How a unified commerce platform solves retail inventory problems

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From endless aisle and click-and-collect to self-serve and returns anywhere, customers expect a seamless and unified experience. But if you can only access rudimentary sales and inventory positions, you’re prevented from offering the ‘buy anywhere, fulfil anywhere’ services that are best for customers and most profitable for you.

Managing inventory is one of the most challenging processes for retailers – no matter their size. It’s also the largest cost. It’s a balancing act to strike the right stock levels and adjust those levels as your business changes. Understocks lead to missed sales and dissatisfied customers, and overstocks tie up your capital and result in markdowns that can hurt your margins.

Some retailers struggle with the fundamentals of inventory control, such as stock taking, demand forecasting, planning and receipting.

And in a world where online and offline channels are blending into a single brand experience, customers expect access to products wherever and whenever they want.

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Unify your inventory

To provide the purchasing and fulfilment options you need for frictionless experiences that delight customers and reduce costs, you first need to get tight control of your inventory.   

A unified commerce platform gives you a single, accurate and up-to-date view of inventory so you can be sure that you have the right product at the right place at the right time. 

With unified inventory management across all locations, you can make better decisions about what stock to order and how to make it available in your physical, mobile, online stores and call centres.  

You can react to trends quickly, and forecast demand based on historical data, sales forecasts and seasonal variations. And with the platform’s open architecture and APIs, you’re free to add new features, channels, apps and services that will increase customer satisfaction and benefit your business in many ways: 

• Increase sales with ‘endless aisle’ capabilities that let you sell products stocked in any location and have them delivered direct or collected by the customer

• Reduce inventory costs by moving stock to the right location when it’s needed and cutting your overall stock requirements

• Lower fulfilment costs by delivering direct to the customer using store-to-door, warehouse-to-door, click-and-collect, kerbside pickup or optimised sourcing

• Reduce overselling or underselling with real-time inventory updates that remove the issues of selling unavailable stock or having more stock than listed online

• Turn locations on and off for endless aisle fulfilment based on the stock mix and quantities or surges in online shopping

• Offer more purchasing and fulfilment options to customers so they can locate items in-store, buy online, collect in-store, reserve online, receive the same day or at a time and location of their choice

• Optimise your product range by matching stock to each store’s location, community and demographics while still giving access to your complete range via endless aisle

• Extend your range across more sales channels such as marketplaces, in-store kiosks, shoppable screens, pop-up stores, concessions and mobile devices.

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Retailers reaping inventory benefits with the Infinity unified commerce platform:

GAS optimises inventory for improved profitability

GAS completed a lightning-fast nationwide Infinity point of sale implementation. Site owners now have the tools to manage inventory and run more profitable businesses.

Night ‘n Day gets tight control of inventory

By simplifying inventory management with Infinity, convenience grocery retailer Night ‘n Day cut costs, freed up time and increased net profit to around $12,000 per store each year.

This post was orginally published January 2020 and updated on 18 July 2023

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If you’re struggling with inventory accuracy and are looking at how to build a foundation for frictionless customer experiences, talk to us about how to start with a single view of inventory.

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For more on how a move to a unified commerce strategy gives you the flexibility and agility you need to keep in step with consumers’ changing needs, download our new ebook. 

From fuel stations to destination hubs: Klaas Mantel on the EV charging opportunity

“New mobility retail will be good for most [fuel retailers] . . . but the skill set for success will change and if you are going to play the EV game you need to get serious and invest for the future.” A leading McKinsey advisor challenges fuel retailers to shift from a ‘glass half empty’ to ‘glass half full’ mindset when crafting their electric vehicle (EV) strategy. 

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I recently had the pleasure of attending a keynote presentation by Klaas Mantel from McKinsey during the ReFuel Forum APAC event in Bangkok. Klaas spoke about the future of mobility retail, and how to successfully play in the charging infrastructure business. 

It was a thought-provoking talk during an excellent event which boasted many stellar speakers and attendees. So what made Klaas’ views stand out? Here are the three things that most resonated with delegates and what they could mean for your fuel retail business: 

1

Does your fuel retail business have a ‘glass half empty’ or ‘glass half full’ mindset? 

Klaas suggested that many fuel retailers take a ‘glass half empty’ view of the emerging opportunity in EV charging. It’s not surprising. 

Only 15% of EV charging is currently done ‘on the go’, and EV penetration is driving down footfall at retail stations. It’s an immense undertaking to transform the standard business model, and there’s formidable competition from new operators, including home delivery platforms like Uber Eats and Doordash who are redefining our perception of convenience. 

However, Klaas firmly takes a ‘glass half full’ view, emphasising the opportunity to drive growth with expanded grocery offers combined with the potential value of EV charging. 

