The Frictionfighter Manifesto - The Vision and Execution of Turnpike By Patrik Lundström, CEO

Turnpike Whitepaper. Stockholm. 10 November 2025.

Retail is full of friction - the invisible force that steals time, drains energy, and frustrates customers. Turnpike was born to remove that friction and return flow to everyday work.

This is our story, our vision, and our proof that Human Tech is the future.

Chapters;

1) The War on Friction

2) The Information Gap

3) The Frictionfighter Philosophy

4) The Vision of Human Tech

5) Execution & Impact

6) The Value Creation of Frictionfighting

7) Partnerships that prove the vision

8) Retail Academics study

9) The Future of Frictionless Retail

1) THE WAR ON FRICTION

Friction is the hidden cost in every transaction.

Friction hides in broken communication, lost minutes, and missed opportunities.
Most technology was built to help - but it added clutter instead.
Turnpike began with one question:

What if technology could finally set people free - instead of trapping them?

Every time something breaks the flow, three things happen:

> Staff feel stressed.
> Customers get frustrated.
> Revenue is put at risk.

Let’s be clear - this isn’t rocket science. Everyone knows the problems.
According to McKinsey, the global retail industry loses hundreds of billions of dollars every year to friction points such as poor customer experiences and inefficient processes.
Industry estimates suggest that as much as 20-30% of potential sales vanish because of them.

When the right person gets the right information at the right moment, stress drops.
And when stress drops, behavior changes.
Service improves. The customer journey becomes smoother. Sales go up. It’s not magic - it’s logic.

Friction costs more than you think - both in the moment, and over time, as customer loyalty quietly fades away. The cost of friction isn’t hidden anymore - it’s measurable, massive, and mounting.That’s why removing it isn’t just good for people. It’s vital for profit.

2) THE INFORMATION GAP

Retailers have spent fortunes on digital transformation.
They have the systems, the data, and the dashboards.
But somewhere between strategy and store floor, the connection breaks.

Most organizations have all the separate parts in place - yet they fail to close the loop and leverage their biggest, most overlooked asset: their people.

They fail to:

• Automate and package relevant data.
• Deliver actionable information and insights in real time.
• Reach frontline staff in a seamless, non-intrusive way.

The result?
Insights stay locked in systems instead of being turned into action.
Managers are overwhelmed with dashboards that never reach the shop floor.
Staff are left guessing - reacting instead of anticipating.

That’s where the real opportunity lies.
When data moves at the same speed as reality - from the cloud to the wrist, from systems to staff - friction disappears.
Every signal finds its destination, every person knows what matters next, and every store becomes a living, learning organism.

Turnpike bridges that information gap - transforming disconnected data into instant direction, and turning technology into human action.

Because information is only powerful when it reaches the people who can use it.

3) THE FRICTIONFIGHTER PHILOSOPHY

We study friction. Then we kill it.

Turnpike isn’t a system company - it’s a friction-fighting movement.

Every second saved, every smile created, every barrier removed is a victory.
We analyze friction points together with our clients and design the smartest, simplest way to take them out - permanently.

Friction hides everywhere:
in delayed decisions, unclear responsibilities, long walks across the store, broken communication loops, and invisible customer needs.
But when every signal flows to the right person at the right time, friction simply evaporates.

That’s the essence of Frictionfighting - turning complexity into clarity, and moments of confusion into moments of connection.

When we remove friction, three things happen every time:

• Staff feel less stress and more control.
• Customers get help faster and leave happier.
• The business gains time, focus, and measurable results.

Every pain point is an opportunity waiting to be fixed. Every fix brings retail one step closer to flow.

4) THE VISION OF HUMAN TECH

Technology that feels invisible - and makes people unstoppable.

Most systems demand attention.
They pull staff out of their flow - another screen to check, another system to learn, another delay before action.

Turnpike does the opposite.
It gives staff what feels like a sixth sense - awareness without distraction, connection without noise.

Information doesn’t wait in dashboards; it moves instantly to where it matters most: the people on the floor.
Signals become intuition.
Technology fades into the background.
And teams move as one - faster, calmer, smarter.

Turnpike’s Human Tech is built on three principles:

1. Real-time connectivity - Every associate linked instantly across the store.
2. Discreet communication - Help delivered instantly and even before it’s requested.
3. Effortless adoption - No boring training, no waiting. Technology so intuitive it simply works.

When communication becomes second nature, performance becomes effortless.
That’s when the modern store stops reacting - and starts anticipating.

Human Tech isn’t about adding tools. It’s about giving people a sixth sense - so they can focus on what truly matters: customers.

5) EXECUTION & IMPACT

From signal to smile - the real-time loop of retail.

Turnpike turns every signal into instant action. An alert from a customer, a machine, or an IoT sensor goes straight to the right person - who solves the issue before it becomes a problem.

Each action creates a better moment, a happier customer, and new insight for the next round.

That’s the loop:

It’s simple, fast, and human - technology and people moving as one. Turnpike converts noise into knowledge and moments into metrics.

