Last year, on average, independent forecourt operators invested nearly £19,000 per store. Nearly a quarter of that spend was on technology. The figures come courtesy of the ACS’s Forecourt Report, but just what technology are they spending the money on?
Vicky Hennessy, CEO of Top 50 Indie Penny Petroleum/Penny on the Move, is investing some of their funds in electronic price labels.
“We are just finishing installing another 12 sites with electronic price labels,” she says. “We originally did a trial across three sites. It was successful so we’ve now rolled it out to further sites.
“Not only does this give us ‘finger on the pulse’ pricing but it also delivers savings. The biggest savings so far have been on man hours and costs on the paper labels and hardware.”
Hennessy adds that Penny is also committed to recruiting a dedicated IT professional to progress and support its business with future technologies.
She continues: “The one thing that I am exploring at the moment is hardware and software that integrates everything that our stores need in to one place, from H&S, delivery services and fuel recovery to online ordering and food-to-go compliance. Currently the majority of providers require their own tablet for each piece of software, I need them to be able to link together in one place.”
Checkout success
Self-service checkouts never seem to be out of the news, and typically for all the wrong reasons – customers don’t like them or they encourage stealing, for example. However, when implemented correctly they can be a big success as Jonathan McCullagh, joint managing director of Classic Service Station in Omagh, has found.
The site is a well-established, family-run forecourt business on the outskirts of a busy town centre in Northern Ireland. With a wide-ranging offer, including food to go, an off-licence and an in-store chippy, Classic Service Station serves a diverse customer base, from loyal locals to passing trade.
Faced with growing demand and a desire to improve efficiency, McCullagh says he was initially cautious about self-checkouts. “We were hesitant due to concerns over shrinkage and customer resistance,” he says. “But with proper planning, team training and technology support from Henderson Technology, the transition has been a resounding success.”
Today, 70% of all Classic’s transactions go through the self-checkouts. “Customers enjoy the speed and choice – and the systems, backed by robust security features, have eliminated concerns around loss. Integration with EDGEPoS and the Glory cash recycling solution has also streamlined back-office operations, freeing up staff and improving reconciliation,” says McCullagh.
Key to the success was Classic’s considered rollout: self-checkouts were placed close to traditional tills, a team member was assigned to assist and educate customers and based on feedback, the system was upgraded to include cash payment options and the ability to pay for fuel.
Expanding with epos
In Scotland, Dalmellington Service Station invested in the EDGEPoS system, based on seeing its success in other Jet-affiliated stores. “We needed to modernise before our shop expansion made things even harder,” explains director Brian Connolly. The store introduced EDGEPoS ahead of a store upgrade to give staff time to adapt – a move that paid off.
Today, the store benefits from real-time reporting, automated promotions and simplified stock ordering. Using handheld devices, staff can manage inventory efficiently and respond to demand quickly. Connolly says integration with Jet forecourt tech ensures smooth, fast transactions at the pump with no delays and no friction.
Perhaps most impactful is the shift to remote access and mobile data visibility. Managers no longer need to be on-site to monitor performance, freeing up time and enabling more agile, informed decisions.
Store manager, Cara Templeton, says staff now spend less time on routine admin and more on customer service and merchandising – areas that directly influence satisfaction and sales.
Dalmellington is now planning to introduce self-checkouts and ESELs with Henderson Technology in the coming year, confident these will bring further gains in efficiency, pricing accuracy and customer experience.
One of the reasons forecourt retailers like Classic Service Station and Dalmellington Service Station choose Henderson Technology is the partnership approach – before, during and long after installation. The onboarding process is described as ‘consultative’ and ‘highly tailored’, ensuring that every element of the system is configured to the store’s needs and staff are confident from day one.
McCullagh adds: “The team didn’t just drop in the kit and leave – they really listened. We were supported through every stage, from layout planning to staff training to live testing.”
Henderson says this approach means transitions are smoother, adoption is higher and performance gains are faster. Ongoing support is just as strong. Whether it’s remote troubleshooting, staff refreshers or system upgrades, retailers know they have a reliable team behind them.
At Dalmellington, this was critical to the store’s ability to expand without disruption. “Any time we had a query or needed help, someone was there,” says Brian Connolly. “That kind of support gives you confidence to grow.”
