Spinx’s Ackerman Talks AI and Tech Innovation

C-stores are beginning to integrate AI, connect touchpoints for a more seamless experience and utilize data to better target shoppers.

CStore Decisions’ May issue covers the tech trends to watch in the c-store channel in 2026. To complement our May edition’s focus on technology trends, we’re continuing the conversation online with an exclusive digital Q&A featuring Luis Ackerman, VP of Technology for Spinx. Below, Ackerman shares his insights on the trends impacting the industry and how Spinx is approaching tech in 2026.

CStore Decisions (CSD): What are the three biggest tech trends you are watching in 2026?

Luis Ackerman (LA): 1. We are watching the shift from artificial intelligence (AI) as a concept to AI as an operational tool. The real opportunity is not novelty. It is using AI to simplify store execution, support associates in the moment, reduce friction and help teams make better decisions faster.

2. C-store customers do not think in channels. They move between pump, store, mobile, foodservice and loyalty as part of one trip. The retailers that win will be the ones that connect those touchpoints into a more seamless experience rather than managing them as separate systems.

3. The industry is moving past static reporting and toward real-time, usable data. That includes better visibility into the customer journey, sharper promotional targeting, stronger foodservice insights and more precise operational decision-making at the store level.

CSD: Have you added any new technology in the past year? If so, what did you add, why and what results are you seeing?

LA: Yes. We announced that Spinx selected Tote.ai to provide point-of-sale (POS), self-service kiosks and foodservice technology across the chain, with deployment beginning in the second half of 2026. A key part of that decision was the ability to modernize POS and foodservice on a more unified platform while bringing AI features and tools into the stores.

From a strategy standpoint, we wanted a more flexible foundation that can simplify operations, improve the customer experience and support faster innovation over time. We now have a clearer path toward reducing fragmentation between checkout, foodservice, and customer engagement, which we believe will create meaningful gains in both efficiency and experience as deployment progresses.

CSD: Anything you’re set to launch this year that you can mention? If so what?

LA: The main public item we can reference is the planned rollout of the Tote platform this year, including next-generation POS, self-service kiosks and foodservice technology. For us, that is a meaningful modernization step because it is not just a POS upgrade. It is a broader move toward a more connected operating model across the store.

CSD: Do you currently operate a retail media network, or are you developing one? If so, what stage is it in and what capabilities does it include?

LA: …We see the long-term value in building the right foundation first. For us, that means strengthening first-party data, loyalty engagement, digital touchpoints and measurement. Those capabilities matter whether the goal is better personalization, stronger promotional effectiveness or a future media strategy.

CSD: How is your company approaching AI today? If you are integrating AI currently, please explain what that looks like.

LA: Our approach to AI is pragmatic. We are interested in AI where it can solve real operational problems, improve execution and make life easier for both customers and associates. We are not looking at AI as a separate initiative sitting off to the side. We are looking at how it can be embedded into the systems and workflows our teams already use.

In practical terms, that means evaluating how AI can help simplify front-line tasks, improve decision support, surface guidance in the moment, strengthen foodservice and ordering workflows and create a more connected customer journey. We believe the value of AI in convenience retail will come from being useful, fast and operationally relevant.

CSD: How has your company’s approach to using data evolved over the past few years? What types of data are most valuable to your organization right now?

LA: Our approach has evolved from looking primarily at historical reporting to focusing much more on connected, decision-ready data. A few years ago, the emphasis for many retailers was simply collecting data and reporting on it after the fact. Today, the expectation is that data should help drive action more quickly across operations, merchandising, foodservice, loyalty and customer experience.

The most valuable data for us right now is the data that helps connect performance to behavior and operational execution. That includes transaction and basket data, loyalty and customer engagement data, foodservice sales and throughput, promotional performance, daypart trends that help us understand the full trip rather than just the final transaction. The more effectively we connect those views, the better positioned we are to improve both store performance and the customer experience.

CSD: Anything else you want us to know?

LA: …Our technology strategy is focused on practical modernization. We want technology that improves execution at the store level, supports our associates, enhances the customer experience and gives us room to evolve over time without unnecessary complexity.