The future is hybrid: How AI will reshape fuel and mobility retail

The age of AI-driven retail is here, but it won’t be universally adopted overnight.

AI is reshaping how consumers discover, shop, and pay, both on the forecourt and beyond. Yet for fuel retailers the challenge isn’t whether AI will arrive, it’s how to adopt it pragmatically.

Recent insights from the NACS 2025 education session; Forecourt Strategies to Increase Trip Frequency and Conversion, underscored this reality. Industry leaders from BP International, Cullinan Group, and TEI agreed:

“The transition to AI-driven systems will be gradual, requiring businesses to operate legacy systems in parallel with new ones.”

In other words, the future of mobility retail is hybrid.

Learning from retail’s hybrid evolution

Amazon Fresh and the frictionless myth

When Amazon introduced Just Walk Out technology, it promised a checkout-free revolution. But the company has since rolled back to a mixed model, integrating smart carts and reintroducing staffed checkouts. Even the pioneer of frictionless retail discovered that not every shopper is ready to abandon traditional service.

This serves as a powerful reminder for fuel retailers: innovation adoption is uneven. AI-powered experiences, from predictive offers to in-car payments, will excite early adopters, but others will still prefer the human touch and familiar routines.

Circle K and the gradual AI rollout

Similarly, Circle K’s deployment of Mashgin’s AI self-checkout kiosks is incremental. Stores retain conventional staffed lanes to serve those who prefer them, while testing vision-based checkout with customers open to tech-driven convenience. This coexistence ensures operational continuity while building data and confidence in the new journey.

EG Group’s dual energy model

In mobility, EG Group’s forecourt strategy embodies the same hybrid principle. By adding ultra-fast EV charging alongside petrol and diesel pumps, EG is evolving without alienating its core customer base. It’s a practical expression of the “both/and” approach: future-proof the offer, but keep serving today’s reality.

Why the hybrid approach works

The hybrid model lets retailers innovate at the edges without disrupting the entire customer journey. It’s the only realistic way to transition when your network includes urban flagship sites and rural forecourts serving less tech-ready consumers.

The forecourt of the near future might look like this:

• EV chargers next to traditional fuel pumps
• AI-driven kiosks beside staffed checkouts
• App-based pre-orders working alongside cash payments
• Data-driven personalization layered on legacy loyalty schemes

It’s not a split identity — it’s an adaptive system designed to grow with consumer behavior.

Where Kalibrate fits in

At Kalibrate, we help fuel and mobility retailers navigate this transition with data-led clarity.

We believe that every investment decision should be informed by data.

In the same way that we can analyze which sites in your network are best positioned for charging EV rollout, we can pinpoint areas to trial new AI innovations. Based on local consumer dynamics, early-adopter density, and competitor presence — we can pinpoint where to:

• Pilot AI-enabled checkout or loyalty integrations
• Test new digital experiences
• Measure consumer response and refine rollout strategies

With verified data guiding each decision, you can innovate with confidence, learning fast without risking alienation or sunk costs.

Start testing, stay relevant

One of our key takeaways from NACS 2025 is that AI in mobility retail isn’t science fiction, it’s already here. But consumer readiness will take years to mature. Retailers who begin testing now, will learn, iterate, and lead when mass adoption comes.

The key message for 2025 and beyond:

Don’t wait for the world to be ready. Prepare your hybrid journey now.