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Tote.ai, the pioneering AI-native point-of-sale (POS) system crafted for fuel and convenience stores, is set to demonstrate its transformative technology at the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) show in Chicago from October 15-17, 2025, at booth #S4894 in the McCormick Place Convention Center. Amid a sector transacting nearly a trillion dollars annually yet facing a 4.3% sales dip over the past year, Tote.ai addresses critical needs by modernizing customer experiences, streamlining operations, and enhancing employee training to drive revenue and loyalty.
The U.S. convenience store industry, a retail powerhouse rivaling airlines and pharmaceuticals with nearly $1 trillion in annual transactions, confronts declining sales volumes amid shifting consumer habits. Tote.ai confronts this head-on with an AI-native POS architecture that embeds intelligence from inception, eschewing outdated bolt-on approaches that falter under real-time demands. This design empowers AI agents to interact with live system data, execute autonomous actions—such as resolving pump errors or initiating inventory workflows—and collaborate seamlessly, ensuring adaptability to emerging multi-agent innovations.
"Fuel and convenience stores are fighting for every customer and every dollar," said Shyam Rao, Founder and CEO of Tote.ai. "Using technology like AI can be a game-changer for boosting revenue streams, but the industry is held back by decades-old point-of-sale systems that cannot run new technology. We built Tote.ai to be AI-native from the ground up to easily layer on top of existing hardware, giving the modern AI and shopping experience customers expect, without ripping and replacing what they already have."
By overlaying AI onto legacy hardware, Tote.ai minimizes disruption while unlocking analytics, personalization, and omnichannel consistency that legacy systems cannot sustain.
Tote.ai's "one customer, one cart" paradigm redefines the shopping experience, allowing seamless transitions from app-based pre-orders to forecourt promotions and in-store impulse buys—all consolidated into a single, scan-free transaction. The system identifies customers at the pump, delivering tailored loyalty discounts that spur high-margin in-store visits, catering to on-the-go shoppers craving app-like convenience. This frictionless flow not only elevates satisfaction but also amplifies average basket sizes, transforming casual stops into revenue opportunities.
The platform's AI-native foundation ensures promotions and interactions remain contextually relevant, fostering loyalty in an era where consumers demand immediacy and personalization across touchpoints.
Tote.ai's Device Cloud revolutionizes store management by providing unified visibility across devices, systems, and locations, irrespective of vendor. Operators gain real-time monitoring of pumps, printers, kiosks, and terminals, coupled with proactive alerts for malfunctions, eliminating months-long IT delays and exorbitant update costs. Drag-and-drop configuration empowers rapid adaptations, extending hardware longevity and curtailing vendor dependencies, thereby slashing operational overheads.
This vendor-agnostic agility addresses the inefficiencies plaguing traditional setups, enabling retailers to pivot swiftly to market demands without prohibitive investments.
High turnover and compliance challenges exacerbate training burdens in convenience retail, where outdated manuals hinder efficiency. Tote.ai's Associate AI Agent, Genie, counters this by delivering instant, multilingual assistance directly via the POS—ranging from task walkthroughs and policy queries to troubleshooting videos. When complexities exceed Genie's scope, it escalates with complete context to live support, minimizing downtime and frustration while ensuring adherence to procedures.
By embedding accessible, up-to-date resources at the point of need, Genie reduces onboarding times and errors, empowering staff to focus on customer service and sales growth.
Tote.ai's comprehensive approach—spanning customer engagement, operational oversight, and workforce enablement—positions it as a catalyst for revival in fuel and convenience retail. Available now across the U.S., the system equips operators to reclaim market share through intelligent, future-ready technology that aligns with evolving shopper expectations and industry realities.
Tote.ai is the first AI-native POS system for fuel and convenience stores. The company's "one customer, one cart" architecture creates a seamless shopping experience from pump to store. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, Tote.ai was founded in 2022 to make the in-store experience on par with today's online experience, giving shoppers control and freedom.
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