He shared that today only 2% of grocery sales are via forecourts – giving our industry a massive opportunity to capture share from other retail channels, such as traditional (62%), modern (31%) and convenience (5%) grocery retail. 

While traditional fuel sales are declining, this will be offset by gains in EVs and non-fuel retail (eg convenience, car wash, hospo, etc.). McKinsey predicts that the non-fuel retail value pool will grow 3% pa to US$40 billion, up from US$24 billion in 2019. The EV charging pool is estimated to rise from negligible to US$15 billion by 2030.  

And forecourts are uniquely positioned to develop new business models to become home delivery hubs. 

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2

There are three key areas for ensuring success  

Klaas explained that ‘new mobility retailers’ with both recharge and non-fuel destination offerings will have the best chance of future success.   

The successful new mobility retailers will be characterised by three things: 

• Multiple non-fuel retail destination offers synergistic with EV to provide an exceptional customer experience during longer stays 

• Superior cash generation per location enabled by a real estate management mindset  

• No longer reliant on liquid fuel income ensures resilience to future decline of the fuel value pool. 

That means developing a compelling CX and investing in the right locations with the right offering, with Klaas adding: “That may mean acknowledging that EV won’t work on some sites, it will mean investing in convenience retail, charger access and building a customer experience that is safe, welcoming and appropriate.” 

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3

How will you successfully play in the charging infrastructure business? 

Klaas acknowledged that this new world of mobility retail is not for everyone. Convenience players are actively acquiring fuel retail assets, and the integrated majors have concentrated their footprints while focusing on organic growth in priority markets.  

And unlike ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicles, EVs have multiple options to ‘refuel’ and won’t be primarily recharging at public stations. 

However, forecourt retailers are well positioned to win Klaas says, and here’s why: 

• Knowledge of the mobility customer across B2C, B2B and B2B2C 

• Already know and run a network business 

• Able to drive energy transition, including hybrid offers (fuel, bio, EV, H2) 

• Benefit from EV charging being an incremental business (and thus incremental investment) to existing network 

• Access to capital.

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Klaas closed by urging delegates to take the glass half full approach and act now to capture a fair share of ‘electron sales’ and remain competitive.  

Here are three questions he encouraged fuel retailers to consider as you evolve your business model to meet changing usage patterns: 

• Can you capture share of grocery sales from other retail channels? 

• What is the value pool outlook in your region, and what share can you capture? 

• Can you develop new business models? 

Is EV charging a priority for your retail business? Or do you have other priorities? I’d love to hear. Please send your thoughts to kelly.brown@triquestra.com. 

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Want help to build your EV charging experience? 

If you’re looking for help to develop a differentiating experience for your EV charging customers, get in touch. We’d love to help you create a winning offering that will leapfrog your business and create new value.  

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For more on how to deliver every c-store customer a personalised, fast and seamless experience, download our new ebook:  

Delivering a unified CX: liquor retail's new priority

The ecommerce boom and ever-increasing consumer demands for more digital and personalised services are rapidly changing the business of liquor retail. Kelly Brown explains why liquor retailers are overhauling how they plan, build and deliver their CX, and shares three steps to take to remain relevant.

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Customers now expect retailers to offer convenience, speed and value throughout the end-to-end shopping journey. They are more discerning and impatient, and don’t care that it can be hard to deliver – they only care about a great experience.  

That is driving a massive shift in how liquor retailers plan, build and deliver their customer experience.   

The retailers making the first move know that a compelling bricks-and-mortar presence blended with an improved digital offering can be leveraged for competitive advantage.  

And that means seamlessly integrating all backend systems and channels to deliver experiences that align with customer expectations.  

However, it’s complicated. 

While liquor retail has always been challenging – fast service is non-negotiable, staff require specialised knowledge and transaction volumes are highly variable – this requires a fundamental transformation of the standard business model. 

Liquor retail has been a laggard in creating new digital experiences and investing in technology to improve front- and back-end operations. Many liquor retailers have legacy solutions that are no longer fit for purpose and have bolted on solutions for the digital space that don’t easily integrate.  

And they struggle to support their customers’ current omnichannel demands, let alone the personalised ‘phygital’ shopping journeys now expected by post-pandemic, digitally savvy consumers.  

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So what steps can you take to differentiate your liquor retail business? 

Here’s a three-pronged strategy that will help create the distinctive omnichannel experiences customers now expect: 

1. Pivot into retail media services 

To remain relevant and competitive in the future, you’ll need to venture beyond traditional retailing and enter new service categories with a higher level of profitability. 

Retail media networks are emerging as one example in retail. Liquor retailers are monetising their existing data and channels by introducing state-of-the-art digital screens closer to the point of purchase, creating a raft of opportunities for alcohol brands to advertise. 

