C-Stores: Unleash Your Hidden Superpowers with These 7 Digital Technologies

In today’s competitive retail environment, convenience stores need superpowers to maximize sales, streamline their operations and deliver a high-quality customer experience. The good news is that many of these powers are just waiting to be unleashed.

Common features in every C-store can be used to attract customers, feature products and promotions, and reduce overhead. When combined with the right digital technologies, everything from gas pumps to coolers can be transformed into powerful tools that create competitive advantages.

Here are seven digital technologies that can help convenience stores get a leg up on the competition:

1. Pumpside Displays. Digital signage at the pump can deliver targeted content to a captive audience within feet of the store. Dynamic content engages customers with news and entertainment while enticing them to make additional purchases. C-stores should look for displays with high-bright screens that stay clear in sunlight and built-in speakers for high-quality sound. Pumpside displays should also have weatherproof enclosures and be hardened against tampering and theft.
2. In-Window Displays. Digital signage can transform C-store windows into eye-catching digital showcases that increase foot traffic and communicate key messages. In-window displays can attract customers with deals and promotions, and provide a steady revenue stream through third-party ads. Unlike static signs, digital signage can provide the data needed to prove compliance with brand promotion requirements.
3. Shelf Displays. Electronic shelf labels (ESLs) and shelf-edge displays enhance the customer experience by providing accurate, real-time pricing that’s dynamically updated by point-of-sale and ERP systems. Integrated QR codes also allow customers to access online product information, including instructions, specifications and use-by dates. As a bonus, ESLs reduce costs and errors, make it easier to manage inventory and fulfill orders, and free staff to perform more value-added tasks.
4. Transparent Cooler Displays. Cooler doors are blank slates, ready to be filled with vibrant video. Transparent cooler displays can deliver advertising, highlight promotions and enhance product visibility, increasing sales by up to 20 percent. Because they’re transparent, digital displays can still showcase the products inside the cooler while videos play on the screen.
5. Menu Boards. Digital menu boards are proven to streamline the ordering process, reduce printing and labor costs, and enhance customer satisfaction. They can be updated easily with the latest offerings and prices and automatically change the display based on time of day. They can also use multimedia content to highlight promotions and complementary items. Integration with point-of-sale (POS) systems enables automatic updates based on inventory levels.
6. Order Pickup. C-stores can simplify order pickups with digital solutions that ensure efficiency and reduce wait times. Digital signage can guide customers through the order pickup process so they don’t get frustrated waiting in the wrong line. Smart lockers enable customers to access their orders without involving an employee. Employees can focus on other tasks while increasing throughput during peak times.
7. Network Connectivity: These technologies require a solid infrastructure for connecting individual stores to the corporate data center via a wide-area network. Robust networking solutions ensure seamless operations and support payment systems, point-of-sale systems and other essential applications. Reliable connectivity plays a vital role in ensuring the delivery of a superior customer experience.

Every superhero has a mentor who helps the hero develop and reach their potential. SageNet is here to help you evaluate these technologies and select and implement the right solutions to take your store to the next level. Our experts have developed a complete ecosystem of solutions and services that accelerate deployment, simplify management and maximize your ROI.

SageNet’s solutions empower C-stores to enhance the customer experience and drive business growth. Join us at NACS 2024, Booth C6503, to see them in action!