CEFCO Convenience Stores is diving into innovative checkout schemes on multiple fronts.

In 2021, the Temple, Texas-based chain installed self-ordering kiosks from software company Reji and Olea Kiosks in two of its Texas-based CEFCO Kitchen locations. Then, in October, CEFCO went live with web-based pay- at-the-pump capabilities through its mobile app in partnership with Philadelphia-based Stuzo. The October upgrade allows customers to make digital payments at the pump and receive personalized offers and promotions without downloading an app, if they choose.

“Since COVID-19 hit, we were wondering how to make it easier for customers who didn’t want to touch stuff, asking ‘What else can we do?’ ” says Lorne Brockway, chief information officer for CEFCO.

Looking to the future, Brockway says CEFCO is considering other self-checkout and frictionless checkout options, but it has to be a “grassroots” effort to get it to catch on.

“If you really want a program to stick, it’s got to be the folks in the store educating customers,” he says.