With the demise of revenue from third-party cookies, retail media helps alcohol brands reach the right audience - people who want to purchase alcohol and are legally entitled to do so - and drive higher conversions that increase sales. And as online alcohol sales grow – 15.2% growth is expected between 2022 to 2030 - so will advertising revenues for retailers. 

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2. Deliver a unified customer experience 

Focus on the end-to-end needs of your customers and revamp the customer journey to expand your relationship beyond quick visits to stock up on beverages. 

That means making purchasing online and in stores seamless and convenient through endless aisle, digital payments and ‘buy anywhere, fulfil anywhere’ services coupled with fast and flexible delivery options. 

Take advantage of the shift in preference for neighbourhood shopping, with local product ranges tailored to each location and community, supported by bespoke promotional programmes. 

And you’ll need to create true omnichannel experiences that seamlessly integrate physical and digital channels to create personalised customer communications, offers, experiences and rewards across in-store and digital touchpoints. 

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3. Embrace complexity to build new capabilities 

To revamp your business and aggressively embrace innovation and new technologies, you’ll need to develop new expertise and capabilities. That will introduce more complexity into your organisation, with sales channels becoming less physical and more digital.  

You’ll want a retail platform that connects your physical and digital channels to let you deliver customer experiences that provide the convenience, speed and variety customers demand. Embrace agile working to innovate and get products to market faster. And by using APIs, you can create an ecosystem of partnerships to deploy new apps, services, channels and devices.  

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Want help to differentiate your liquor business? 

If you want to create distinctive and frictionless customer experiences across all physical and digital channels, get in touch. We’d love to help you develop a unified customer journey. 

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For more on how to deliver every customer a personalised, fast and seamless experience, download our new ebook:  

New in Infinity – May 2023

Here’s new functionality across the Infinity platform that will help you unify your physical and digital channels to create the seamless and personalised buying journeys your customers crave. 

Infinity is a modular platform and you may need additional components or licencing to access some functionality. 

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APIS

Faster performance to reduce resources 

The performance of transactional APIs has been improved under high loads so that the resources required to run the APIs can be reduced and the API processes are faster, improving the overall user experience.  

Enforce domain separation between fuel inventory and sales data 

Businesses that apply domain-driven design and wish to send fuel inventory events to a separate endpoint from the sales data can now configure the Cloud Events Service with alternate API details for the fuel data. This helps to maintain domain separation between the fuel inventory and sales data domains. 

Simpler maintenance of debtor records 

Customers who update debtor records using the Accounts Receivable API no longer have to provide the financial details as part of the update, reducing the complexity and effort involved in maintaining these records. 

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INVENTORY

Let store staff use mobiles for stock transfers 

Stock transfers can now be created in Infinity Cloud while in mobile mode, making creation of transfers more efficient for staff on the shop floor. The ability to scan by pack size has also been added to the stock transfer process to speed up the scanning of products that are being transferred. 

Easier management of purchase orders 

Customers who have their own purchase order references can now use those references when creating, viewing and searching for orders in Infinity, making it easier to find and maintain POs across your business.  

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PRICING & PROMOTIONS

Launch quantity promotions for increased sales 

Infinity Rules Based Pricing now allows you to maintain quantity-based volume price breaks for items. For example, you can set up rules that allow you to sell a single item at $10 each, between 2 and 10 items at $8 each, and between 11 and 15 items for $6 each. Store staff can see thresholds that apply to the sale and then let the customer know about the available discounting, allowing you to drive higher-volume sales through lower pricing.

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CUSTOMERS & LOYALTY

Better visibility of loyalty members within prepay accounts 

Your Head Office staff can now more clearly see which Loyalty member has been selected on the list of prepay account members, helping to reduce confusion when checking the names attached to a prepay account. 

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REPORTS & ANALYTICS

Expand your reporting of customer types 

Customers who use Infinity’s Open Accounts feature can now see sales to open accounts in the Customer Performance Report, allowing for reporting on all customer types used in Infinity.

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POINT OF SALE

Support sustainability goals by eliminating Vault EFTPOS printed receipts 

Businesses using Verifone Vault EFTPOS devices can now decide whether they want to stop printing a customer copy of thermal receipts by default. This can save you the cost that comes from automatically printing receipt copies if your customers rarely ask for them.  

Give store staff more visibility of fuel prepay transactions for easier refunds  

Store staff can now see more transaction information when refunding fuel prepay transactions, thereby helping them choose the correct transaction to refund, improving the speed and accuracy of the refund and providing an improved customer experience. 

Improve staff adherence to daily cash management process 

Several enhancements have been made to Cash Management functionality. You can now configure the system to perform end-of-days only, rather than end-of-shifts. This can help avoid confusion in businesses that do not operate on a shift basis. An extra prompt has also been added to the end-of-day and end-of-shift processes so that store staff are made aware if they create very short shifts by mistake, which increase administrative effort.  

