Wegmans, Nugget Top Fortune’s 15 Best Workplaces in Retail
Wegmans Food Market and Nugget Markets came in first and second for large companies in Fortune’s annual 15 Best Workplaces in Retail list, while Publix Super Market came in fourth.
“I have been at several corporations that advertise [they’re] ‘a great place to work,’ but when it comes down to it, it’s all about the customer,” an employee of Rochester, N.Y.-based Wegmans told Fortune. “I’ve always felt there is a company that has the beliefs I was raised on, though, and Wegmans is that company. Their beliefs (and mine) are: A happy employee means a happy customer—through caring, respect, high standards, empowerment, and making a difference not only to the customer but to each other.”
“Nugget is my second family,” an associate at the Woodland, Calif.-based grocer noted in the article. “Since day one, Nugget has always made me feel welcome and a part of the team. Now being a manager, I make sure the new hires feel the love here at work. How much fun we all have definitely makes the difference because then it’s not ‘just a job,’ you love to come to work and be productive to help our guests!”
“I’ve made some of my closest friendships working at Publix,” a worker at the Lakeland, Fla.-based company said in the Fortune piece. “We have a strong connection and firm trust in one another. My team and I do our best to keep communication open, and if there are disagreements, we will work out a solution that benefits all parties. I really do go into work expecting to see friends and family. My superiors treat me with respect and I do my best to reflect that behavior with those less experienced than myself.”
Other winners included Build-A-Bear Workshop, c-store chains Quik Trip and Sheetz, CustomInk, CarMax, and outdoor-apparel retailers Patagonia and REI.
The Best Workplaces in Retail ranking was based entirely on feedback from more than 23,000 employees at Great Place to Work-certified companies in the retail sector who completed Fortune’s Trust Index Employee Survey. The publication’s collaborator on the effort, Great Place to Work, with headquarters in San Francisco and New York, is Fortune’s longtime partner for its Best Companies to Work For rankings.