Dive Brief:
- PDI Technologies has begun offering its point-of-sale solution to North American customers as part of its expanding array of services, according to a Monday press release.
- The retail technology and insights company is also adding firewall as a service for smaller distributed businesses, a subscription version of its retail site management offering, four new subscription-based sustainability packages and a variety of new operational efficiency programs.
- These expanded offerings from PDI, which focuses on the convenience retail and petroleum wholesale segments, target a c-store space that’s increasingly looking to modernize technology and automate mundane tasks.
Dive Insight:
PDI has already rolled out its POS system internationally and is in the process of developing pilot programs in the U.S. ahead of a wider rollout in 2024. The system includes not just the point of sale software, but also self-checkout and foodservice capabilities, and can be used in kiosks, tablet ordering, self-service drive-thru ordering and more, a company spokesperson said in an email.
PDI declined to say which retailers are piloting the system.
"Our cloud-centric POS solution can work with existing hardware, which means retailers can modernize their systems without having to make additional investments in their physical devices," said Brad McGuinness, senior vice president of point of sale solutions for PDI.
The firewall-as-a-service offering helps retailers address network security and includes around-the-clock support by network and security experts. While the solution already existed for larger companies, this expands it to smaller or even single-location companies, the spokesperson said.
The retail site management tools, meanwhile, automate certain manual processes and collect customer data in areas like lottery or foodservice, while the sustainability subscription packages include access to certified carbon offset projects, local community impact and annual certificate features, according to PDI’s website.
An expanded relationship between PDI and software company Jolt adds operational management tools aimed at helping c-stores manage day-to-day tasks.
Automation is becoming increasingly prevalent in the c-store space. Earlier this month, Jackson’s Food Stores tapped Blue Yonder to update its space and category management capabilities, while H&S Energy announced it’s expanding its relationship with e-commerce company Vroom Delivery in a bid to hit $10 million in online sales by 2025.
Alpharetta, Georgia-based PDI offers a variety of technologies and solutions, including loyalty, logistics, cybersecurity and more. The company acquired c-store technology company Skupos in August, and also owns the Fuel Rewards and Gas Buddy brands, which combine for more than 20 million active users.
