Finding and retaining top talent is a challenge no retailer is immune to. Turnover for both full and part time employees exceeded 100% in 2024, according to the NACS Talent Insights Dashboard. With the cost of turnover amplified by hiring and training costs, retention is key to improving productivity and reducing costs.

One of the top reasons employees leave is for higher pay, even if the store down the road is only paying a few cents more per hour. Providing competitive compensation is one of the critical components of retaining employees.

In 2024, full-time sales associates made on average $14.72/hour, while part-time sales associates made $14.08/hour. The NACS Talent Insights Dashboard offers benchmarks for convenience-specific average base salaries across 16 job titles in executive roles, 13 job titles in operations and 10 in-store positions.

Instead of doing performance reviews annually, The Wills Group, which operates Dash In convenience stores in Delaware, Maryland and Virginia, does them twice per year and ties performance evaluation to its Genuine Care program. “As long as the staff member is satisfactory, they receive a 25 cent raise each review, so they get a 50 cent raise each year, and that has really helped with our retention,” said Lorissa Martin, manager of talent acquisition and performance at the Wills Group in the August 2025 issue of NACS Magazine feature Fuel Your Frontline Workforce.

At St. Romain Oil, all employees can earn a bonus based on seven evaluation metrics: three related to sales, two regarding controlling expenses, a customer satisfaction rating and retention. If a store hits its retention target each quarter, all team members get a bonus: $100 for a full-time associate, $200 for an assistant manager and $400 for general managers.

By providing comprehensive benchmarks on various HR metrics—compensation, turnover, benefits and recruitment—the NACS State of the Industry Talent Insights Dashboard can help your HR team strategically plan a data-backed HR strategy for 2025 and beyond.

Using a data-driven approach can help inform better decisions about the people and teams within an organization and align with a company’s overall mission and goals. Learn more about the Talent Insights Dashboard and start making strategic decisions today.

*Companies who participate in the annual NACS Talent Insights Survey gain complimentary access to the aggregate data. The 2025 survey will open in December.