C-Store Chains, Suppliers Rank Among America’s Best Large Employers
By Rachel Gignac on Feb. 25, 2022JERSEY CITY, N.J. — Forbes magazine revealed its list of America’s Best Employers for 2022, which includes convenience-store retailers Kwik Trip, Sheetz, QuikTrip and Wawa, as well as several c-store industry suppliers.
Forbes partnered with market research firm Statista to survey 60,000 Americans working at companies with 1,000 employees or more. The survey asked participants about their working conditions, development opportunities and compensation as well as views on how their company embodied diversity, equity and inclusion. Participants were also asked how willing they were to recommend their company to friends and family. Finally, the survey requested nominations for other organizations. The final list includes the 500 large employers that received the most recommendations.
Here are the convenience-industry employers ...
Kwik Trip (No. 78)
Among retailers, Kwik Trip is the fifth-highest ranked, taking No. 78 on the list. Based in La Crosse, Wis., Kwik Trip has 28,000 employees, according to Forbes. With the name Kwik Trip in Wisconsin and Minnesota and Kwik Star in Iowa and Illinois, the chain has 800 stores.
- Kwik Trip is No. 11 on CSP’s 2022 Top 40 Update to the 2021 Top 202 ranking of U.S. c-store chains by store count. Watch for the full 2022 Top 202 ranking in the June issue of CSP magazine.
Sheetz (No. 183)
The next convenience store on the list is Sheetz, ranking No. 183. Sheetz is based in Altoona, Pa., and has 630 stores across six states—Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina. Along with being a top recommended employer, in September 2020, People Magazine named Sheetz to its Companies That Care List, identifying the top U.S. companies that are supporting their employees and communities during the coronavirus outbreak.
- Sheetz is No. 13 on CSP’s 2022 Top 40 Update to the 2021 Top 202 ranking of U.S. c-store chains by store count. Watch for the full 2022 Top 202 ranking in the June issue of CSP magazine.
QuikTrip (No. 188)
Tulsa, Okla.-based QuikTrip harnessed a spot not far behind Sheetz, at No. 188 on the list. QuikTrip has 24,000 employees, according to Forbes, and 919 stores. The company’s c-stores are located in Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.
- QuikTrip is No. 10 on CSP’s 2022 Top 40 Update to the 2021 Top 202 ranking of U.S. c-store chains by store count. Watch for the full 2022 Top 202 ranking in the June issue of CSP magazine.
Wawa (No. 404)
The last c-store retailer to make the lisst is Wawa Inc., ranking No. 404. Wawa is based in Wawa, Pa., and has 35,000 employees, according to Forbes. The chain has 956 stores across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida and Washington, D.C.
- Wawa is No. 9 on CSP’s 2022 Top 40 Update to the 2021 Top 202 ranking of U.S. c-store chains by store count. Watch for the full 2022 Top 202 ranking in the June issue of CSP magazine.
Industry Suppliers
Many industry suppliers were also among the list of best large employers:
- General Mills (No. 22)
- The Kellogg Co. (No. 207)
- Mars Inc. (No. 282)
- The Hershey Co. (No. 302)
- Nestle (No. 382)
- The Coca-Cola Co. (No. 398)
- PepsiCo (No. 424)
- The Kraft Heinz Co. (No. 471)
- Keurig Dr Pepper (No. 483)
Coca-Cola and PepsiCo are the only two industry suppliers on this year’s list that were also included on the 2021 ranking. Both dropped significantly in 2022, though, with Coca-Cola at No. 12 and PepsiCo at No. 35 overall last year.
According to Forbes, with 10.9 million job openings, an unemployment rate of 4% and a pandemic that has altered the attitude of Americans’ work preferences, the qualities of top employers are evolving now more than ever.
Click here to view the full Forbes America’s Best Employers for 2022 list.
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Ranking the Top 40 C-Store Chains: A 2022 Update