Cortex
Cortex AI for fuel and convenience retail, wholesale and distribution
Every AI tells you what happened. Only Cortex tells you why.
Only Cortex connects your data with trillions of real-time proprietary external signals, so every answer comes with the reason and the next move.
Claude and GPT tell you what happened. Cortex tells you why.
Public LLMs only see the file you upload, so their “why” is a guess. Cortex sees the street, the market and the shelf around every site.
Same question. Different results.
The question“Why are sales down at Site 14 this week?”
Claude / GPT / Public LLMs
Uploaded file
Answer
Sales are down 12.6%. Review prices and external factors.
Just an answer.
Cortex AI
Connected intelligence
Cortex AI- Competitor prices
- Operations
- Local demand
- Customers
- Road access
- Sales
- Weather
- Pricing
- Inventory
- Footfall
- 6 days of rain
- Footfall down 19%
- Road closed near 2 busy stores
Answer
Sales are down 12.6% due to weather and a road closure. Prices remain consistent with the pricing strategy. No action needed.
A decision.
Same question. Different results.
The question“A competitor just dropped 2 cents. Should we match?”
Claude / GPT / Public LLMs
Uploaded file
Answer
Your price is 2¢ above the competitor’s. Match it at every site to protect volume.
Just an answer.
Cortex AI
Connected intelligence
Cortex AI- Competitor fuel prices
- Where drivers shop
- Hourly street traffic
- Street-to-fuel conversion
- Price elasticity
- Fuel sales
- Weather
- Rack prices
- Road access
- Local events
- Only 3 sites share drivers
- Drop posted at 11:48 PM
- 9 sites unaffected
Answer
Match at 3 sites. Hold the other 9. Only 3 of your 12 stations share drivers with that competitor. Holding the rest keeps about $1,420 of margin tonight.
A decision.
Same question. Different results.
The question“What was the fuel margin around my stations, and how did ours compare?”
Claude / GPT / Public LLMs
Uploaded file
Answer
Your fuel margin averaged 31.4¢ last month, up 2.1¢. Margins look healthy.
Just an answer.
Cortex AI
Connected intelligence
Cortex AI- Area fuel margins
- Competitor fuel prices
- Rack prices
- Where drivers shop
- Hourly traffic
- Fuel sales
- Price elasticity
- Weather
- Road access
- Street-to-fuel conversion
- Area margin 36.8¢
- You’re 5.4¢ below it
- Two competitors raised Tuesday
Answer
You’re leaving 5.4¢ on the table. The area averaged 36.8¢ while you held 31.4¢. Two competitors raised on Tuesday and you didn’t follow. Raise 2¢ at the 6 sites they share drivers with.
A decision.
Same question. Different results.
The question“Did our Red Bull promotion work?”
Claude / GPT / Public LLMs
Uploaded file
Answer
Red Bull units rose 18% during the promotion. The promotion worked.
Just an answer.
Cortex AI
Connected intelligence
Cortex AI- Competitor shelf prices
- Basket data
- Cannibalization
- Footfall
- Supplier funding
- Weather
- Price elasticity
- Category margins
- Local demand
- Promotion history
- 57% of lift from other energy drinks
- Same can 20¢ less nearby
- Gross profit −$3,100
Answer
Units rose. Profit fell. Most of the extra cans came from your other energy drinks, and the store across the road sells the same can for 20¢ less. End it at the next signage change.
A decision.
Cortex AI is an improvement on public LLMs.
Cortex is built by training public LLMs for your specific business, using our proprietary Knowledge-Node technology and trillions of real-time proprietary external signals.
- 1
Public LLMs Foundation
Claude, GPT and other leading models. The foundation, not the product.
- 2
Knowledge-Node technology Proprietary
Industry knowledge graphs that teach the model how fuel and convenience work.
- 3
Trillions of real-time external signals Proprietary
Where customers shop, competitor prices, traffic, weather, rack and spot prices, matched to every site.
- 4
Your data Your firewall
Back office, POS, CRM and operations. It stays within your firewall.
Claude and GPT don’t see external signals. Cortex is connected to trillions of real-time signals.
Cortex enriches your data with proprietary external signals worth tens of millions of dollars a month. They’re refreshed in real time, matched to every site, and included at no extra cost.
- DailyWhere your customers shop
Who really takes your volume, site by site
- Through the dayCompetitor fuel prices
Every station near yours, through the day
- WeeklyCompetitor store prices
The price of a Red Bull around each store
- HourlyHourly street traffic
Vehicles passing each site, hour by hour
- HourlyStreet-to-fuel conversion
Share of passing cars that stop to fill up
- HourlyFuel-to-store conversion
Share of fuel customers who walk inside
- HourlyWeather
By site, by hour, with the forecast
- Real timeRoad closures and works
Lanes, ramps and detours near every site
- Real timeSpot and rack prices
New York Harbor, Gulf Coast and every terminal rack
- DailyArea fuel margins
The margin around each station, next to yours
- DailyLocal events and holidays
Games, concerts, school calendars and more
- MonthlyNeighborhood growth
Demographics and upcoming high-margin areas
- MonthlyCommercial real estate intelligence
Site economics, zoning and nearby development
- WeeklyNew permits issued
Construction and business permits near every site
- MonthlyProperty sales and lease intelligence
Sale comps and lease rates around each location
- DailyConsumer purchase behavior
What shoppers buy, and when, at convenience stores like yours
“How many vehicles passed my station each hour last Tuesday?” It has nowhere to look.
Traffic fell 14% from 7 to 10 AM while the lane was closed. That’s exactly when your gallons dropped.
Why more than 50 fuel and convenience chains chose Cortex over public LLMs.
One-tenth cost
A flat $50 per user, with unlimited usage. Token bills for enterprise-wide use of Claude or GPT can reach millions of dollars a month.
