Paytronix debuts program that lets c-stores design their online ordering systems

Dive Brief:

Customer experience vendor Paytronix has launched its Order Experience Builder, a program that lets convenience stores and restaurants design, build and deploy their online ordering systems.
The program’s templates, although not custom, provide the flexibility of a customized design solution without the need for third-party designers and developers, Paytronix said.
Paytronix’s latest move comes as digital ordering continues to dominate the c-store and restaurant industries, having increased by 113% between 2019 and 2021.

Dive Insight:

Paytronix’s Order Experience Builder lets users upload menus and images and select from a series of layouts; customize the layout to fit their brand’s theme, including color scheme and typography; and synchronize branding across all digital touchpoints, including mobile responsive sites.

The program helps c-store and restaurant brands design their digital presence as they would their physical experiences, said Andrew Robbins, CEO of Paytronix, in a statement.

“When a brand opens a new location, they make it their own with paint, furniture, lighting and a large investment to create the atmosphere that immerses guests in the unique characteristics of their brand,” he said. “Digital-ordering platforms have to provide that freedom in a way that enables the brand to take advantage of new technology without the ongoing overhead of a custom site.”

The ability to cut costs could be helpful for an industry dominated by single-store operators, which account for more than 60% of convenience stores as of December 2021, according to the National Association of Convenience Stores. That number, however, has continued to decline since 2017, when it held at 63.2%.

Branding is also key as c-store operators have to go up against not only traditional players like 7-Eleven and Wawa but also digital-first retailers, including Gopuff, that have more recently entered the space.

Newton, Massachusetts-based Paytronix works with more than 1,800 brands across 34,000 locations. Besides Maverik, Pump & Pantry and Cal’s Convenience, other c-store brands that use Paytronix’s customer management experience platform include Parker’s, Alltown Fresh, Yesway, United Dairy Farmers, QuickChek and more.