AI

Most c-store consumers engaging with AI

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October 6, 2026

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Most c-store shoppers, 80%, have engaged with artificial intelligence with most interactions happening at a self-checkout kiosk.

That's a top finding from a Par Technology report, "2026 C-Store Industry Report: AI on the Customer's Terms." The report polled 1,000 consumers on AI's impact on the convenience store customer's experience.

Only one in five reported no exposure to any AI-powered technology, according to a press release on the report.

Consumers also indicated what would actually make them switch from one convenience store to another: faster checkout (33%) and personalized loyalty rewards (18%) were top two responses.

Over half, 57%, would trust AI to automatically recommend personalized offers based on purchase history and, separately, 34% named personalized coupons as one place that they would want AI to be used.

"AI is already part of the convenience store experience for most consumers. What this data shows is that they'll embrace it when it makes their trip better," Savneet Singh, CEO of Par Technology, said in the release. "Whereas most operators think about automation as a cost question, customers principally consider it a trust question. Half of them already know exactly where their tolerance ends, the moment they can't find a real person. Get that boundary right and AI becomes a reason to choose your store. Get it wrong and no amount of speed at the register makes up for it. The retailers who solve that challenge first are the ones who turn AI into a real competitive advantage."