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INTEGRATIONS

Better inventory management and improved operations with enhancements to Xero integrations 

The Infinity Xero integration has been enhanced to push stock receipt, transfer, stocktake and adjustment transactions to reduce manual data entry into Xero when tracking inventory. 

Customers who use Xero to receive payments and accounts receivable statements can now post debtor transactions as individual invoices and credit notes, while Infinity remains the master of the debtor record for all transactions and pricing. Note: customers with a high volume of debtor transactions should ensure their transaction counts fall within Xero monthly transaction volume limitations. 

Supplier invoices that are posted to Xero have been enhanced to accommodate foreign currency suppliers so that offshore suppliers can be paid in their local currency. Freight that has been added to supplier invoices and disbursed across the items, such as landed costs, is now posted as inventory and goods received not invoiced, instead of as a separate inventory line, to provide better accuracy of full inventory valuations and cost of goods sold. 

Cash sales posting to Xero which use duty free mode, or debtors with tax exemption rules in Infinity, now correctly create tax-free and tax-inclusive lines for the various sales lines where appropriate so the tax from sales is accurately recorded in Xero. 

Help stores accepting eWIC cards serve customers faster 

Maintenance of the US WIC (Women, Infant and Children) products has been made more efficient now that the eWic APL file import correctly recognises the UPC PLU flag, thereby removing the need for manual updates of the item master. 

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TECHNOLOGY

Commitment to modern .NET infrastructure 

All Infinity releases now require .NET 4.8 Framework to be present. This is part of Triquestra’s ongoing commitment to using enhancements from vendors and to maintaining technical support. When you receive a new Infinity release from now on, please ensure that .NET 4.8 is deployed to all workstations and servers that operate Infinity. 

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To find out more about any of these enhancements and add them to your Infinity platform, contact us. 

If you’d like to get our regular ‘New in Infinity’ updates in your inbox, sign up to our newsletter.

Four capabilities to look for in a fuel retail technology partner

As more customer journeys begin on mobile apps or online, and consumers increasingly demand digital convenience within the c-store, the ability to convert fleeting transactions into enduring relationships will rely heavily on unified experiences across channels.

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Today every fuel and convenience retailer is looking at how to deliver seamless and personalised experiences at the forecourt, in the c-store and out-and-about on mobile apps.  

That is introducing more complexity into the business, with sales channels becoming less physical and more digital. 

To connect physical and digital channels and create the hybrid omnichannel experiences consumers now expect, fuel retailers are investing in unified commerce technology. 

They know that working with the right people and the right technologies will make the ideation and running of experiments through to planning, design, implementation and roll-out of their customer experience a whole lot easier.  

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If you’re evaluating new point of sale and retail systems, here are the four important requirements for a fuel technology provider: 

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1. Expertise across retail, not just fuel and convenience 

You’ll want a mature retail platform that supports fuel and convenience, rather than a narrow, fuel-specific site system. 

A partner with experience in highly competitive retail industries like fashion retail will have expertise in disrupting the customer experience, with APIs and a retail ecosystem few can match. 

They’ll bring best practice ideas and capabilities from other retail sectors - not just fuel & convenience retail – and have POS omnichannel expertise distilled into all the essential modules you need to deliver seamless and differentiating experiences in every channel. 

And with all the core fuel features you need out-of-the-box - plus localised functionality and the ability to customise – you’ll achieve a faster return on investment. 

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2. Real-world customer experience 

A strong track record and referenceable customer base means less risk. 

You’ll want a partner with recent and proven success in fuel and convenience retail, with a track record of complex, large-scale deployments across multiple stores, multiple formats and multiple geographies.    

They’ll need to understand your fast-paced, data-intensive environment where any level of downtime is unacceptable, and have people who can help you plan and implement your projects, so that they deliver now and well into the future. 

Their experience in the fuel sector will give them a deep understanding of the trends changing mobility and convenience, and bring you the best of consumer, retail and CX applications and technologies. 

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3. Broad product capability and innovation mindset 

Choose a partner that can give you a holistic portfolio and expansive retail ecosystem 

Offering a unified customer experience means unifying all the backend systems that run POS, inventory, ordering, customers and loyalty, pricing and promotions, analytics and fulfilment. You don’t want to be tied to a point player that can only provide segments. 

When you choose a partner with a mature platform, they can focus on delivering innovation because the critical functionality you need already exists. 

An open architecture and APIs will let you cultivate a modern retail and CX ecosystem that reduces risk and increases flexibility.  

And with agile methodologies plus experience working with agile retailers, they’ll have the ability to move to fast and change direction as opportunities develop, competitors act and customer needs evolve. 

