On the evening of Oct. 8, CStore Decisions honored Pilot Company as our 2024 Chain of the Year and the 35th winner of the award at an event at the top of The Strat in Las Vegas.
We were thrilled to host nearly 230 guests from the c-store industry on the 108th floor, where they enjoyed dinner, drinks, breathtaking sunset views over Las Vegas and an exhilarating front-row seat to some bungee jumpers soaring off the edge of the building. My favorite part of the evening was listening to Adam Wright, CEO of Pilot, discuss the chain’s people-first culture as he accepted the award.
Pilot Stands Out
Over the past decade, we’ve found there are more and more chains deserving of our Chain of the Year Award. After all, as the industry continues to shift, more chains are modernizing for the future and embracing innovation.
But Pilot stood out for a multitude of reasons. There’s its commitment to modernization through its $1 billion-plus New Horizons initiative. There’s also its innovative mindset that has spurred it to embrace foodservice evolution, roll out self-checkout kiosks and delivery, and partner to build an electric vehicle (EV) charging network from coast to coast to reduce range anxiety in EV drivers. Then there’s its strategic future-focused direction that drives its decisions. In this month’s cover story that features Pilot, Wright noted that as he looks to the next 100 years, he is steering the ship in a way that ensures Pilot remains relevant and in tune with evolving customer demands for decades to come.
But it’s Pilot’s people-centric philosophy, which extends from its customers to its employees, that I think especially sets Pilot apart in today’s retail landscape.
People-First
Every decision Pilot makes is made with its customers and employees in mind. As it remodels stores as part of its New Horizons initiative, for example, Pilot has sought and integrated feedback from both customers and employees and included changes that make workspaces more efficient for team members. From an upgraded employee onboarding process to a new team member recognition program, Pilot prioritizes its people every step of the way.
“Our purpose statement is ‘Showing people they matter at every turn,’ and it’s something that we’re operationalizing,” Wright noted in this month’s cover story.
The concept, he added, is not just a saying or a bumper sticker slogan, but something that drives Pilot’s decisions.
“Everything we do involves thinking about how the decisions we make and the investments we put forward impact people’s lives, and that’s our team members, that’s our customers, and that’s our communities,” Wright said. “Everything is being structured around that. All of our initiatives, all our objectives, all of our key performance indicators, our compensation structures — everything is being structured by how we impact people.”
As c-store retailers acquire stores, build new-to-industry prototypes, upgrade menus and rush to implement the latest technology, they would be wise to follow Pilot’s example when it comes to prioritizing people. As Wright pointed out, a company is essentially a compilation of people. How those people are made to feel valued — or not — says a lot about a company’s culture, and it influences how employees treat customers.
Ultimately, prioritizing people is about creating a strong, sustainable foundation for future success — something Pilot understands well. As convenience store retailers expand and innovate, their greatest asset remains their workforce. When employees feel valued and engaged, they are more likely to bring passion, loyalty and exceptional service to their roles, enhancing the overall customer experience. By investing in their people, retailers not only build a positive company culture but also position themselves to attract top talent, reduce turnover and develop a team that will grow with them, leading to stronger customer satisfaction and overall success in an increasingly competitive marketplace.
