In an earnings call with analysts, the Quebec convenience-store company said its AI-powered self-checkout systems were in nearly 1,000 locations, with plans to scale up to 10,000 units over the coming three years. (The Logic)

Talking point: The chain recently introduced a campaign to hire 25,000 workers and received 160,000 applications. But executives on the call said it’s still “a very difficult labour market.” “We’re not looking as hard today at optimizing staffing, we’re focused on really, ‘Let’s have a differentiated consumer experience,’” CEO Brian Hannasch said, when asked about smart checkout technology. “Longer term, I do think this reduces our exposure to the labour market significantly, or at least allows us to redeploy labour to do other things in our sites.” Couche-Tard’s net earnings grew to US$872.4 million in the quarter that ended July 17, up from US$764.4 million in the same period last year, amid higher fuel margins.