UNITI expo 2026: An industry in motion sets new records
Three days, 604 exhibitors, 20,500 attendees and more innovation per square meter than anywhere else in the world, UNITI expo 2026 was the biggest edition yet.
Stuttgart delivered. After three intense days on the show floor, UNITI expo 2026 closed its doors having set records across the board: 604 exhibitors, over 20,500 attendees from 114 countries, and a newly expanded footprint of 45,000 m². The numbers tell one story, but the atmosphere told another. "You could feel immediately that an entire industry was setting new standards together," said Elmar Kühn, Managing Director of UNITI Services GmbH and organiser of the trade fair. He was right.
German fuel retailers came in force. Q1 Energie, JET and Aral all showcased their evolving multi-energy concepts, reflecting a domestic market deep in transition. Two years on from acquiring the TotalEnergies network in Germany, Circle K used UNITI expo to signal a clear strategic shift. "We see a lot of opportunities. There is a lot of potential in the German market for our retail business, especially when it comes to our shop and food offers," Christian Howe, VP of Circle K Germany told MobilityPlaza. "This is where we have much more focus than we had before: on our shop business and on how we serve our customers best, how we create value."
Food and convenience were recurring themes across the halls. Suppliers including Lekkerland, HACK and Aryzta showcased concepts that are raising the bar for what a forecourt food offer can look like — from artisan bakery and the iconic pretzel to sushi on the go and smart pizza stations that bring quality and simplicity to operators in equal measure. Coffee continues to grow as a category, with matcha emerging as one of the fastest-rising segments. Consumers have a clear and growing appetite for quality coffee, and according to Franke Coffee Systems, that appetite shows no sign of slowing.
In car wash, Christ AG, Istobal and WashTec demonstrated how the category has evolved well beyond a single-service transaction into a fully integrated digital ecosystem. The leading players are investing heavily in solutions that make washing more attractive, more convenient and more connected. A standout example was the collaboration between WashTec and ryd, which enables drivers to locate, book and pay for a car wash directly from their vehicle's infotainment system before they even arrive on site. With European car wash operators continuing to invest strongly in this part of their business, the sector is firmly in growth mode.
The Future Mobility Lounge, doubled in size to 2,000 m² and featuring a new dialogue forum, drew significant footfall and some of the most animated conversations of the week. Tesla brought its charging and vehicle portfolio and offered test drives of its autonomous vehicle technology on the streets of Stuttgart. Shell, H2Now, AVIA and a wide range of sustainable fuel and e-fuels players filled out a space buzzing with genuine debate about the direction of travel. "The decision to double the exhibition space proved exactly right," said Ben Boroewitsch, CEO of com-a-tec GmbH and co-organiser of the event.
Automation and AI were impossible to ignore. Lekkerland, one of the fair's main partners, showcased everything from smart fridges to fully autonomous store concepts. Twenty24, BK World and Spain's Techtail demonstrated how technology is being actively deployed to tackle staff shortages, streamline convenience and reduce friction for both operators and customers.
In Hall 5, technology suppliers from across the world laid out the full infrastructure stack of the modern service station: fueling systems, wetstock management, remote monitoring, dispensers for every fuel type, innovative payment solutions, signage, lighting and a growing array of EV charging solutions. But if there was one overarching trend in the technology halls, it was the application of an increasingly mature AI: pricing optimisation, demand forecasting, inventory management, advanced surveillance, customer loyalty, and chatbot-driven commerce that is beginning to genuinely move the needle for retailers.
The conference programme also hit new highs. The newly introduced dialogue forum joined the three established forums, collectively delivering more than 80 expert presentations to over 2,800 attendees.
UNITI expo 2026 held up a mirror to an industry navigating real structural pressures: declining fuel volumes, intensifying competition from QSRs and home charging, labour shortages, fragmented payment standards and the burden of legacy systems. But it also reflected an industry that refuses to stand still. One that, with the support of world-class technology partners, is mapping a credible path toward becoming multi-service mobility hubs. In some cases that means trading fuel for sandwiches. In others, it means betting on electrons and e-fuels. In almost every case, it means embracing change faster than anyone predicted.
The next edition of UNITI expo takes place 16–18 May 2028 in Stuttgart.
