Convenience Retail Careers

The industry provides 2.44 million jobs in the United States, offering career opportunities for many residents of local communities. The average store provides about 17 jobs: approximately 6 full-time employees, 10 part-time employees and 1 other employee, such as support staff.

Working in a convenience store has been a rite of passage for millions of people in the United States, either as a first job, an early job or as a career. Nearly one in five Americans (19%) say they have worked in a convenience store and most of them found their experience to be valuable as a career opportunity or in gaining workplace experience, per a national consumer survey by NACS.

The survey found that 84% of those who worked in a convenience store agree the job experience helped them develop a foundation for their careers, and more than three in four (77%) said that they would recommend working in a convenience store to others, particularly as a first job. Most (53%) said they worked at convenience store while in high school (24%) or pursued higher education like college (29%).

In terms of business value, most consumers (89%) agree that learned a lot about how to work with different people while working in a convenience stores, and 70% appreciated that their employer offered a flexible work schedule. Retailers, like QuickChek, QuikTrip and Sheetz, appear often on state-level and national “Best Places to Work” lists, another positive indicator of how the industry offers quality jobs.

The industry has competitive wages, and most companies offer hourly wages well above the federal minimum wage ($7.25 per hour). Per NACS State of the Industry Compensation Report of 2022 Data, the average hourly wage for a full-time store associate is $14.33/hour; part-time associates averaged $13.76/hour.

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Next-Level Workforce Investments

Retailers who invest in their workforce and make consistent, concerted efforts to empower and energize employees are ahead of the curve when finding high-quality staff and retaining them, which translates into greater value for employees, customers and investors. These tenets are part of the Good Jobs Strategy, based on research from MIT professor Zeynep Ton, and embraced by retailers like QuikTrip.

For those advancing their industry careers beyond the store level, skilled leadership is essential for long-term success. NACS has partnered with world-class institutions to customize Executive Education that advances industry leaders and innovators. NACS also offers a Master of Convenience designation for those who have invested in their personal leadership development by attending three or more of the five NACS Executive Education programs.


 

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