TECHNOLOGY
Driving Excellence Through Technology Technology Leader of the Year Kum & Go reinforces its commitment to customers and associates through technology By Melissa Kress
has been accused of being slow to innovate and embrace new technologies. Often, c-store retailers take a wait-and-see approach and follow cues from competitors — quick-service restaurants and Amazon Go, to name a few.
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However, not all c-store operators are tech hesitant. Kum & Go LC stands among this group, and it is the Des Moines, Iowa-based retailer's commitment to its customers and associates reinforced through technology that especially makes the company stand out, earning it the Convenience Store News 2021 Technology Leader of the Year award. “We have a real commitment to use technology as an enabler to drive efficiencies in our stores, and to enable our customers to come in with greater access,” said Chief Information Officer Levon Hooks. “If you visited our stores over the past 12 to 18 months with COVID, we looked for opportunities to have a more touchless environment. That's our commitment not only to our store associates, but also to our customers to drive excellence through technology.”
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Inspiring Innovation When it comes to innovation, Kum & Go is always looking for opportunities to drive efficiency, and drive improved or increased customer engagement and experience, according to Hooks. “As we look at innovative technologies and how we can use them to better enable the experiences across our organization, that is the driver of our long-term strategy,” he explained. While some retailers take cues from outside forces, Kum & Go looks internally for innovation inspiration. As Hooks noted, the company pairs its drivers for success with innovations that will help Kum & Go execute its short and long-term strategies. “I don't think we necessarily look at one industry, like a big-box, to drive our thought process. It is more internally,” he said. “For example, we are revamping our food program. With that, we will need to engage our customers in a different way with our new food model. We are now looking at how we can use technology to enable that engagement.” Currently, Kum & Go is piloting the new food model
