Convenience Technology Vision Group (CTVG) has released its latest Vision Report, titled “Pivotal Moments for Convenience Foodservice Technology,” which highlights the challenges retailers face as they strive to enhance the customer experience and leverage technologies to drive efficiency and profitability in convenience foodservice.
The CTVG quarterly meeting on March 7 was facilitated by Ed Collupy, principal of Collupy System Solutions, and featured presentations from Cameron Watt, president and CEO of Intouch Insight, and Robert Grimes, founder and CEO of the International Food and Beverage Technology Association (IFBTA).
The discussion emphasized how foodservice in convenience is at a pivotal moment as retailers strive to leverage technology to enhance the customer experience, drive efficiency and increase profitability. Through presentations on consumer engagement and foodservice innovation, followed by member discussions, the meeting explored various aspects of foodservice technology implementation and integration.
Key takeaways in the report include:
- The Outlook for Foodservice Technology: According to presenter Cameron Watt, consumer perception of convenience stores as legitimate food destinations has dramatically improved, with 72% of consumers now seeing c-stores as a viable alternative to restaurants, up from 45% in 2022. “Forty-five percent, so less than half, of the people in 2022, thought that a convenience store was a legitimate alternative to a restaurant to eat. Today it’s 72%. It’s almost three quarters,” said Watt.
- Tech Trends and Opportunities: Presenter Robert Grimes shared that integration of technology solutions should be viewed as enablers rather than solutions in themselves, with “personalization” and “frictionless” emerging as key industry buzzwords for 2025. “I’ve recorded two podcasts in the last two days… and frictionless and personalization are those words that came up like 10 times,” said Grimes.
- Integration Challenges: Convenience retailers face significant challenges when integrating foodservice technology with their diverse product categories and existing POS systems, especially those with fuel operations or franchise specifications. “I feel the pain being shared by everybody. I think we have the same kind of situation where we have a back-office solution. We have a legacy POS at the pump, and now we are trying to bring foodservice technology in the picture. So there’s a lot of integration, and if there is available integration … I haven’t found any solution that can integrate well with the legacy POS system or the current back office solution. So it’s very hard to deploy our foodservice solution seamlessly, and it requires technology out there in the market,” said Sanjit Bajimaya, IT director for Loop Neighborhood.
- Opportunities and Obstacles: Technology implementation should always follow brand strategy rather than lead it, ensuring tech choices align with the overall brand promise and target customer groups. “I do think we’re still trying to get our technology to catch up to the brand promise and the needs of our employees to deliver that brand promise, but I think it always has to be the brand that comes first,” said Emily Sheetz, executive vice president of strategy and IT at Sheetz. And, as Steve Evans, chief technology officer at Haffner’s Energy North Group said, “You really do have to choose what you want to be and then build the tech around it.”
- Streamlining the Food-to-Customer Pipeline: Retailers are exploring various ordering and delivery technologies including kiosks, mobile ordering, drive-thrus and delivery options, each with their implementation challenges. “I would put your kiosk in front of the kitchen instead of by the registers because people will always go to the register and try to order. So at least this way, when you have people in the kitchen, they can help the people who are trying to order,” recommended Bill Ridge, VP of technology for Eastern Petroleum Corporation.
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