As US workers are beckoned back to the office, fuel and convenience store retailers have the opportunity to turn the uptick in commuting into stronger in-store sales. According to a 2025 McKinsey & Company survey, the share of employees working predominantly on-site doubled in 2024 compared with the previous year, marking a shift away from the work-at-home era. 

In fact, the majority of working adults, 85%, who used to commute before the pandemic have resumed working outside of the home, according to an April 2025 Quantilope study (survey of 1,600 adults 18+ pre-COVID commuters). Return to Office (RTO) has CEOs, politicians and venture capitalists alike buzzing about its importance, and for the c-store market, it’s a chance to convert new commuters into new customers. 

The Point-of-Sale (POS) System is Core to New Growth 

Because the industry is faced with more electric vehicles and shifting fuel habits, winning these new commuters with in-store items is an opportunity to spur new growth. 

“Electric vehicle (EV) usage has impacted fuel sales somewhat, creating a slight drag on sales so far, but the back-to-office trend is an opportunity to offset this revenue shift and drive growth through hot food and other in-store items,” said Art Sebastian, CEO, NextChapter. “Innovations in customer loyalty are needed to draw the customer into the store, and that requires thinking beyond the fuel pump.” 

Sebastian continues, “The opportunity to capture and retain these new commuters lives within the c-store’s POS system, and whether it’s modern or legacy matters more than ever. A modern AI-native POS is required to meet today’s demands for wildly intelligent, responsive, personalized shopping experiences that are also quick and convenient.” 

Loyalty & Upsell Requires Real AI-Native POS, Not Bolt-On AI

Commuters can become repetitive, predictable customers, which makes them ideal for loyalty programs and personalized offers. But the success of loyalty and personalization depends upon the capabilities of the store’s POS system to recognize and respond to each customer individually. 

Legacy systems that lack true AI are stuck with antiquated points programs that masquerade as loyalty, while an AI-native POS system can provide custom offers, deals personalized for time-of-day, fast deployment of new promotions and real-time response. 

To attain meaningful loyalty, upsell and digital engagement, retailers need a POS system that is built from the ground up with AI, for AI – known as AI-native. The first and only POS vendor to achieve this is Tote.ai, and unlike other offerings, this system is created exclusively for the fuel and convenience store market. 

Tote.ai CEO, Shyam Rao explains how AI-native enhances customer loyalty beyond current programs. “Our One customer, One cart architecture leverages AI to create seamless experiences from pump to checkout. The system recognizes customers at the forecourt, suggests personalized offerings, and maintains shopping continuity across every touchpoint. This isn't possible with bolt-on AI. It requires the entire platform to be built around event-driven, real-time data flow.”

“Because AI is woven into our architecture, we can deploy new capabilities quickly,” continues Rao. “When you want to test a new promotion strategy, we're not wrestling with legacy constraints. Our headless, event-driven architecture supports rapid iteration. Retailers tell us initiatives that would have taken six months or more can launch now take days with Tote.ai.”

For more information, read Rao’s full post on the Tote.ai blog AI-Native Point-of-sale vs. Bolt-On AI: What’s the Difference for Fuel & Convenience Retail? 

For fuel and convenience retailers looking to attract back-to-office commuters and build lasting loyalty, Tote.ai’s AI-native POS system is now available nationwide.