Convenience store uniforms used to focus solely on durability and functionality—and as way for customers to easily spot employees. Those attributes are still important, but increasingly retailers are thinking outside these parameters and using their uniform policies to retain employees, lift morale and attract potential applicants.
Time for a Change
“A big part of Sheetz is that we have this unique culture. Our employees are our brand, and [our uniforms] let their personalities shine through,” said Lainie Snider, manager of employee relations at Altoona, Pennsylvania-based Sheetz Inc. Sheetz recently overhauled its uniform policy to “refresh and upgrade,” Snider explained. “We decided that it was time to evolve from khaki pants.”
Sheetz’s former uniform consisted of khaki or black pants, a Sheetz-branded t-shirt for sales employees and a black polo for supervisors, assistant managers and store managers. Employees could wear jeans on Fridays. As part of the new uniform policy, the company decided to allow jeans any day of the week and nix the dress pants entirely.
“Jeans everyday was such a big win for them. Not everyone owns dress pants, but everyone has jeans. They’re more comfortable,” said Snider.
The new uniform policy also allows the sales team to wear a black, red or gray t-shirt that is lightweight and breathable. (The former uniform t-shirts were made of a thick, 100% cotton material.) Supervisors can now wear short- or long-sleeve polos in red or gray, and store managers and assistant managers are allowed to wear a short- or long-sleeve button-up shirt. On Fridays, all employees can wear a t-shirt.
“We wanted our uniform to fit our employees’ lifestyle. We wanted something they wear to work but can take their name tag off and go run errands,” said Snider.
Morale Booster
Uniforms could easily be viewed as a minor operational decision, but a uniform policy that keeps the employee in mind goes miles in terms of morale.
“It’s nice for our employees to express themselves,” said Snider, who says that Sheetz regularly reviews feedback from employees and customers on its uniforms. For example, store managers shared that their required button-up shirts wrinkled easily, and with the managers being busy and on-the-go, they asked if Sheetz could look into different fabrics, which Sheetz promptly did.
Sometimes feedback doesn’t stick to just the physical uniform. Snider said that Sheetz’s customer base noticed that employees weren’t allowed to have visible tattoos. “We were getting feedback from customers pertaining to tattoos. They were saying ‘You have these big, edgy billboards, and you are trying to attract an edgy, creative customer base, and yet your employees can’t have tattoos,’” said Snider. After internalizing this feedback, Sheetz decided to allow employees’ tattoos to show, with the exception of facial or front-of-the-neck tattoos.
Dress for the Job You Have
When telling the story of your convenience store, uniforms play a huge part in the narrative.
“Our co-workers set the bar for Kwik Trip’s professional and positive image in the workplace,” said Steve Wrobel, spokesperson for the La Crosse, Wisconsin-based retailer. “Their appearance is very important. They are a reflection of the brand and present a favorable impression of the company to our guests.”
Kwik Trip expects employees’ uniforms to be neat, clean and properly pressed—and uniform providers are making that easier for employees. “Our customers have moved from pique-knit, Lacoste-type shirts to fabrics that don’t fade and don’t lose their fresh look,” said Bruce Main, CEO of uniform provider Christy & Main Inc., based in Marietta, Georgia.
According to Main, retailers have transitioned to shirts made of polyester, a fabric that retains its color and is widely used in the retail industry now. Christy & Main even offers shirts that are 100% polyester on the outside and 100% cotton on the inside for employees that may be sensitive to polyester.
“Employees are wearing these shirts five to seven days a week. They have to be easy to clean, easy to work in and must be able to last,” said Russ Main, president at Christy & Main.
Finishes that can be added to shirts include sweat-wicking, which helps the shirt stay fresh from body order; antimicrobial, which keeps stains off—even grease—and antiwrinkle. “No one wants to iron anymore,” said Bruce Main.
An employee-friendly uniform policy also can help with recruiting. Sheetz allows its associates to wear one of four promotional t-shirts on Fridays and holidays. The company worked with its marketing department to come up with “cutting edge slogans” to add to the t-shirts. For example, Pennsylvania recently allowed convenience stores to sell beer, so for its stores in the state, Sheetz created a shirt with a beer bottle on the back and the slogan: “Sheetz run and done.”
“If you came in as an applicant, you can say, ‘I get to wear a shirt with a beer bottle on it,’” said Snider. “Who wouldn’t want to wear that to work?”Sheetz’s store managers also can approve sports shirts and team jerseys for employees to wear on game days if the store is near a sports team, including high school, college and professional teams. “It’s pretty cool and has received a good reaction from our fanbase. They love walking in and seeing an employee wearing a Pittsburgh Penguins jersey,” said Snider.
The Cost to Clothe
The cost of hiring an employee can be a large percentage of a retailer’s budget. According to the NACS Compensation Report of 2019 Data, it cost on average $1,716 to hire, train and equip a full-time sales associate and $3,213 to do the same for a store manager last year. If employers can provide uniforms that last longer, it can help their bottom line.
“Back 20 years ago when you bought a polo shirt, they would lose their color. Over the process of 10 washes, they were course, and they just didn’t hold up,” said Bruce Main. “Today, we have people wearing our shirts for up to five years, and they still look good. It’s reducing the overall cost for uniforms.”
A California-based retailer has begun outfitting its new hires with a company vest to wear over their street clothes and then leave at the store after each shift. After they have worked for a set period of time, they receive four uniform shirts. This way, the retailer can cut down on turnover costs. Turnover was 125% for a part-time sales associate in 2019, according to the recent NACS Compensation Report.
The majority of retailers provide employees with their uniforms free of charge upon hire.
One retailer based in Michigan provides three branded shirts to full-time employees and two branded shirts to part-time employees at no cost. If they become stained or torn, the company provides a replacement shirt for free. If an employee leaves the company without returning the shirts or name tag, the retailer deducts $25 from their last paycheck (the employee signs an agreement to allow this deduction during the hiring process).
Kwik Trip provides an “allowance” for each new hire based on full- or part-time status to purchase a sufficient number of uniform shirts required by the employee’s specific work conditions. Additionally, employees are given an annual uniform allotment to replace worn uniforms or purchase additional uniform pieces.
Christy & Main has a policy of “order today, shipped tomorrow,” as the industry demands uniforms quickly to keep up with turnover. Even the larger companies that have custom orders expect speedy delivery. “There is so much turnover in the convenience store industry. It’s critical that every new hire is in their uniform as quickly as possible,” said Russ Main.
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