In the latest episode of ADDcast, Grant McAllister and Tracie Nall, Major Account Manager and Account Manager at ADD Systems, respectively, reflect on the hot topics from NACS 2024. They discuss the rise of AI as the most talked-about trend, particularly its impact on improving store operations. Additionally, they explore innovations in foodservice and recipe management, highlighting ADD eStore as a key tool for convenience stores. Tracie also maps out the benefits of joining the ADD User Group.
You can subscribe to the ADDcast at any of the following locations, or read the transcript below.
Apple Podcasts / iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/add-systems-addcast/id1604865113
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1atj72i5AnIwTJDBFD9DzX
Amazon / Audible: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/df7c9f4a-8a3f-431f-8787-50eee85b2bcd
Castbox: https://castbox.fm/channel/id4744519?country=us
You can also search “ADD Systems” wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts!
Brian Cohen: Welcome to ADDcast. I’m ADD Systems’ Multimedia Specialist, Brian Cohen. The ADD Systems team has returned from the NACS 2024 Annual Conference, which took place in Las Vegas earlier this month, and I’m joined today by some fellow ADD colleagues to discuss the sights, sounds, events, and most importantly, the conversations that took place. Joining me first is Grant McAllister, Major Account Manager at ADD Systems. Welcome, Grant.
Grant McAllister: Glad to be here, Brian.
Brian: Now, Grant, as you spent a lot of your time on the trade show floor throughout NACS 2024, what were some of the topics that drove the narrative at the conference this year?
Grant: Well, it was an outstanding conference this year. I believe that it was an 8% increase over last year in terms of attendance. It was over 26,000 people. There were a lot of conversations, but I’ll tell you, topic number one was AI. Everybody wants to talk about AI and how it can improve store operations, store reporting, and overall store efficiency. AI was topic number one by far.
Brian: And that’s something we just discussed back on episode 32 with Steve Gent, New
England Account Manager, where we went in-depth about the evolving expectations for uses and best practices with AI. But back to NACS, were there any other things that maybe were driving some of the conversations that maybe are outside of the AI world?
Grant: Oh, yeah. NACS draws from all over the world, and so the reason folks come to NACS is to improve store efficiency, to look at new products, to see what they are going to sell in their stores. And so the new product area was really, really well done once again. And I looked at some of the stands on some of the new products, and there are some outstanding things that people are going to be adding to their stores this year.
Brian: Can you talk about some of the solutions that ADD Systems offers to maybe address some of the things that attendees at NACS were looking to address?
Grant: Yeah. I mean, we were talking about eStore and our eStore scanning solutions to manage your pricebook, to improve pricing efficiency throughout your network and store. We focus a lot about pricebook topics. A lot of integration topics, too, with various grocery wholesalers as well. So that’s always something that we get very involved with. A couple other things, store reporting, our Atlas/eStore reporting really is very beneficial for folks to be able to look at what’s going on, what’s selling, what’s not selling, looking at cashier performance, looking at voids, no over-rangs, etc. So those topics were very important and attracted quite a number of folks to the booth to discuss.
Brian: Now, in your opinion, what are the most important needs for ADD Systems’ clients and prospects in the c-store space to look out for as we work our way into 2025 and beyond?
Grant: Well, I think looking at what your focus is in terms of store growth and how you’re going to manage that is a critical thing. What we’re also seeing is acquisitions are continuing at a pretty rapid pace, and so folks are talking about adding stores, subtracting stores, and utilizing tools to really manage your stores better is a prime topic of what we’re dealing with. A couple other topics, point-of-sale integrations, that came up quite a number of times. There’s some new virtual point-of-sale systems in the marketplace, and integration into our solution was a hot topic as well.
Brian: Well, Grant, thank you for taking the time to speak with us today.
Grant: Happy to spend the time with you, Brian.
Brian: And joining me now is Tracie Nall, Account Manager at ADD Systems. Tracie, welcome.
Tracie Nall: Thank you, Brian. It’s great to be here.
Brian: It’s great to have you. For you, what were some of the hot topics of discussion that you were involved with at NACS, be it what you heard at the booth, saw on the trade show floor, or maybe heard in the sessions?
