many retailers pivoted quickly when the pandemic hit with technologies initially on the backburner, or part of a five-year plan, moved up the list to priority status.
DESPITE BEING ALMOST
Touchless and frictionless technology, enhanced digital experiences, online ordering and delivery suddenly became must-haves, and the convenience channel jumped in headfirst to keep up with the changing consumer preferences.
“Safety is a key driver for customers in the convenience channel, and the pandemic brought a new awareness to safety concerns, accelerated consumer adoption of e-commerce, and increased interest in frictionless shopping,” Deb Hall Lefevre, executive vice president and chief technology officer at Alimentation Couche Tard Inc., the Laval, Quebec-based operator of more than 7,230 Circle K stores in the United States, told Convenience Store News. As the company focused on personal protective equipment (PPE), enhanced cleaning and plexiglass shields at the point-of-sale — along with other measures to demonstrate its commitment to safety — Circle K also worked to accelerate the testing of technology solutions such as touchless checkout options, and scaling on-demand home delivery, curbside pickup and click-and-collect — both as its own solutions and third-party relationships. “These solutions enabled us to pivot quickly during the pandemic, and we’ll
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