NACS Show 2026 Recap: Your Site, Your Control

October 27, 2026

Quick Take (TL;DR)

At the 2026 NACS Show in Las Vegas, Dover Fueling Solutions^® (DFS) showcased new and improved technologies that put control back in site operators' hands. On the show floor, fuel and convenience retailers saw how a connected ecosystem gives them command of every part of their forecourt and c-store operations. As retailers work to earn more from every square foot amid declining fuel volumes and rising operating costs, DFS solutions like Bulloch POS™, the DFS Anthem UX^® platform, DX Monitor^® + Site IQ™, ProGauge MagLink LX^® consoles, and more technologies drew strong interest from customers, distributors, and attendees.

Fuel and convenience retail professionals from around the world gathered in Las Vegas October 6-9for the 2026 NACS Show, which arrived at a pivotal moment for the industry. According to 2026 NACS/NIQ data, fuel-selling convenience stores reached an eight-year high of 122,620 locations, representing more than 80% of all fueling sites in the U.S. At the same time, retailers are contending with declining fuel volumes and rising operating costs. Across sessions, meetings, and booth conversations, one question kept coming up: how can retailers get more value out of their site?

Themes From the Show Floor

Competing for the Lunch Rush

NACS President and CEO Frank Gleeson delivered a clear message during his general session: Quick-service restaurants (QSRs) are now the convenience channel's biggest competitive threat. With inside-store transactions dipping slightly in early 2026, many retailers are focused on turning fuel customers into foodservice customers. Sessions explored drive-thrus, mobile apps that let shoppers buy fuel and food in a single order, and proprietary food programs designed to win lunch traffic away from fast food.

For many customers, the decision to come inside starts at the pump. The dispenser is the first and most consistent touchpoint on the site, making it a natural place to promote foodservice offers, reinforce loyalty, and invite drivers into the store. The Anthem UX platform's loyalty integration and media capabilities drew strong interest from retailers looking to do exactly that.

Technology That Earns Its Place

With 63% of U.S. convenience stores operated by single-store independent owners, practical and scalable technology was a recurring theme. Operators were less interested in experimental consumer gadgets and more interested in tools with a clear, immediate return. Conversations centered on tools that automatically reconcile bulk fuel invoices against delivery records, predict fuel price fluctuations, and reduce checkout shrink through smart camera validation.

The common thread was control: fewer surprises, faster answers, and less time spent piecing together information from disconnected systems. DFS solutions like Bulloch POS and Site IQ are built around that same goal, bringing more of the site's data and operations into one place so retailers can act on it.

The MagLink LX console interface stood out for the same reason. Attendees were enthusiastic about its large, vibrant display, intuitive graphics, and unique feature set, and about how clearly it stands apart from competitive ATG units. The calendar view earned the most praise, with icons that show past alerts and deliveries at a glance. Customers were especially impressed by how the consoles simplify daily operations, making it easier to monitor site health, identify issues, and manage operations with confidence.

Sharing Insights on the Education Stage

DFS leaders also took the Your Site, Your Control conversation beyond the booth in two NACS education sessions alongside other industry leaders.

Creating a Valuable EV Charging Experience

Moderated by Gen Comtois, Senior Executive Adviser at the Transportation Energy Institute (TEI), this panel explored what it takes to build an EV charging program that drivers come back to and that pays off for retailers. The panel shared findings from a DFS survey of EV drivers conducted in partnership with the Transportation Energy Institute:

About 78% of drivers get out of their vehicle while charging and buy something on site or nearby, and they are willing to walk one to six minutes.
Many drivers chose the location because it had a charger and said they would not have made their purchase if they had not stopped to charge.
Sites with basic amenities such as lighting, security, Wi-Fi, and restrooms saw roughly 7x the utilization of sites without them.
More than a third of drivers said they would not return to a charging network after a bad experience.

Scott Negley, Senior Director, Dispenser Product Management at DFS, made the case for building charging into the site instead of adding it as an afterthought. He pointed to "an early tendency to bolt on a third-party appliance into an existing site," noting that the survey data shows this is not always the best approach. Retailers already have a head start: "They have the infrastructure, they have the building, they have the point of sale, they have payment, they have the loyalty applications that are already there."

When charging, payment, foodservice offers, and loyalty all connect, Scott explained, retailers can bring "all those different enterprise elements under one transaction versus treating it like a third-party appliance." That is Your Site, Your Control applied to EV: charging that works as part of the site a retailer already runs.

A Tale of Multiple Media Networks

Dan Seymour, Business Lead, 4Court Media, joined retail media leaders to discuss how fuel and convenience retailers of every size can bring a retail media network to market. His message was that scale is not a barrier, an important point in an industry where 63% of stores are single-store independents. "One of the biggest misconceptions in our industry is that you have to be a certain size to participate in a retail media network in the convenience space," he said. "That's just not necessarily true anymore."

For smaller operators, joining an aggregated network can open the door to national, regional, and local advertisers while still giving the retailer inventory for its own promotions. Whatever the model, Dan encouraged retailers to build flexibility into contracts and choose partners who will protect their brand, because "those screens are an extension of your brand."

DFS at NACS: Your Site, Your Control.

Retailers know their customers, markets, and stores better than anyone. What they need is technology that gives them clear visibility into every part of the site and the ability to act on it quickly, from the dispenser screen to the tank to the checkout counter. Because DFS designs its core technologies to work together, retailers can manage more of their operation from fewer systems, spot issues sooner, and mitigate unplanned maintenance and costs.

At the DFS booth, we:

Introduced an elevated new booth design and a new digital valance prototype, which quickly became one of the most talked-about features at the booth;
Provided live demos of Bulloch POS, which unifies point of sale, electronic payment systems, and forecourt controllers into a single software solution built for fuel retail;
Highlighted the Anthem UX platform's media and loyalty capabilities, which seamlessly turn the dispenser into a customer engagement tool;
Demonstrated Site IQ, an end-to-end software platform that simplifies forecourt management and optimizes maintenance to help reduce truck rolls and downtime;
Displayed dual- and single-cable variations of the Wayne PWR™ DC fast charger with both CCS and NACS connectors, giving retailers a flexible way to diversify their fueling options;
Showcased MagLink LX automatic tank gauge consoles and their standout user interface, along with the convenient new ProGauge MagLink Anywhere mobile app;
And featured more intuitive, connected site software solutions, including DX Promote^® and DX Monitor, that bring the visibility and convenience necessary to manage a modern forecourt.

Looking Ahead

NACS 2026 reinforced what we hear from retailers every day: they want technology that gives them visibility, flexibility, and control over their sites. We appreciate everyone who came by to discuss their ongoing needs, and we look forward to continuing these valuable conversations in the months ahead, as well as seeing everyone at NACS 2027 in Atlanta. Until then, get in touch with our team here to find out more about the DFS connected solutions that could help your retail operation bring in and keep loyal customers.