OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill. -- As the push for an increase to the federal minimum wage intensifies, some convenience-store retailers are taking the matter into their own hands.
Just last week Sheetz and Wawa announced plans to increase their employee base pay well above the national rate of $7.25. But they were not the first c-store chains to take the initiative, and they likely won’t be the last.
- Click here to read CSP’s award-winning coverage of the battle to increase the minimum wage.
Here are five chains offering competitive employee compensation:
Sheetz
The Altoona, Pa.-based retailer said it will invest more than $15 million to raise the wages of store employees across the company without cutting back on hours for full-time employees.
“As a family-owned business, we’re committed to attracting, retaining and developing the best people,” said Stephanie Doliveira, vice president of human resources at Sheetz. “We believe that paying wages at the upper end of the retail scale is necessary to achieve that goal.”
The starting hourly wage for sales associates will rise to $10 this month, with shift supervisors making $13 and assistant managers $16. The minimum wage in Pennsylvania is $7.25.
Sheetz employs more than 17,000 people across more than 500 c-stores.
Wawa
Another major convenience-store operator based in Pennsylvania is also raising its wages.
“We are moving to $10 as our minimum rate for our customer-service associates along with increasing their pay band overall,” Wawa spokesperson Lori Bruce told The Morning Call. “All of our associates will be receiving a 5% increase, in addition to the annual merit increase provided this year.”
Wawa’s shift supervisors start at $13 an hour, and its assistant general managers start at $17, both with a “strong bonus program on top of the rates,” Bruce said.
Wawa, a chain of more than 700 convenience stores, is based in Wawa, Pa.
Rutter’s Farm Stores
All new employees at Rutter’s start at $10 an hour, plus an additional $1.50 an hour for working third shift.
The York, Pa-based chain increased wages for all employees on Nov. 30, 2015.
Store managers earn between $54,972 and $74,060 annually, and restaurant managers earn between $36,254 and $58,435, according to Rutter’s website. Performance-based bonuses are offered to both restaurant and store managers.
Rutter’s has 60 locations throughout central Pennsylvania.
Ricker’s Convenience Stores
On July 1, 2015, the Anderson, Ind.-based company raised its entry wage to $9 an hour—$1.75 more than Indiana’s minimum wage. The wage will increase to $10 after one year of employment.
“We want it to be known that Ricker’s values our hardworking team members and makes it a priority to pay them well,” said Quinn Ricker, president and CEO of Ricker’s Convenience Stores. “We are not doing this because of mandatory government regulations. We are doing this because we view our team members as family and it is the right thing to do.”
Ricker’s operates more than 52 convenience stores and has more than 700 employees.
- Click here to read Quinn Ricker’s challenge to the c-store industry to offer better pay.
Cumberland Farms
This family-owned convenience-store chain has been widely recognized for its investment in its employees, even earning praise from President Barack Obama.
In 2013, Cumberland Farms extended full-time health benefits to an additional 1,500 formerly part-time employees well ahead of the Affordable Care Act mandate. It has also introduced a variety of progressive compensation models and communication platforms aimed at driving retention and employee satisfaction.
“We are a people-focused company, and we fundamentally believe that it is our serious commitment to our people that will continue to set us apart in the marketplace. Investing in our employees is not just a smart thing to do, it is the right thing to do,” said Ari Haseotes, president and CEO of Cumberland Farms.
The Framingham, Mass.-based chain has nearly 600 c-stores.
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