Use Artificial Intelligence to Improve Travel Center Operations
Artificial intelligence, or AI, is changing the retail, convenience and fueling industries, helping operators optimize sales and inventory, streamline operations, reduce costs and improve the customer experience.
Inventory Management
Schulte said several 黑料社区members are using AI to help them manage their inventory, determine their product mix and help create planograms. 鈥淔rom a planogram standpoint, they can ask which to place on certain facings and how to get the most productivity out of them,鈥� he explained.
, a retail store artificial intelligence solution provider, runs algorithms using simple POS data to help identify product opportunities. Handy Mart, a family-owned c-store chain, uses CB4鈥檚 technology to identify underperforming SKUs, sends store managers possible culprits and guides them in making corrections.
After using the technology, Handy Mart discovered more than 7,600 issues preventing customers from easily finding and buying the products. Handy Mart increased revenue across its 39 stores by $590,000 in the first year and $989,000 in the second year.
Schulte said AI data can be especially useful in the coolers, which have limited space and take a long time to stock. 鈥淐oolers have a lot of SKUs and if you have unproductive SKUs, they鈥檙e taking up space from productive SKUs,鈥� he said.
The data can also drive conversations.
Other companies offering AI retail solutions include:
- PDI Technologies: offers an array of AI-driven tools for retail operators, from inventory management to customer engagement and loyalty. By integrating machine learning and predictive analytics, PDI鈥檚 solutions help operators improve supply chain efficiency, optimize product offerings and reduce stockouts. They also include data analytics tools that assist with targeted marketing and personalized promotions to help improve customer loyalty.
- Placer.ai: analyzes consumer foot traffic patterns to provide insights into visit trends, audience demographics and performance. The data helps companies better understand their customers’ behaviors, such as cross-shopping patterns, and make strategic decisions based on real-world foot traffic data鈥�
- 鈥�Standard AI: has created Vision Analytics鈥攁 computer vision platform designed to capture information about shopper behavior and store activity. The system uses cameras combined with computer vision to map customer activities in the store. It tracks foot traffic, shopper interactions with products and conversions, which can help operators make real-time inventory adjustments, reduce stockouts and test marketing effectiveness.
Fuel Purchasing
AI can significantly enhance fuel buying processes by optimizing various aspects of the fuel supply chain. AI algorithms can analyze market trends, historical price data, geopolitical events and other factors to predict fuel prices to help operators make informed decisions about when to buy fuel.
AI models can predict fuel demand by analyzing data such as seasonal trends, weather conditions and usage patterns, help operators manage fuel inventory and automate fuel reordering when stocks run low. Accurate demand forecasting and automated ordering help operators manage supply levels, preventing shortages or overstocking.
AI-powered systems can also monitor fuel purchase patterns and detect fraud or anomalies, such as theft, to help prevent losses.
Companies offering AI fuel purchasing solutions include:
- PDI Technologies: PDI Technologies leverages AI-driven analytics to help optimize fuel purchasing and inventory management, which includes identifying the most strategic times for fuel orders and minimizing costs by improving load efficiency. PDI’s fuel logistics solutions analyze real-time data across the fuel supply chain to forecast optimal load volumes and delivery windows, ensuring operators maintain adequate fuel supplies without overspending on logistics.
- Kalibrate: uses an AI-driven platform for fuel pricing and purchasing optimization. Their solution helps operators adjust fuel prices dynamically based on demand, competitor pricing and other market factors. They also offer tools for optimal fuel purchasing timing by analyzing historical price patterns, regional demand and external market data.
- Titan Cloud: uses AI in its fuel supply chain solutions to help improve decision-making in dispatching and inventory management. Their platform helps operators determine the best supply sources and delivery times to reduce fuel costs and manage risk by dynamically adjusting to changes in demand and market conditions鈥�.
Data Integrity
Anytime operators use AI to help improve operations, drawing on quality data is critical. “AI is only as smart as the information it uses,” Schulte said, recalling a site visit when an operator told him that the store had poor performance on breakfast sandwiches.
The operator thought sandwiches weren鈥檛 selling. 鈥淭he problem was, all of the professional drivers were leaving for the day before the location at the breakfast sandwiches prepared,鈥� Schulte explained. 鈥淭he technology is saying you don鈥檛 need to make the sandwiches because there is no demand, but that was because the demand happened before they put the sandwiches out.鈥�
Schulte advises anyone considering AI technology to start with a clear understanding of the specific problem they want to address. 鈥淪imply adopting AI because it鈥檚 a 鈥榗ool technology鈥� and trying to force-fit it can lead to significant challenges,鈥� he said.
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