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4. Local and committed to your success 

A local partner means you can have more influence on the product roadmap and expect faster turnaround. 

Fuel retailers are developing a customer-centric mindset and building new skills and capabilities to compete with new competitors. They recognise the risk that comes with global vendors that have a narrow focus on fuels or an indirect model of engagement and support. 

A local business means you can enjoy direct engagement with on-the-ground people focussed on your needs, and not distracted by offshore business activity. With direct access to second and third level support and simple processes, you’ll enjoy leaner, faster support services. 

Biggest isn’t always best. A mid-sized company will have fewer layers of bureaucracy, giving them more agility and responsiveness.  

It also means that you’ll be an important customer of influence to your partner - they will value your business and work hard for it. 

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Want help to innovate and scale new services, faster? 

Our product and people are supporting award-winning fuel retailers delivering disruptive, world-first customer experiences that build loyalty and grow sales. If you’re experiencing technology challenges that prevent you from unifying your physical and digital channels, get in touch. We’d love to help you digitise your business to create the unified experiences your customers now expect. 

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For more on how to deliver every c-store customer a personalised, fast and seamless experience, download our new ebook:  

Power your retail innovation strategy with APIs

This blog was originally published on 28 February 2020 and updated 18 April 2023.

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Retailers are urgently innovating to create the seamless and personalised omnichannel experiences consumers now expect. They are looking for new ways to make use of their data and connect their systems together to streamline business processes and create great customer experiences. One major advantage of using a unified commerce is that its open architecture that lets you easily make those connections with APIs.

APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) are present in every part of our digital world. Every time you use an app like LinkedIn, make a Skype call or listen to Spotify on your phone, there’s an API in action.

APIs let you add specialised functionality to a website, application, platform or software without having to write all of the back-end code. By using APIs, you can expose data in real time, rather than having to replicate or move it. The result is a set of functions that’s available across various systems, plus a fast and easy way to plug in and deploy new services, channels and devices.

These improvements let you shift your team’s priority from maintenance to innovation.

By using APIs to access existing solutions in the market, you are free to focus your development efforts on the front-end. You can be be more agile and create a community of third-party apps and systems that work together in an ecosystem. As a result, you’ll reduce integration and maintenance overheads, increase real-time accuracy and enjoy virtually limitless scalability and agility.

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APIs in action

Here are just some of the ways APIs help you optimise operations, personalise customer experiences and drive new revenue:

Retail anywhere, any time

APIs let you easily expose your product catalogues and other eCommerce solutions to give customers many more ways to engage with your brand, including social commerce.

Deliver anywhere, any how

Consumers now make purchasing decisions based on shipping costs and timings. APIs can power the fulfilment options they now expect - such as click-and-collect, store-to-door, scheduled delivery and even 1-hour delivery.

Payment convenience counts

APIs give consumers the payment options and ‘buy-now, pay later’ services they want, both in-store and online. Infinity was the first retail system in the world to integrate with Afterpay at point of sale and supports Adyen, Smartpay, Laybuy, Alipay, WeChat Pay, Slyp and Zip to name just a few payment partners.

Personalised communications

APIs let you connect internal and external data to create timely and relevant communications, recommendations, offers and rewards. You can provide customers with real-time shipping visibility and tracking throughout the shipping journey, no matter the fulfilment solution. APIs let you create customised recommendations for customers visiting stores during click-and-collect pickups, and extend them into other communications, such as e-receipts and shipping notifications.

And they help to create personalised marketing experiences that boost loyalty and increase conversions - such as notifications for items on sale, low-in-stock or restocked – plus product recommendations on the website, based on each customer’s behaviour and past data.

Virtual Shopping

APIs support virtual retail shopping ecosystems that go beyond live chat to support in-store experiences on digital channels. By integrating video commerce platforms with POS solutions (like Infinity), you can automate the end-to-end process, from customer communications and data insights to seamless sales transactions and fast delivery.

Extending digital into stores 

APIs also improve the in-store shopping experience. You can give your in-store teams’ data on customer histories and shopping preferences, as well as personalised recommendations based on past purchases and wishlists. APIs can help provide product recommendations for customers visiting stores for click-and-collect pickups, answer product questions in real-time and support self-checkout. In addition, new multichannel wishlists let customers add items to their wishlists while browsing in stores

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So how do you start making the most of APIs?

Begin by evaluating your company’s value chain. Can you easily integrate and use APIs to access third-party platforms and services to scale your business? Or can you release your own APIs to attract partners and build out your platform? The two options are not mutually exclusive.

 An API-enabled platform like Infinity lets you scale your business quickly by easily adding new apps and services as business requirements change.

 We can also help if you’re looking for advice on how to create a strategy and implement an API programme that quickly creates customer and business value.

