How would your business flourish if your c-store had a reputation for being the go-to stop on any family road trip vacation? What if people drove out of their way to visit your locations over the competition? That is precisely the success Buc-ee’s enjoys.
Buc-ee’s is a c-store chain across several southern states: Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. Unlike other notable road
trip destinations like Wall Drugs, Buc-ee’s is relatively new: they first opened their doors in 1982. Their founders realized there are three things families traveling the open road want:
- Clean restrooms,
- Wide food selection, and
- Fast and friendly service.
Clean Restrooms
That first item, clean bathrooms, is so essential they feature an article about their bathrooms prominently on their website and have extensive signage installed in their locations. If you’ve ever taken a child on a road trip, you’ll fully appreciate how important a clean and safe bathroom is for parents. Buc-ee’s proudly boasts the award for the best restrooms in America they won in 2012.
Wide Food Selection
It may be difficult for many c-store owners to match the level of selection customers find at Buc-ee’s. Everything’s bigger in Texas, including their location in New Braunfels, which occupies more than 68,000 square feet and features over 100 gas pumps. Buc-ee’s has all the items you’d expect to find in a store from candy, chips, soda, and beer, but they go above and beyond expectations to surprise customers with freshly made fudge, carved meats, and even a sliced brisket breakfast sandwich. Buc-ee’s has become an oasis for travelers where every family member will find something to satiate their cravings perfectly.
Fast and Friendly Service
Hiring great employees is a priority for Buc-ee’s. Leadership is transparent about hiring practices, advertising higher than industry pay rates for positions on store signage, and clearly stating the company’s policies for criminal history background checks and drug and alcohol testing policies on their website. Buc-ee’s hires employees for the long haul and offers them career growth and advancement opportunities. They provide a full range of benefits to retain talent, including paid time off, 401K retirement with employer matching contributions, and health insurance. According to one of their food service technical engineers, “When you have a company that focuses on its people and its customers, anything is possible.”
Becoming a Destination Location is Within Your Reach
While it may be a long-term goal to achieve the same fame as Buc-ee’s, all of these elements are possible for you as a store owner or manager: clean restrooms, excellent product selection, and exceptional customer service. Going above and beyond the typical expectations of a convenience store will help you achieve the reputation you desire to become a destination location for your local customers and road warriors alike.
Looking for ways to grow your business?
GP Energy can help. We work with convenience store owners every day to help them understand the needs of their local customers and implement product lines and services to increase their bottom-line profitability. By partnering with GP Energy, we can help your business unlock its potential with new opportunities and achieve unimaginable success. Contact us today, and let’s get started.
