DUBLIN, Ireland–Circle K Norway, has won the NACS European Convenience Retail Technology Award. The award, sponsored by Gilbarco Veeder-Root, was presented on June 1 during the NACS Convenience Summit Europe in Dublin.
Norway is the only country that has more electric cars per person, and Circle K has become one of the country’s most aggressive developers of fast charging EV networks. The company has so far prioritized building its own chargers at Circle K stations in cities and along Norwegian roads, with more than 100 stations with chargers, and approximately 800 chargers at its own stations.
Through the Circle K Charge app, drivers access an overview of Circle K’s charging stations and available chargers. Customers can also follow the charging process and see a full overview of charging time, price and battery status. Circle K’s charging offer is not limited to its service stations and convenience stores—customers can charge at home, too. Circle K sells one of Norway’s popular at-home chargers manufactured by Easee.
Not only is Circle K recharging its customers’ vehicles, it is also keeping their cars clean. In Norway, Circle K launched a car wash subscription program accessible through the retailer’s mobile app. Customers can locate the nearest station that offers the car wash subscription, which allows for a maximum of eight washes every 30 days and a maximum of two washes per day.
In 2021, Circle K Europe won the NACS European Convenience Retail Technology Award for its Pay by Plate payment technology used for fuel purchases. Circle K was the first fuel retailer to introduce Pay by Plate across Europe at scale, allowing customers to pay for fuel using their number (license) plate for a frictionless customer experience.
“We are proud to be the sponsor of the NACS European Convenience Retail Technology Award and it is exciting to see the award go to Circle K Norway, who has been an industry leader in driving the retail forecourt of the future, leveraging technology, and building partnerships to enhance the experience for its customers,” said Trevor Sinkinson, managing director at Gilbarco Veeder-Root, Europe.
“Norway leads the world in automobile electrification and Circle K has absolutely shown that convenience stores will still be relevant to customers with EVs,” said NACS President and CEO Henry O. Armour.
In 2022, four in five cars sold in Norway were electric. The country has become a global model for electrification, thanks to favorable tax policies and a government mandate to reach 100% zero-emission car sales by 2025. Circle K is owned by Laval, Quebec-based Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc., a global convenience retailer with more than 14,000 locations in 24 countries and territories. Norway is Circle K’s test market for electrification and the evolution of convenience retail as energy stations.
The NACS Convenience Summit Europe took place 30 May–01 June in Dublin, Ireland. The global event is hosted each year in a different European city and is hosted by U.S.-based NACS. Visit convenience.org/CSE for more information.