Sponsored by Retail Tech, Inc.
In a business defined by speed, convenience store operators with multiple locations often find themselves slowed down by patchwork systems. Pumps, POS systems, kiosks, and back-office tools all demand attention, but most IT teams are small and stretched thin, and keeping up can feel impossible.
According to Intouch Insight, cleanliness and store ambiance have gained importance among consumers, with 53 percent considering cleanliness a crucial factor when choosing a convenience store, up from 43 percent last year. “Retailers are as lean as they’ve ever been,” says Jared Singerhouse, account executive at Retail Tech Inc. (RTI). “They want their people focused on freshness, cleanliness, and the customer experience—not troubleshooting tech.”
“We see ourselves as an extension of our customers’ IT team,” says David Eash, sales engineering executive at RTI. “In the convenience store space, you have multi-location operators trying to grow, but their tech teams were built for a smaller, less complex environment.”
RTI partners with operators to consolidate scattered systems into a single, streamlined platform. Instead of coordinating with multiple vendors and hoping nothing slips through the cracks, operators work with RTI to handle the heavy lifting.
“We help customers understand where they need to go, what the right tech solutions are, and which projects need to come first,” Eash says. “They might want to implement self service, for example, but we will tell them, ‘You need better network bandwidth first.’”
That guidance is paired with behind-the-scenes support. RTI warehouses, stages, and preps all equipment before it arrives on site. “The entire store location is on one bench. It is all connected together, tested and labeled,” Eash says. “That way when our technicians show up to install, it’s all ready to go.”
Operators working with RTI often see faster transactions, more accurate inventory tracking, and fewer technical hiccups. “With most of these upgrades, there is almost an immediate benefit just from speed and reliability,” Eash says. “It is about getting people in and out of the location quickly and with the least amount of friction.”
For many operators, the real challenge does not begin and end with upgrading their systems. Catching up within the market is just as important. According to Intouch Insight, 56 percent of people now consider convenience stores a viable alternative to quick-service restaurants, marking an 11 percent increase since 2023.
“Convenience stores are evolving quickly. They’re turning into hybrid grocery stores with fresh food, cold goods, even raw chicken,” Singerhouse says.”Most of these retailers have grabbed random vendors over time just to get by. That leads to a lack of cohesion and standardization.”
RTI helps consolidate the chaos. The company offers end-to-end project support: from sourcing and staging to installation and ongoing service. That includes field techs, on-call help, and direct coordination with hardware vendors.”Customers know that if anything goes wrong, they can call us. We will send a replacement part and send a technician,” Eash says. “We also work with the hardware vendors directly when needed.”
That kind of flexibility is especially valuable during times of growth or change. Whether it’s a remodel, relocation, or merger, RTI helps operators keep the momentum going. But staying open is only half the battle. As stores adopt intelligent systems like inventory analytics, temperature monitoring, or AI-ready video, having a connected tech foundation matters more than ever.
“We make AI work by helping our customers get the right data that fuels it,” Eash says. “Our projects make that possible.”
In an industry that’s changing fast, having the right partner can mean the difference between staying competitive and falling behind. “We make it easier for them to do what they need to do,” Eash says. “They come to us with an idea, and we bring the right solution, the right partners, and the right plan to execute it.”
Take control of your systems by visiting RTI’s website.
