While staffing has long been a challenge for convenience stores, many c-store retailers are seeing improvements in staffing trends in 2025 compared to recent years. This is especially true for companies that are focused on retention and investing in their team members.
“Staffing for all retail businesses has its ebbs and flows, but when looking at 2025, we see a continued strength in the quality and quantity of candidates,” said Nathan Arnold, director of marketing for Englefield Oil, which operates 117 Duchess c-stores in Ohio and West Virginia.
Calloway Oil Co., which operates 24 EZ Stop c-stores in Tennessee, also saw positive staffing trends in 2024 and isn’t expecting staffing to be a challenge for the chain in 2025.
“In fact, I would say at this moment we are overstaffed, which is a wonderful problem to have,” said Melanie Disney, head of human resources (HR) for Calloway Oil and H&L Transport Inc. “We are already staffed and prepared to take on the busy summer season and can focus on training and career growth instead of staffing.”
Ever since she joined EZ Stop in 2024, Disney has prioritized understanding the company culture and building strong relationships with both employees and leadership. She emphasized that investing the time up front to listen and align HR initiatives with employee needs allows her to “offer solutions that feel relevant and supportive rather than imposed.”
This proactive approach, she said, helps prevent misunderstandings or resistance to change and creates a solid foundation for long-term HR success.
Family Express, which operates 81 locations in Indiana, also takes a strategic approach to staffing. Alex Olympidis, president of operations for Family Express, noted that while staffing itself “isn’t problematic at all,” finding high-quality employees remains a challenge across the industry. To address this, Family Express has adopted a highly selective hiring process.
“Only one in 50 applicants are admitted, and they are often selected in advance of anticipated attrition,” Olympidis said. “The selection process can be daunting, but in the end, we believe we have the right person long-term for the position.”
RaceTrac has experienced a surge in applicants for most roles, but it is still seeing a tight labor market for highly skilled workers, particularly in IT and finance, according to Linda Sutton, director of recruitment for RaceTrac, which operates more than 800 stores across 13 states.
“While some companies push for a return to the office, flexible work arrangements remain highly valued by employees. RaceTrac continues to offer hybrid options, which allows us a competitive advantage,” Sutton noted.
She added that today’s employees are looking for a positive work culture with opportunities for growth. “If organizations do not continuously invest in their employees, they will likely see an uptick in turnover,” she warned.
While many companies are feeling some relief from the staffing shortages of the past several years, some remain concerned about labor headwinds.
Steve Seymour, director of personnel for Country Fair, which operates 73 store locations in Pennsylvania, New York and Ohio, sees a structural problem occurring in the U.S. when it comes to the workforce population.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce pointed out in February that there are 8 million job openings in the U.S., but only 6.8 million unemployed workers.
“As we see the baby boomers retiring at a pace of 11,000 per day, along with fewer people entering the job market, there is certainly cause for concern,” Seymour said. “This does not appear to be a cycle — it is structural. Companies must put considerable focus on having the right ‘offering’ that allows them to retain current employees, along with recruiting new ones.”
Sutton predicted that retention will remain the biggest trend across companies in 2025. “Maintaining employee engagement and satisfaction in a rapidly changing work environment will be crucial,” she said.
