2 C-Store Chains Among the 20 Best Workplaces in Retail
By Greg Lindenberg on Nov. 08, 2017NEW YORK -- About a third of the companies on Fortune’s 20 Best Workplaces in Retail list for 2017 were grocers and convenience-store chains, which dominated the top of the ranking.
Convenience retailers QuikTrip and Sheetz took prominent places on the list. QT was second only to Wegmans, and Sheetz took the lucky No. 7 spot. In contrast, the much-celebrated Whole Foods managed only to grab the No. 20 rung on the ladder.
The 20 companies received “rave” reviews from their staffs for supportive work environments and opportunities for advancement, the magazine said. Fortune partner Great Place to Work surveyed thousands of employees and tabulated the data to create this list of the retail workplaces that employees love.
Here are details on the six grocery and convenience retailers that made the list …
Wegmans
Wegmans Food Markets
Position on list: 1
Number of employees: 47,084
Industry vertical: Food/grocery, specialty
Headquarters: Rochester, N.Y.
Number of locations: 122
Revenue: $8.5 billion
Employees say: “Wegmans is genuinely welcoming to a diverse population of employees. It makes a concerted effort to employ older workers, which is refreshing. There is a sincere atmosphere of giving back to the community throughout the company.”
“What I find unique about Wegmans is the longevity of many employees’ careers. I feel there are not many companies where you can start as a teenager, continue in college, work as an intern in a variety of departments, and ultimately make it into a full-time career. Employees feel safe and satisfied, but still challenged. We also have the ability to work in a variety of roles throughout our careers and we don’t have to leave the company to do so.”
QuikTrip
QuikTrip
Position on list: 2
Number of employees: 20,460
Industry vertical: Food/grocery
Headquarters: Tulsa, Okla.
Number of locations: 779
Revenue: $10.2 billion
- QuikTrip is No. 11 on CSP’s Top 202 c-store ranking for 2017.
Employees say: “The company is constantly asking the employees how to improve the stores and makes changes based on the feedback. This gives employees the feeling that QuikTrip cares about them. QuikTrip takes care of the employees, who, in turn, take care of the customers.”
“QuikTrip creates a family-like atmosphere among co-workers better than any business I have ever seen.”
Publix
Publix Super Markets
Position on list: 3
Number of employees: 189,607
Industry vertical: Food/grocery
Headquarters: Lakeland, Fla.
Number of locations: 1,170
Revenue: $34 billion
Employees say: “Publix promotes from within and takes great care in training employees. There are high standards here and we’re always pushed to do things to the best of our ability.”
“I would say the most unique thing about working at Publix is all the possible career paths that you can take in the company. If you do not like the job position or the warehouse you are working in, you are very easily able to request a different position or shuffle to another warehouse and keep your same position. Other companies have very little opportunities to advance, but at Publix, the sky is the limit.”
Nugget Market
Nugget Market
Position on list: 6
Number of employees: 1,907
Industry vertical: Food/grocery
Headquarters: Woodland, Calif.
Number of locations: 19
Revenue: Not available
Employees say: “This company really pushes having fun. As a manager I get to encourage my team to laugh and joke with each other. This creates such positive vibes and really pushes everyone to do that little bit extra.”
“We are empowered on day one to take care of our guests. We do not have to ask permission to replace a product or reduce an item in order to fulfill a guest's needs. We all submit ideas that we have to help make our company better. No matter who you are, your idea is considered, and often rewarded if implemented.”
Sheetz
Sheetz
Position on list: 7
Number of employees: 15,765
Industry vertical: Food/grocery
Headquarters: Altoona, Pa.
Number of locations: 569
Revenue: Not available
- Sheetz is No. 17 on CSP’s Top 202 c-store ranking for 2017.
Employees say: “Since I am a college student, this is a great place for me to work. Sheetz is very flexible with my school schedule. Also, they offer tuition reimbursement which is extremely helpful.”
“Sheetz shares its profits by giving quarterly bonuses to all eligible employees and by enrolling us into the employee stock ownership program. We also have celebrations for employees like Sheetz Fest for everyone to celebrate their work anniversary and company holiday parties for employees and their families.”
Whole Foods Market
Whole Foods Market
Position on list: 20
Number of employees: 83,260
Industry vertical: Food/grocery
Headquarters: Austin
Number of locations: 539
Revenue: $15.7 billion
Employees say: “I know I’m going to learn something new every day. Not only do I use my newfound knowledge at work, I use it at home too. Whole Foods Market creates an upbeat environment, leaving its employees gratified when they go home at the end of the day.”
“I appreciate that there is a genuine connection to the immediate community as well as to helping those less fortunate in the world. The focus on different foundations gives us a greater sense of purpose as a team member. I greatly appreciate the people I work with as well. The people around me are amazing and it makes coming to work easy. We’re all purpose driven and are willing to help each other when needed.”
Full list
Here is the full Fortune list of the 20 Best Workplaces in Retail list for 2017:
- Wegmans Food Markets
- QuikTrip
- Publix Super Markets
- Build-A-Bear Workshop
- CarMax
- Nugget Market
- Sheetz
- REI
- The Wireless Experience
- SlideBelts
- Custom Ink
- Wayfair
- Old Navy
- Foot Locker
- Nordstrom
- Patagonia
- Burlington Stores
- RevZilla.com
- The Container Store
- Whole Foods Market