 The end result is the ability to create extraordinary customer experiences that help to capture market opportunities, generate additional revenue and build brand advocacy.

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Find out more about Infinity APIs and our integration partners. Then contact us for advice on how to use APIs to achieve greater agility, faster growth and better margins.

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For more on how a move to a unified commerce strategy gives you the flexibility and agility you need to keep in step with consumers’ changing needs, download our new ebook:

Fuel retail: How to capture the EV charging opportunity

As the electric vehicle (EV) market rapidly expands, retailers are evolving their business models and offerings to meet changing usage patterns. Kelly Brown describes how fuel retailers can become preferred destinations for EV charging by developing a compelling CX and investing in the right locations with the right offering.

With predictions for an explosion in EV adoption over the next three decades, some see EV charging as a threat to fuel companies. However, it could be a massive opportunity for fuel retailers to add a new, stable revenue stream. 

By building on their existing infrastructure in prime locations, access to capital and customer knowledge, they can diversify and future-proof their business. Many see an EV charging network as an essential element for growth by keeping a strong stream of customers at fuel forecourts and convenience stores. It’s also critical for achieving their goals of net zero emissions. 

With EV charging now on the cusp of becoming more profitable than conventional fuels, an overwhelming majority of retailers (95%) are either already offering or planning to offer EV services: 

• Ampol plans to have 120 sites in operation by end of this year 

• Z Energy is installing EV chargers across more than 40% of its network by 2025 

• bp will increase its network of EV charging points to 70,000 by 2030, including 1,000 chargers in the UK, Australia and New Zealand 

• Shell will install 50,000 EV charging points by 2025 

• Total will increase its EV charging network in Europe to 150,000 charging points by 2025, up from 18,000 today.  

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However, the move to EV charging is a major business disruption and risk.  

Fuel retailers face formidable competition from other entrants, including OEMs, power companies and pure-play charge point operators (CPOs).  

Any large-scale investment in EV charging points must not only earn back the capital expenditures invested, but also operate profitably. With the large electricity demands from fast chargers and extremely high power prices, many EV charging businesses still operate at a loss. 

Despite these hurdles, the future is clear. Without significant changes to their business models, at least a quarter of service stations worldwide are at risk of closure by 2035. 

So what are the key factors for success? 

To become a preferred destination for EV charging, retailers are exploring three areas: 

Offer on-the-go charging    

While EV drivers can charge at home or at work, these charging stations are likely to be slow, low voltage points. On-the-go stations use higher power, DC charging points that let EVs fully charge their batteries in under an hour.  

With their existing infrastructure in prime locations and established fuel retail operations, fuel retailers can fill in a gap in the EV charging infrastructure and capture a convenience premium. 

It’s already a massive opportunity for fuel retailers – 29% of current EV drivers already charge their EVs at service stations, and a further 21% would like to if the option was available. 

However, it will require significant investments to develop an attractive, competitive and profitable EV offering. With recharging taking far longer than refuelling, operators need to adjust their station formats to provide expanded services and facilities. And ideal EV charging locations won’t necessarily correspond with the best fuel locations. 

Capture commercial fleets 

EV charging for large business-to-business fleets is a growing opportunity as governments and businesses move to decarbonise their vehicles. Electric vehicles are already being deployed en masse in short-haul transport, last-mile logistics and commercial business fleets. 

While likely to become highly competitive, fuel retailers can secure first-mover advantage with an end-to-end offer, combining “on-the-go” and “at-depot” charging.  

Create a compelling CX 

Innovative fuel retailers are investing early to learn about customer needs and experiment with new propositions and formats.  

They’re creating a compelling mix of convenience, speed, reliability and affordability: 

•  Mobile apps will cement customer loyalty and increase return visits 

• Reliability is a focus: drivers with a low battery charge will prioritise sites where chargers consistently work properly 

• Provide clean and safe locations, with expanded seating and decent restrooms  

• Remove the frustration of waiting for a charger by offering reservations 

• More time spent charging will give more dwell time, so provide customers with more reasons to visit and generate additional revenue by offering barista-made coffee, fresh food options and other premium services such as high-end car washes 

• Apply analytics to develop cluster- or even site-specific offers tailored for local buying opportunities and using transaction histories to customise product bundles, pricing and promotion to increase sell-through without compromising margin.

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Want help to differentiate your EV charging offering? 

If you’re looking for help to innovate to serve customers, not vehicles, get in touch. We’d love to help you develop the distinctive and frictionless c-store experiences consumers now expect. 

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For more on how to deliver every c-store customer a personalised, fast and seamless experience, download our new ebook:  

New in Infinity – March 2023

Here’s new functionality across the Infinity platform that will help you unify physical and digital channels to create the seamless omnichannel experiences customers now expect.

Infinity is a modular platform and you may need additional components or licencing to access some functionality.