Tracie: You know, NACS is always a fantastic event for ADD Systems. We love the chance to connect with our customers, meet new retailers, network with partners, and discover new innovations. Personally, I always love checking out the new M&M’s flavor. This year, it’s going to be peanut butter and jelly.
Brian: Oh!
Tracie: I tried it. Not a huge fan. I’m a little more of a traditionalist when it comes to M&M’s, but that is the new flavor of the year. The other thing I had an opportunity to try on the show floor was affogato, and that’s one of my favorite desserts. And for those listening who are not familiar with that, affogato is espresso coffee poured over vanilla ice cream. So if you’ve not had a chance to try it, I say check it out at the next opportunity, and you might be a fan.
But from a technology perspective, you know, artificial intelligence, that has really become a hot topic. That’s like the new buzzword, and in the convenience arena, no exception. AI is being explored for things like planograms, forecasting, reordering, and creating a more personalized customer experience. So that’s one of the things I heard at the show. But specifically in our booth this year, people came and talked to us a lot about foodservice and recipe management. Those are two major points of discussion. You know, more retailers are bringing fresh items back inhouse through whether they have their own commissary or they’re doing more made-to-order options, and they’re looking for solutions to manage everything from the ingredient all the way to the finished product.
Brian: So outside of the peanut butter and jelly M&M’s, what solutions does ADD Systems have in place to maybe address some of the AI foodservice and recipe management issues you guys discussed at the booth?
Tracie: Yeah, great question. You know, like many others, we are actively exploring opportunities with AI. Our solution is continually evolving to meet the needs of our retailers, and we’re excited about leveraging AI, you know, where it makes sense. We often hear it said, work smarter, not harder. And I truly believe that AI is going to help carry our solution into the next generation. In regards to foodservice and recipe management, the ADD’s c-store product, ADD eStore, has been serving customers in this area for many years. We have the ability to manage the inventory all the way through, from the ingredient all the way to the sellable product. And in more recent years, we’ve been able to add the ability to print nutrition information in addition to the sellable barcode.
Brian: What are in your opinion the most important needs for ADD Systems’ clients and prospects in the c-store space as we move forward?
Tracie: Yeah, great question. One of the most important needs is efficiency, finding ways to streamline operations without sacrificing quality. Whether it’s through better foodservice management, accurate forecasting, or automating reordering processes, convenience retailers are looking for solutions to help them do more with less. They also need a platform that is flexible enough to handle the fast-changing demands of the industry while enhancing their customer experience.
Brian: And for those listening who are ADD Systems’ clients already, could you talk a little bit about the eStore User Group and the benefits it has to offer?
Tracie: Yes, Brian, I would love to. I’m super passionate about the ADD eStore User Group. It’s a retailer-led committee that meets monthly to discuss the ADD Systems topics and industry-related issues. It’s a space where retailers can come together to support each other on their c-store journey. The topics, they range widely, from recipe management to ATMs to lottery, payroll, employee retention. Being part of this community allows retailers to exchange best practices and share valuable insights, all while striving to serve their customers with excellence and make a positive impact in their communities. In addition to these discussions, the group also collaborates on recommending future development requests and enhancements back to us, back to ADD Systems. Our customers love being a part of this group because not only do they hear from each other, but they also get updates on our roadmap and our future developments. Actually, this past September, we held our formal Annual User Group Meeting where we shared details about recent and upcoming releases, and customers shared some of their own success stories with the software. This user group, it’s really a great way for them to stay engaged with each other and to grow with us.
Brian: And if somebody wants to learn more about the eStore User Group, how would they go about doing that?
Tracie: Great question. I think the best place to start is on our website. That’s www.addsys.com. There’s a link right on there for the ADD User Group.
Brian: Tracie, thanks so much for taking the time to speak with us.
Tracie: Yes. Thank you for having me
Brian: To keep up with the latest happenings at ADD Systems, visit addsys.com/blog, or connect with us on social media by following ADD Systems on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram or X. If you have any questions about ADDcast, feel free to reach out to us at addcast@addsys.com. Thanks for listening and have a great day.
Leave a Reply