NARI is a new nonprofit industry initiative bringing operators, technology and equipment providers, locations, payments, finance, and institutional partners into one practical pathway — so the whole sector, and independent operators especially, can benefit from AI, smarter equipment, and shared industry support as autonomous retail enters its next phase.
America’s unattended retail and vending sector spans millions of machines, thousands of operators, and more than $30 billion in annual revenue. Yet much of it still runs on legacy equipment, disconnected software, manual processes, and fragmented vendor relationships.
Smart equipment has become dramatically more affordable, and AI-powered fleet management is now within reach. But modernization remains complex: operators must choose what to upgrade, which providers to trust, and how to move without losing control of their business.
Large platforms and consolidators can manage that transition in-house. Most operators cannot.
This is why NARI exists.
Every operator faces the same scattered choices — machines, software, payments, telemetry, financing, service, locations, AI tools — usually decided one vendor at a time. NARI brings these pieces together and helps operators compare and access qualified providers through transparent program pathways, so upgrading becomes a clear path instead of a guessing game.
NARI is designed to support operator independence, transparent partner pathways, responsible data use, and real-world modernization before hype.
Get better group-negotiated deals on payments, equipment, financing, and AI tools; structured review and guidance to reduce the risk of buying technology that does not fit your operation; and a clearer view of what to upgrade first. Join the Founding Modernization Program and connect with qualified partners — while keeping full control of your business and your data.
Learn moreReach a fragmented operator market through a trusted national initiative — with pilot pathways, validated demand, and market-development programs. NARI is open to technology, equipment, payments, finance, telemetry, and implementation providers of every size.
Become a PartnerNARI builds shared market intelligence, operator research, and practical governance principles so autonomous retail can modernize while remaining open — without operators becoming locked into a single closed system. Help map where the sector is going.
Join ResearchOperator-centered. Partner-open. Independently governed. Data-aware. Practical.
NARI’s initial program design draws on live autonomous-retail operations, including Manna Coffee’s smart-retail network and its AI Digital Twin powered by Co:llective. Current field experience includes:
Manna and Co:llective are founding commercial partners connected to members of NARI’s founding team. Their operating experience gives the initial program a real-world starting point. Their roles are limited to the applicable founding program tracks, while NARI is being established as an independently governed initiative open to additional qualified providers.
NARI welcomes technology providers and operators prepared to test, validate, and document additional modernization solutions in real operating environments.