Dive Brief:
- The Wills Group, parent of the Dash In c-store chain, has tapped technology company SymphonyAI to power its connected retail strategy, which involves using predictive and generative artificial intelligence to collect data and build actionable insights from it, according to a Tuesday announcement.
- Dash In will implement SymphonyAI’s shelf planning function, which creates store-specific planograms that take into account changes in shopper behavior, market trends and the competitive landscape. The program can help retailers optimize their shelving space while limiting excess inventory and out of stocks.
- The technology aims to help retailers like Dash In offer a more personalized and efficient shopping experience at their c-stores, which is increasingly becoming a top priority for customers.
Dive Insight:
SympthonyAI’s platform lets Dash In collect real-time data, which the retailer can then use to select what products to put on shelves and where they should be placed. This can identify high-velocity items and give those products prominent display space to help get customers in and out of the stores quickly and easily.
The shelf planning technology can also tailor each store’s merchandising, taking into account both the tastes and needs of each neighborhood where Dash In operates. For example, a high-traffic store might focus on quick-turn items while more suburban locations might include a wider variety of products.
The companies plan to expand their partnership with other applications in the future, according to the announcement. Future integrations will “unify data and insights, harness predictive and generative AI, streamline operations, enhance automation, and improve financial outcomes,” according to the release.
This announcement comes about a year after Dash In unveiled its revamped mobile app and loyalty program. At the time, the company noted it was “really behind the curve” when it came to its digital presence and that it had to hire workers devoted specifically to technology programs and e-commerce.
Convenience retailers are increasingly turning to AI-powered solutions to streamline operations and improve the customer experience. For example, checkout technology company Diebold Nixdorf, whose kiosks are in several major c-store chains, is testing age verification AI, while BP is using Microsoft’s Copilot AI to automate rote tasks and help workers spend more time on customer-facing tasks.
La Plata, Maryland-based Will Group operates more than 50 Dash In convenience stores in Maryland, Virginia and Delaware. Its other branches include Splash In ECO Car Wash and SMO Motor Fuels.
