Consultants at Bain, BCG, Accenture and LatentView set out how convenience stores should use AI for product mix decisions. The tools spot sales patterns, flag gaps and identify weak sellers. The final call on adding or cutting an item stays with the merchant. Software cannot negotiate cost terms or weigh long supplier relationships. Ordering and replenishment can be automated once a decision is made. Retailers are told to check integration with existing till and finance systems first. Smaller operators may need supplier or franchisor support to afford the software. Two traps recur: tools that name a problem without a fix, and recommendations nobody can explain. Firms should also write rules for when staff may override a recommendation. The comments come from C-Store Dive interviews.

• 2%-5% margin improvement
• 1%-3% sales increase
• shelf label costs down 67% since 2015