NACS 2026 Show: C-stores grow into digital retail hubs

Convention Preview

Convenience stores are no longer defined solely by a quick fuel-and-snack transaction. As operators build foodservice programs, loyalty ecosystems, EV-charging sites and digitally connected stores, c-stores are becoming more complex retail destinations — and the NACS Show 2026 will offer a close look at the systems supporting that transition. 

The NACS Show conference runs Oct. 6–9 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, with the Expo open Oct. 7–9. The National Association of Convenience Stores has adopted “Return On Insight” as the event theme. 

Intouch Insight, a customer experience solutions provider, describes the change as a shift from the “gas-and-go” model toward a broader set of customer missions: meals, beverages, health-focused options, charging and everyday services. That evolution raises the bar for execution across food quality, cleanliness, loyalty, staffing, equipment uptime and the digital customer experience.

Self-service as operating infrastructure

For c-store operators, self-service is increasingly an operating model, not simply a collection of front-end devices. The technology can speed routine transactions and enable employees to focus on foodservice, replenishment, age-restricted sales, exception handling and customer support.

Key self-service applications include:

• Fueling and pay-at-pump systems that support fast, lower-labor transactions.
• Self-checkout for small, grab-and-go baskets.
• Digital wallets, loyalty-linked mobile payments and scan-and-go tools that reduce friction at checkout.
• Food-ordering kiosks that send made-to-order tickets into kitchen workflows and support suggestive selling.
• Smart coolers, vending, micro markets and automated retail formats that extend the c-store offer to workplaces, campuses, transportation sites, hotels and late-night environments.

Across the education program and Expo, attendees will see how operators are applying customer feedback, operational data, AI and frontline measurement to improve execution across increasingly complex store formats.

The education sessions reflect a strong technology focus. Among the sessions is “Can Self-Checkout Sell Age-Restricted Products Safely?” at the NACS Future of Convenience Booth on Tuesday, Oct. 6, as well as “AI Hype Versus Retail Reality,” a technology session later that afternoon. 

Foodservice moves center stage

Foodservice remains central to c-stores’ effort to drive traffic, frequency and brand differentiation. Intouch Insight found that nearly 60% of audited c-stores offered made-to-order food, while 58% of surveyed consumers said an exclusive food item could lead them to choose a brand over a closer alternative.

Three Tuesday sessions illustrate the range of foodservice strategies on the program:

• “Inside the Commissary Model,” 12:30–1:15 p.m., Ballroom A, examines Cumberland Farms’ approach to centralized production, menu development, food safety and waste management.
• “Designing a Store with Foodservice in Mind,” 1:30–2:30 p.m., Pavilion 3/4, addresses store layout, customer flow, kitchen space, equipment and operations.
• “Food & Beverage Trends Shaping Convenience in 2027,” 2:45–3:45 p.m., Ballroom A, explores global flavors, snack-first eating, protein, functional benefits, moderation and customizable beverages.

EV charging and dwell time

EV charging is another factor changing the c-store forecourt from a quick-stop environment into one that may require longer visits, reliable amenities and a more deliberate food-and-beverage strategy. Intouch Insight found that 27% of surveyed consumers would be more likely to choose a retail location offering EV charging, though only 6% of locations in its audit had chargers.

Speakers at last year’s show noted that many people have dismissed EVs given the change in government administration and some pullbacks from automakers. Fuels will nonetheless be dominant for decades to come, Kevin Randolph, manager of commercial sales at Electrify America, said at last year’s NACS show. 

Two education sessions address EV charging:

• “Creating a Valuable EV Charging Experience,” scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 6, from 1:30–2:30 p.m. in Ballroom A, will examine public fast-charging customer experience and the role convenience retailers can play as EV demand develops. The scheduled speakers include Scott Negley of Dover Fueling Solutions, Gen Comtois of NACS, Quincy Lee of Electric Era and Jason Cortes of Field Advantage.
• Aaron Young, director of sales and business development at Electrify America, will present “Ownership vs. Hosting: An EV Charging Case Study for Convenience Retailers,” Wednesday, Oct. 7, 8 a.m. to 8:45 a.m.

Walking tour

The Industry Group, in partnership with the Kiosk Manufacturer Association, has introduced a Walking Tour to guide attendees through a curated set of exhibitors. The tour is designed as a roadmap for retailers looking to extend beyond traditional unattended hardware and software deployments, demonstrating how kiosks, POS, payments, digital signage and AI edge devices are merging into unified platforms. The tour will illustrate the convergence of secure payments, AI, remote management and customer engagement in retail technology stacks. 

Walking Tour exhibits are shown in the above diagram are listed broken out by category below. Attendees should confirm booth assignments in the official exhibitor directory, as show-floor details can change. 

Technology deep dive

• NACS Future of Convenience: Emerging store technology and formats, booth C400.
• Age.Checkerr.net: Age and identity verification, booth C3379.
• Vusion: Electronic shelf labels, booth C3381.

Core technology tour

• A2i by OPIS, AI-powered fuel pricing and retail analytics, booth C5900.
• Verifone: Payments and self-service, booth C5924.
• PDI Technologies: POS, payments, ERP and connected retail, booth C5936.
• Kitestring Technical Services: Store operations, task management and labor, booth C5975.
• Clear Choice Payment Solutions: Financial services kiosk, booth C5981.
• Acuative: Connectivity and cybersecurity, booth C6058.
• 360Fuel: Forecourt/fueling technology, booth C6064.
• Tote.ai: Computer vision, loss prevention and AI-powered video, booth C6178.
• Glory Global Solutions: Cash automation and cloud-based cash management, booth C6243.
• ECRS: POS and retail automation, booth C6249.
• Able: Retail technology solutions, booth 6275.
• 3xLOGIC: Video surveillance and store security, booth C6281
• Ignite: AI and loss prevention products, booth C6325.
• Crane Payment Solutions: Cash, coin and unattended payment technology, booth C6361.
• Cognetic: AI and facial recognition, booth C6381.
• Nayax Ltd.: Unattended payments and telemetry, booth C6385.

Retail systems and next generation store

• Toshiba: Self-checkout, kiosks and store automation, booth C6297.
• HP Inc.: Retail computing and printing, booth C6478.
• 365 Retail Markets: Self-checkout and analytics, C6485.
• NCR Voyix: Store automation and self-checkout, booth C6522.
• BOHA by Transact, Kiosks: Printers and unattended retail, booth 6555.
• Envysion: Video intelligence and loss prevention, booth C6561.
• Datalogic: Scanning and self-checkout, booth C6565.
• Pricer: Electronic shelf labels, booth C6578.

AI, EV and emerging technology

• Invenco: Payment and forecourt technology solutions, booth C6623. (Shared with Driivz).
• Driivz: EV charging and energy software, booth C6623. (Shared with Invenco).
• Digit7: Unattended retail and AI, booth 6676.
• Sonny’s The Car Wash Factory: Carwash automation and adjacent services, booth C6865.
• Hughes Tank Company: Fuel infrastructure and storage, booth C7319.

North Hall store of the future

• Reddy Ice: Automated ice retailing, booth N445.
• 1st Phorm/Anheuser-Busch: Future store merchandising and brand presentation, booth N3213.
• Utz Quality Foods: Future store merchandising and CPG presentation, booth N3221.
• Hanwha Vision: AI video, surveillance and analytics, booth N3268.