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PRODUCT INFORMATION MANAGEMENT

Extend control over store-specific data

You can now prevent a range of Infinity data from linking down from the Head Office to branches, including customer records, print layouts, POS buttons and drilldowns. This feature gives your stores greater control over the data that is specific to them and ensures that it won’t be accidently overwritten by Head Office staff. 

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INVENTORY

More control over nominated suppliers

You can now restrict your staff from manually ordering from nominated suppliers, thereby preventing purchase orders from being created against internal suppliers or staff inadvertently ordering from nominated external suppliers.

Increase efficiency with automated stock replenishment requests

Replenishment requests can now be automated centrally at the Head Office for stores based on minimum levels set for stock items. When stock is running low, it is ordered automatically, thereby reducing the store overhead involved in manually monitoring stock levels and requesting additional goods.

Increase visibility of non-freight item costs

The Freight field that is used when receipting and invoice matching has been re-labelled FRT/Extra, making for a more intuitive experience when matching non-freight item costs, such as customs fees, to purchase orders.

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ORDER MANAGEMENT

Better visibility of quotes and order data

Quotes and orders layouts have been enhanced in several ways:

• Branches’ GST details are now included on orders and quotes.

• The GST number on the quote removes human error from the process and maintains accurate information through the sale conversion process from quote, order and to sale. 

• The addition of customer emails to quotes helps store staff follow up with customers when seeking to convert quotes into orders.

• Discount breakdowns allow customers to see discounts clearly compared to base price on quotes, while the subtotal breakdown allows B2B customers to easily see the tax component and tax exclusive total of a quote or order.

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CUSTOMERS & LOYALTY

Give customers more visibility of loyalty discounts

Fuel retail customers can now see their cent-per-litre loyalty discount total broken down as line items. For example, they will be able to see their SuperGold discount calculated as part of the total discount, giving them confidence they have maximised their fuel savings.

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REPORTS & ANALYTICS

Easier access to current store promotions and prices

A new report allows you to view products, the rules-based pricing promotions that are in play, and the prices before and after tax. This can be useful when you need to verify that current signage matches the price loaded in Infinity or if you want to generate a list of current prices for ad hoc price checks.

Improve analysis of waived payments

The Product Sales Summary Report now includes $0 transactions, meaning you can see transactions where no payment was taken from the customer. This is useful in cases where an item has been processed but a fee, or other associated payment, has been waived.

Better visibility of cash adjustments

The Safe Balance Adjustment Report now show the reasons for safe adjustments that have been made, allowing you to review activities related to cash-up, bank reconciliation and accounting.

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POINT OF SALE

Help store teams deliver more personalised CX

You can now add customised information relevant to your business to the Customer Details screen at the Point of Sale, such as external loyalty memberships, favourite store, or product preferences. Your store staff can then use this information to upsell or otherwise personalise the customer experience.

Increase visibility of planned stock orders

You can now give your store staff visibility of draft purchase orders, allowing them to see the quantities of stock that are contained in draft orders. Note that this should be used carefully where drafts are still under review and are subject to change.

Integrate Hikvision’s video security system

Infinity can now be integrated with Hikvision for recording POS activity in real time. Data input from a range of functions performed by your store staff is merged with video footage, giving you oversight of sensitive transactions. Customers wanting to take advantage of this integration should be aware that some support from Hikvision will be required to make it fully functional.

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ADMINISTRATION

Automate trading day reports at unmanned fuel sites

Fuel retailers who run unmanned sites with outdoor payment terminals can now automatically create and complete trading days once all the terminals have settled. This frees site managers from manually creating the trading day to see Infinity reporting on site performance.

Increase control over staff passwords

You can now limit the ability to force password changes to staff members with the same or lower access levels. This is useful if you want to limit password changes to supervisors and their direct reports.

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TECHNOLOGY

Stay current with latest Microsoft technologies

Infinity is now certified to work with Windows 11 and Windows Server 2022.

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To find out more about any of these enhancements and add them to your Infinity platform, contact us. 

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How the move to ‘phygital’ is disrupting point of sale technology

Retailers are shifting focus from ecommerce to their stores to better serve omnichannel customers. Kelly Brown explains how changing consumer expectations are transforming in-store technology and disrupting legacy point of sale (POS).

The boom in ecommerce has had a profound effect on how retailers deploy in-store technology. 

Today consumers expect a consistent customer journey across every physical and digital touchpoint. With shoppers returning to physical stores in full force during 2022 and ecommerce growth slowing, retailers are doubling down on their in-store innovation projects. 

While ecommerce sales grew 6.2% in the last quarter, this is a dramatic drop from the double-digit growth during the previous five years and the slowest growth rate since 2009.  