Every store becomes a learning system. Technology drives the loop. People complete it.

6) THE VALUE OF FRICTION FIGHTING

When friction disappears, value multiplies.

Every moment of friction removed creates value - for employees, customers and the business. Turnpike’s impact reaches far beyond faster service: it transforms how stores feel, perform, and grow.

1. Improved Employee Satisfaction
Stress drops. Team spirit rises.
Employees feel supported, informed, and proud - and they stay longer.
Motivated teams deliver better service, which feeds back into customer loyalty and word-of-mouth growth.

2. Improved Shopper Experience
Customers get help before frustration appears.
Smoother journeys mean higher satisfaction, stronger loyalty, and repeat visits.
More loyalty equals more revenue - it’s that simple.

3. Improved Profitability
Less downtime. Faster response. More conversions.
Turnpike delivers measurable results:
Payback within 4-8 months. ROI year 1: 150-200%. ROI year 2: 400-700%.
When communication flows, profits follow.

That’s the Turnpike loop of value creation:
Friction out > Flow in > Loyalty up > Profit up.

Because fighting friction doesn’t just make work easier - it makes the entire business stronger.

7) PARTNERSHIPS THAT PROVE THE VISION

The future isn’t built in isolation.
It’s built through collaborations and partnerships - between visionaries who share the same belief:
that when people, data, and technology truly connect, friction disappears.

At Turnpike, we don’t just talk about transformation - we build it together with our partners. Each collaboration is a live example of Human Tech in action, proving that simplicity scales when it’s shared.

From smarter self-checkouts and frictionless recycling to empowered department stores and data-driven insights - every partnership tells the same story:
when the right systems meet the right people, 1 + 1 doesn’t equal 2. It equals 11.

Extenda × Turnpike

Effortless self-checkout; proactive staff.

“Turnpike doesn’t just make our self-checkouts smarter. It makes them human.” Mohit Paul, CPO Extenda Retail. See case here: LINK

TOMRA × Turnpike

Frictionless recycling; instant alerts; 90 % recyclers repurchase.

“People base shopping decisions on recycling experiences. Together we make those moments effortless.” Johan Vanerell, CEO TOMRA Sweden. See case here: LINK

ITAB × Turnpike

We Rethink Retail. Together. Results? +8 % higher customer satisfaction, a record-high NPS for Magasin, Denmark

“Even for those with no tech experience, it’s so easy and intuitive.” Anne Sørensen, Sales Manager, Magasin Denmark. See case here: LINK

8) RETAIL ACADEMICS STUDY

Retail Academics × Turnpike - When Science Proves Simplicity Works

To move from belief to proof, Turnpike partnered with Retail Academics - one of the Nordic region’s most respected research and analytics firms, with more than 80,000 shopper interviews and hundreds of store case studies behind them.

Their independent study was designed to measure the real effect of Turnpike in a live retail environment - not just on performance metrics, but on people.

The results were unambiguous.

Turnpike’s real-time communication solution saved an average of 17 minutes per employee per day. In a single hypermarket, that adds up to more than 1,000 hours per year - the equivalent of half a full-time role returned to the business.
That’s time that can be redirected toward customers, service, and sales.

But the story doesn’t stop there.
Customer satisfaction among shoppers who experienced a Turnpike-enabled store increased by 5.6%. According to Retail Academics’ correlation model, that translates to an estimated 0.8–0.9% uplift in total sales, worth over 3 million SEK in annual revenue per hypermarket.

Employee sentiment echoed the same pattern:

• 91% said the work environment improved.
• 100% agreed the store became more efficient.
• 82% would recommend the solution to other colleagues.

One store manager described it simply:

“The work environment is much better - I save 30 minutes a day. Every store should have this solution.”

And the customers noticed too.
NPS scores jumped +11 points, from 62 to 73 - driven by fewer interruptions, faster help, and a calmer store atmosphere.
84% of shoppers said they were positive toward digital in-store solutions, and 89% believed staff could provide better service with Turnpike.

As Roger Sjödin, our Sales Director at Turnpike, puts it:

“This isn’t technology for technology’s sake - it’s about people.
When staff get breathing room and customers get help faster, the whole business benefits. It’s a no-brainer for anyone who can count.”

The study also revealed something deeper: balance.
When friction is removed, both customers and staff thrive - and when they thrive, the entire retail ecosystem becomes more profitable and sustainable.

In short: Friction out, flow in.
Fewer steps, less stress, more smiles - and a measurable boost to the bottom line.

9) THE FUTURE OF FRICTIONLESS RETAIL

The winners of tomorrow won’t be those who add more systems.
They’ll be the ones who remove friction and empower people.”

/ Patrik Lundström, CEO Turnpike Group

We are Turnpike. We are Frictionfighters.

Turnpike Group | Stockholm | www.turnpikegroup.com
Text: Carl Norberg © 2025 Turnpike Group AB - All rights reserved.