Estimated monthly token cost for organization-wide use across all use cases, by chain size.
Simpler to deploy
Turnkey and plug-and-play: full deployment in days, instead of hiring extensive IT consultants for an enterprise-wide rollout.
Supported by experts
Your use cases will grow. Our team trains Cortex for each new one, like an agent that pays your utility bills, and connects every new data source you need.
Answers why, not just what
A system that answers why and recommends the next move, instead of a data extraction tool.
Your data stays in your environment. SOC 2 certified, GDPR compliant and ISO 27001. Never used to train other models.
Examples of working with Claude or GPT vs Cortex.
The same question, asked the way fuel retailers, wholesalers and distributors ask it every day. See what a public LLM says, and what Cortex says.
Is this supplier rebate worth it?
Claude / GPTThe rebate pays 1¢ a can up to 400,000 cans and 2¢ above. With the supplier’s forecast of 450,000 cans, you’d earn about $5,000. Sign it.
CortexDon’t sign it as offered. After the discount and cannibalization, the deal loses $138,900. Offer a $2.99 single can in 38 highway stores instead. +$21,600.
Should we order fuel today, or wait?
Claude / GPT38 sites are at or near their reorder level. Place orders for all of them today.
CortexOrder gasoline today for the 38 sites with room in the tank: the rack follows New York Harbor’s rise within a day. Hold the 21 diesel orders until tomorrow. Every tank stays above safety stock.
Why are dealers missing their volume?
Claude / GPTEight dealers are 1.2 million gallons behind their commitments. Contact them and consider allowances to close the gap.
CortexMost of the gap is on your trucks, not your dealers. Move 41 loads forward and restore the old route order. Give account managers rack data for the 3 dealers buying elsewhere.
Which promotions are losing money?
Claude / GPT58 of your 61 promotions increased unit sales. Chips 2-for-$4 had the biggest lift. Keep it running.
Cortex23 of 61 promotions lose money or need rework. Chips 2-for-$4 is the worst: 58% of its extra bags came from other chips. End 9, rework 11, add rebates to 3.
Are we pricing dealers out of their markets?
Claude / GPTEvery dealer is priced at the same margin over rack. Volume is down at 31 dealers, so consider allowances for them.
CortexPrice each dealer for its street. Lower the band for 31 squeezed dealers and raise it 1 to 2 cents for 24 with room. The other 125 are right. +$510K a year.
Does cheaper fuel bring people inside?
Claude / GPTFuel volume rose 8% after the price match. Keep matching to protect traffic.
CortexMatch only where drivers walk in. At 9 commuter sites, 34% come inside between 6 and 9 AM and spend $8.40. Hold a 4¢ premium at the other 43. +$1.1M a year.
Which deliveries need attention now?
Claude / GPTAbout 1,000 loads were delivered last week. 64 have notes in the log. Review them with dispatch.
CortexThree loads need action now: one late, one short drop and one missing ticket. Each task is assigned with the records attached. A storm is due Wednesday, so I’ve flagged 37 sites to load early.
Are our tank variances normal?
Claude / GPTNetwork variance is 0.08% this month, within tolerance. No action needed.
CortexThree problems hide inside a healthy total. Meters at 3 sites over-deliver, one carrier drops 0.6% short and Tank 3 at Site 41 has a faulty probe. Calibrate, claim, replace.
What’s in stock only on paper?
Claude / GPTAll 22 stores show healthy stock. Nothing is below its reorder point.
Cortex410 items are in stock only on paper. Most sit behind fixed delivery days, and 14% of direct-store deliveries were short. Every manager has a pull list before opening.
Where is our fuel shrink coming from?
Claude / GPTShrink averages about 29,000 gallons a month, around 0.3% of volume. That’s within the normal range for a jobber.
CortexIt isn’t shrink. It’s five problems, and four have a fix. Billing basis, duplicate charges, a short-dropping meter and mis-coded loads explain 92% of the gap.
Where are our store prices out of line?
Claude / GPTYour prices follow your policy: the home-market list plus 20¢ in other states. No issues found.
CortexYou’re out of line in both directions. 9 metro-edge stores are 30 to 60 cents above the store across the road. 31 rural stores are below everyone. Build four zones and test the price points.
Why do commercial invoices get disputed?
Claude / GPT312 invoices are past 45 days. Send reminders and escalate the largest balances.
CortexFix invoices before they go out. Three errors cause 81% of disputes, and 214 invoices this week carry one. Correct them now and they get paid on time.
Is our fastest-growing region profitable?
Claude / GPTThe East grew volume 9% this year, your fastest-growing region. Invest more there.
CortexYour fastest-growing region is losing money. 23 eastern contracts average −1.4¢ a gallon once true freight is charged. Reprice with a freight pass-through: $1.6M a year.
What should our cashiers say?
Claude / GPTAdd-on attach is 9% of transactions. Stores 6 and 19 are lowest. Consider more cashier training.
CortexSay the offer at the till. When coffee is in the basket, the $4.99 breakfast sandwich gets a yes 41% of the time. I’ll prompt every cashier from the live basket.
Your question next.
Bring one site and one question. We’ll ask Claude and Cortex side by side, live, on your data.
Retailers say it best.
“It is quite simply the best system I have seen so far, and they just keep making it better.”
Imran PatelDirector of Strategy, EG On The Move
Cortex transformed how we run our sites. We went from reacting to reports to acting on answers.
Imran Patel’s quote from MobilityPlaza, April 2026.
Six of the world’s 10 largest convenience chains work with PriceEasy.
So do 160+ fuel and convenience brands, for pricing, market insight and price surveys, from single sites to global networks.
160+brands trust Cortexacross 30,000 locations