Digitising day-to-day processes
VARS Technology is well-established in the forecourt sector for its work protecting forecourt operators from fuel theft, both proactively preventing drive-offs using ANPR technology and recovering the cost of stolen fuel after incidents do happen.
Now the VARS Technology tablet has been expanded in scope to offer retailers a host of added benefits when it comes to digitising many day-to-day processes. For a growing number of forecourts the VARS system, controlled through their tablet, has changed from purely a security system to a boost to their day-to-day productivity and organisation. These additional features include:
• Signing in and out for guests on site
• Recording of requests for ID and service refusals
• Temperature records for hot and cold food
• Logging lost property
• Daily task management and a forecourt checklist
• Tracking and authorising sales of red diesel
VARS Technology director John Garnett says: “Many of the features that the VARS platform now offers came about because of direct requests from customers for help solving a particular issue. We have a great relationship with our customers and if they ask for a particular feature to be developed, we will find a way to do that. All our development is done in-house, so we can be responsive to requests and deliver tailored solutions that meet the exact needs of forecourt operators.
“The ability to digitise many of the things that need to be recorded regularly can be hugely beneficial, making records easier to access and review, as well as ensuring that important daily checks are carried out at the correct times, rather than paperwork that staff might be tempted to fill in before or after the event.
“The impact of eliminating so much paper is easy to overlook but can be very substantial, not just as a way to boost sustainability but in terms of cost savings as well. One customer told us that switching much of their day-to-day recording over to the VARS tablet saved them £30,000 in paper costs annually.”
EDGEPoS by Henderson Technology: Powering smarter retail through a seamless eco-system
EDGEPoS by Henderson Technology is an award-winning EPOS system designed “By Retailers, For Retailers”. Built for convenience, forecourt and retail environments, EDGEPoS offers an all-in-one solution that drives operational efficiency in today’s fast-moving and competitive market.
At its core is the EDGEPoS Eco-System, a fully integrated suite of products that transforms store operations. From ESELs (electronic shelf edge labels), which streamline pricing updates and reduce labour costs, to hybrid and standalone self-checkouts that ease queue times and improve customer satisfaction – every feature is engineered for performance and simplicity.
Retailers benefit from centralised store control, real-time analytics and seamless integration with third-party apps like Uber Eats and Deliveroo. Whether managing one site or multiple, EDGEPoS supports your entire retail journey, including cloud-hosted reporting, closed-loop cash management and multi-site head office control.
EDGEPoS is a future-proofed solution enhancing the shopper experience while maximising efficiency, giving retailers the tools to meet customer expectations and stay competitive. With 24/7 support, regular upgrades, and unlimited remote training, Henderson Technology ensures your investment in EDGEPoS delivers lasting value.
Make your store more seamless, smart, and successfuljoin the EDGEPoS Eco-System today.
Book a demo today: www.henderson.technology
AI is A-okay
Finally, you can’t talk about retail technology without mentioning AI as it is being integrated into all sorts of systems.
John Garnett at VARS, says that AI is a hugely powerful tool, and it has applications that can have a massive impact on things like retail security. However, there is a caveat: “It is important that we have proper oversight of the decisions it makes to ensure accuracy and fairness. While AI can do most of the leg work and save a lot of time, the final decisions are all made by a real person to validate and ensure they are correct.”
Food waste app Gander uses Facebook integration and AI technology to automatically schedule posts to go out daily to promote reduced-to-clear items.
Gander is a SaaS platform that helps retailers maximise the visibility of close-to-expiry food across multiple digital channels. By connecting with a retailer’s epos and/or inventory system, Gander automatically highlights reduced-to-clear products in real-time, ensuring they reach the widest possible audience before becoming waste.
Used by the likes of Top 50 Indie Sewell on the go as well as Spar, Nisa and Morrisons Daily outlets in the UK, it has helped reduce food waste by an average of 26% for retailers, saving over 40 million food items from waste.
Data from the company’s ‘Ganderlytics’ analytics platform has shown that, on average, consumers using Gander save around 56% on their food shop. Meanwhile, some retailers are saving up to £800 per week by using Gander and reducing their annual waste costs by as much as £20,000 per store.
