The Future of Convenience Retail in Europe
One of the most compelling discussions at RTC Europe was on the evolution of convenience retail and how customer habits and expectations are key drivers of that change across Europe. Mark Morelli, Vontier President and CEO, delivered the opening keynote at the event in London by going into detail on the Vontier view: what does it mean when we talk about the future of convenience retail, and why is the move from optimisation to resilience so important?
The Future of Convenience Retail is Not One Thing
If you ask most forecourt operators what the future looks like, you rarely get a single answer. Some are focused on EV. Others are expanding food offers. Many are simply trying to keep sites running smoothly with fewer staff.
The reality is that convenience retail is not moving in one straight line. It is widening.
The forecourt is becoming a place where multiple journeys happen at once: Fuel. Charge. Collect. Shop. Wash. Go.
That is not a transition. It is complexity. And in Europe, complexity is the default.
Convenience is No Longer Just the Shop
For years, convenience retail meant a store attached to a fuel site.
Now it includes much more:
- EV charging is becoming part of the daily stop.
- Car wash remains a traffic driver.
- Vending and unattended formats are growing.
- Some sites are becoming mobility hubs that include EV chargers, parcel lockers, working spaces, wi-fi and additional services rather than traditional forecourts.
This evolution has reshaped customer expectations of what the stop should provide. The forecourt is no longer just a transaction. It is an experience built around time, ease, and trust.
Labour is Changing the Shape of Operations
One of the strongest pressures across European markets is labour. Operators are facing rising costs, recruitment challenges, and changing working patterns.
That reality affects:
- Opening hours.
- Store staffing.
- Site format decisions.
- The role of pay at pump.
- The need for systems that reduce manual workload.
The future of convenience retail is not only about new services. It is about making the operation sustainable.
Europe is Not One Market
What works in Sweden does not automatically work in Italy.
Some markets are heavily regulated; others move faster. Some close early; others operate around the clock. Some offer holistic payment options regardless of whether the site is staffed; others are cash reliant.
This fragmentation is one of Europe’s defining challenges.
It means operators need solutions that flex - not ‘one-size-fits-all' platforms with rigid rollouts that assume every site behaves the same way.
Good convenience infrastructure in Europe is modular, adaptable, and designed for variation.
Payment and Certification Are Part of the Future Conversation
Payment is no longer a background system. It is one of the most complex parts of running a modern forecourt. Certification cycles are relentless. Security expectations keep rising. Hardware decisions are harder to reverse.
Operators want the freedom to evolve payment strategies without feeling trapped by cost and disruption. That is why modularity matters. Payment platforms need to support change over time, not force replacement every time standards move.
The Next Convenience Leaders Will Be Built on Resilience
The most important shift is not necessarily one technology. It is the move from optimisation to resilience.
Sites are being asked to do more:
- Support more energy types.
- Operate with tighter labour models.
- Deliver consistent experiences across fragmented markets.
The future of convenience retail will belong to operators who build flexibility into their foundations, and to partners who truly understand what the forecourt demands.
What This Means for European Operators
The question is no longer whether convenience retail is changing. It is whether your infrastructure can keep up with how many directions it is expanding.
The strongest operators will not chase every trend. They will build systems that allow them to adapt market by market, site by site, year by year.
Is your convenience retail operation future-ready?