Dive Brief:
- Vroom Delivery has partnered with two more regional convenience retailers as the e-commerce company continues to expand its presence in the c-store industry, CEO John Nelson confirmed to C-Store Dive.
- Vroom’s newest partners are Johnny’s Markets, which has about 65 locations across Michigan and Indiana, and the 28-location Nittany Minit Mart chain in Pennsylvania.
- After exploding among the c-store industry’s top players during the COVID-19 pandemic, delivery is increasingly gaining traction among small and mid-size regional convenience retailers as well, as several have debuted the service in 2024.
Dive Insight:
While Johnny’s and Nittany both offer delivery via Vroom, their tech stacks operate differently due to the various vendors they use, Nelson said.
Johnny’s delivery service integrates with PDI Technologies's Commerce API platform, which automates pricebook maintenance, ring-ups, inventories and menu management, Nelson said. Johnny’s also leverages Voom's integration with stacked Shell Fuel Rewards, which allows customers to earn fuel rewards and in-store deals via PDI’s loyalty platform.
Meanwhile, Nittany’s delivery service features embedded app ordering via Rovertown, online loyalty through PAR Technology's Punchh, pricebook and menu automation with back office tech firm SSCS, Inc., and kitchen management via Xpedient Kiosk Software Solutions.
Nittany’s Vroom program received “hundreds” of orders in the first few days after its launch, Nelson said. Many of these orders are also being placed for pickup, which wasn’t previously an option for the retailer, he added.
The backbone of Vroom’s delivery and ordering service is its proprietary automated menu management system, Commerce360, which manages menus and product availability across first-party ordering, third-party marketplaces and in-store kiosks.
Other convenience retailers that have tapped into delivery and online ordering this year have included Stinker Stores, Rutter’s, Jacksons Food Stores, Clipper Petroleum and grocery chain Hy-Vee’s Fast & Fresh c-stores.
