Insight launch search for ‘The Smartest Store in the World,’ driving new era of digital transformation in retail

Insight Research announce the launch of ‘The Smartest Store in the World’ competition.

This global initiative invites fuel, convenience, Quick Service Restaurant (QSR), and roadside hospitality retailers to showcase their most impactful technological innovations that are redefining the customer experience and operational excellence.

The competition is a decisive step in supporting the global convenience retail industry’s adoption of advanced technologies.

It is hosted by Insight Research and Global Convenience, with Accenture serving as the official Knowledge Partner. Leveraging its deep industry expertise in fuels retail and convenience, and QSRs, Accenture will guide the program’s development and execution, helping shape its overall direction, framework, and entry criteria. The program is proudly sponsored by Invenco, a key player in the evolving mobility & payment ecosystem.

The initiative is specifically designed to identify and celebrate retailers who are leveraging data, artificial intelligence, and emerging technologies to drive measurable business value across the entire value chain – from predictive inventory and autonomous checkout to AI workforce planning and enhanced customer engagement.

A platform for progress and shared learning

The ‘Smartest Store in the World’ is the third instalment in a series of global competitions hosted by Insight Research and Global Convenience, which includes the successful ‘Best EV Hub’ and ‘Best Foodvenience’ initiatives. Together, these programs form a powerful platform for shared learning, recognizing the teams that are actively shaping the future of retail.

“By searching for and then showcasing the ‘best of the best’, we believe we’re helping move the needle on industry development and driving meaningful progress,” said Dan Munford, CEO, Insight Research. “This global showcase enhances industry learning by sharing and celebrating success and innovation. It’s an essential part of our mission to ensure the convenience sector continues to evolve smarter, faster, and more connected than ever before.”

The competition calls on senior executives and retail teams to submit case studies that demonstrate how their implemented solutions drive quantified value realization, are scalable, and show thoughtful innovation in strategic application.

Innovation with impact

The competition’s commitment to rewarding innovation that delivers quantifiable impact is central to its purpose. The involvement of both Accenture and Invenco underscores the industry wide focus on future-ready retail.

Brian D. Gray, Managing Director at Accenture, commented, “The competition is a global celebration of retailers who are leading the charge in delivering more for their customers – more convenience, more personalization, more seamless experiences – through bold innovation and intelligent transformation. It plays an invaluable role in recognizing those harnessing the power of AI, advanced analytics and other key technologies to reimagine the retail experience, ultimately setting new benchmarks for operational efficiency and customer centricity worldwide.”

For technology suppliers, the competition offers a unique opportunity to celebrate their joint success stories with retail partners.

“Technology is the engine of change in today’s retail landscape,” said Ryan Oettinger, Vice President and GM, Retail Technology Solutions, representing Invenco. “We are proud to support an initiative that highlights real world innovation. Many of the most transformative solutions are built through close partnership, and we encourage our industry peers; suppliers across the ecosystem, to support their retail clients in submitting entries that showcase these collaborative achievements and their measurable impact.”

Invitation to participate and key dates

Insight Research extends a direct invitation to small-format retailers globally to enter and seize the opportunity to represent their brand and team’s achievements on a global stage. Suppliers are actively encouraged to support their retail partners in submitting joint case studies to celebrate success together.

Entries will be evaluated by a global panel of judges, with equal emphasis placed on ‘Innovation & Creativity’ and the ‘Quantified Value Realization’ of the solution. Public-facing case studies will be showcased here on GlobalConvenience.com, providing invaluable industry insights and benchmarks for all participants.

• Entries are open until: 20 January 2026
• Showcase begins: 29 January 2026
• Winner announced: 26 March 2026
• The winner will be featured in a special, TV-quality ‘Future of Convenience’ video production and will have the opportunity to showcase their success at leading industry retail events globally.

About Insight Research and Global Convenience

Insight Research is a UK based, global convenience retail research and consulting firm, dedicated to enhancing industry learning by sharing and celebrating success and innovation. And Global Convenience is its’ dedicated media platform. The business works closely with the world’s leading retailers and suppliers to drive progress and development across the sector.

About Invenco

Invenco is the proud sponsor of ‘The Smartest Store in the World’ competition, supporting future-ready retail and next-generation customer experiences within the mobility ecosystem.

Invenco, a Vontier business, is a global leader in the convenience retail industry. Built to help customers adapt and innovate to stay ahead, Invenco by GVR will be the operating system for convenience retail, producing agile solutions for accelerated growth and value.

Invenco by GVR Solutions can be found in nearly 165,000 connected devices across 50,000 convenience stores in more than 50 countries. To find out more about Invenco visit www.invenco.com.