Retailers know that despite forecasts for ecommerce to total 24% of global retail sales by 2026, a massive 76% of sales will remain in stores. 

And with pressure on consumer spending, plus store rents, labour and utilities all on the rise, retailers now want to leverage their existing investments in stores and staff.   

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As the store shifts to become the hub of the omnichannel customer journey, the point of sale must shift as well. 

But many retailers have hit a wall because their POS technology can’t support their customers’ current omnichannel demands, let alone the ‘phygital’ shopping journeys now expected by post-pandemic, digitally savvy consumers.  

With stores periodically closed during the pandemic and ongoing supply chain disruptions, many focussed on ecommerce initiatives, delaying POS hardware upgrades and the shift to modern operating systems.  

Some retailers have POS systems that are end of life and about to be sunset, and others are hamstrung by legacy in-house solutions that require custom integrations with modern technologies or are no longer supported. 

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If you’re upgrading your point of sale to modernise your customer experience, here are the important shifts in functionality to consider: 

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EX aligns with CX  

Today, any store innovation must reduce friction for the store teams, which in turn will drive a great customer experience. Speed and simplicity are now the priority to help people be as productive as possible, wherever they are in the store. 

However, many retailers run multiple systems within stores, forcing their teams to juggle between different apps and screens as they serve customers.  

Retailers are consolidating store technology onto a single POS-based retail system that lets their teams do everything, from sales transactions, customer loyalty, pricing, product and promotions through to virtual appointments and endless aisle access to stock. 

Clienteling gets personal 

Clienteling is becoming more sophisticated as consumer expectations for a frictionless ‘one brand’ experience rise. However, many retailers still have channel silos that mean any interaction or activity that the customer had with them online is not available to the customer or staff within the store. 

Leading retailers are helping their in-store teams deliver more personalised experiences by using AI and data from across online and offline channels to create timely and relevant communications, recommendations, offers and rewards.  

Initially provided for customers visiting stores during click-and-collect pickups, retailers like Cue Clothing are extending customised recommendations into other communications with customers, such as e-receipts and shipping notifications. 

They’re taking advantage of the unparalleled knowledge of their store staff to boost digital sales and service by giving in-store teams the tools to connect with shoppers virtually. By integrating video commerce platforms with POS solutions (like Infinity) they’re automating the end-to-end process, from customer communications and data insights to seamless sales transactions and fast delivery. 

Store experiences go digital 

Retailers know that consumers now expect more from stores and are working to match those expectations with new experiences – such as events, service offerings, customisation, resale, repairs and so much more. 

That also means extending digital experiences into stores, such as the ability to look up loyalty points, explore product information or browse and order from the entire inventory. 

Mobility is a high priority and retailers are providing fast and flexible self-service checkouts, mobile point of sale and contactless payments everywhere the customer is - in the store, out in the yard, at trade shows and pop-up stores.  

They’re using multichannel wishlists to let customers add items to wishlists in stores. By capturing both in-store and online shopper interactions they’re able to retarget customers with personalised marketing campaigns that build engagement and grow sales. 

Fulfilment a competitive advantage 

Today consumers make their purchasing decisions based on shipping costs and timings.  They expect options – from slow to fast, and everything in between – plus visibility, communication and tracking, no matter the fulfilment solution. 

However, most retailers struggle to quickly deliver new fulfilment experiences via their POS. 

With modern point of sale systems, retailers are using their stores to support the fulfilment options consumers now expect and positioning inventory closer to customers – the source of demand.  

Endless aisle access to all inventory via the POS lets them offer the fulfilment options consumers expect – such as click-and-collect, store-to-door and scheduled delivery, plus innovative new delivery solutions, such as 1-hour delivery via Uber and Shippit. 

Future proofing an imperative 

In the past, retailers who got behind on their store tech investments frequently focused on catching up to current standards.  

This year, the focus is on future proofing – choosing platforms that speed up innovation, with the flexibility to change direction as opportunities develop, competitors act and customer expectations evolve. 

When it comes to POS solutions that can support omnichannel experiences, look for a platform that provides a unified hub for all your channels – reducing integration, complexity and overheads, and increasing efficiency and accuracy.  

With agile methodologies and APIs to easily plug-in new apps and systems, your new POS will be your platform for innovation – a springboard for adding new channels and services at a speed and scale that would be unachievable within a traditional omnichannel model. 

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Want help to modernise your point of sale?  

As you transform your customer experience to deliver the seamless and personalised buying journeys your customers crave, your point of sale system must transform as well. If you’re looking for help to shape your strategy and extend your omnichannel capabilities, get in touch. We’d love to help you develop the solutions you need now and guide you to where you’re headed next. 

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For more on how a move to a unified commerce strategy gives you the flexibility and agility you need to keep in step with consumers’ changing needs, download our new ebook: 

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