Dive Brief:
- Huck’s Market has become the first convenience retailer to implement Tote.ai’s AI-native point-of-sale system in a live store environment, the companies announced on Tuesday.
- After an initial pilot at Huck’s flagship location in its home market of Carmi, Illinois, the retailer is adding the technology to the rest of its 135 locations in the Midwest. That rollout is expected to be complete by the end of the year.
- Tote’s system was installed on Huck’s existing terminals, allowing for a quicker and less expensive installation process.
Dive Insight:
Huck’s said it has seen multiple benefits since implementing the new POS system in its pilot location. Tote provides real-time support for store-level workers and built-in on-screen assistance directly at the register, reducing training time and improving available guidance.
The centralized nature of the new system has also cut the amount of time Huck’s is spending on tasks like fuel price updates, which previously needed to be done on site or through remote access to each store’s systems. That task can now be done centrally and pushed to all stores immediately.
Tote’s technology also connects every area of the store, including all checkout terminals and fuel pumps. Further updates to the system’s capabilities will be announced at a later date.
"Working with Tote from the earliest stages allowed us to influence how this platform works in real-world convenience store operations," said Murat Tokad, president and CEO of Martin & Bayley, parent company of Huck’s Market, in the announcement. “We're proud to be the first to bring this technology to our customers and demonstrate what's possible when retailers embrace innovation."
While Huck’s was Tote’s first convenience retail partner to go live, the tech company has other collaborations in the pipeline. It’s providing Spinx’s 96 c-stores in the Carolinas with updated POS touchpoints, as well as bringing the retailer’s ordering, checkout and kitchen technology onto one system. Those systems will begin to go live in the second half of 2026, with all stores expected to be updated by spring 2027.
