Ghosted: Why Labor Still Haunts U.S. C-Stores

Introduction?

The labor market has seen significant shifts in recent years, but even after a strong recovery from the pandemic-induced unemployment surge, staffing stress remains constant for U.S. convenience store retailers. ?

Turnover, Ghosting, & Hiring?

• High Turnover: Convenience retailers face high turnover rates, particularly among part-time employees. Last year, part-time employee turnover reached 169.5%, the highest rate since 2020.?

• Ghosting: The ghost rate, or the rate at which employees accept job offers but fail to show up for their first day, has increased significantly. This can lead to wasted resources and operational disruptions.?

• Cost of Hiring: Employers must now offer higher wages to attract and retain staff. But while better pay garners more job applicants, employees tend to stay for strong benefits and work/life balance.?

?The Impact on Convenience Stores?

When we ask retailers, “What keeps you up at night,” labor is usually high on the list.???

Staffing shortages aren’t just a headache for store managers. It’s a snowball effect that leads to reduced operational efficiency and declines in customer satisfaction.?

Don’t forget these hidden challenges too:?

• Cost of Success: As convenience store chains expand, the cost of hiring new employees increases. This can make it difficult to maintain adequate staffing levels as retailers grow.?

• Training Time: New hires require training, which consumes valuable time and resources.?

The Solution: Self-Checkout?

Self-checkout technology offers a practical, easy to use, and effective solution to the staffing?challenges. By automating routine tasks, self-checkout can:?

• Reduce staffing costs?

• Improve customer satisfaction?

• Increase revenue?

• Strengthen employee retention?

Holiday Oil Case Study?

Holiday Oil, a Utah-based convenience store chain, faced significant challenges from staffing stress like many other retailers. ?

Read the complete case study of how Holiday Oil saves $1M in labor costs with Invenco by GVR's Passport Express Lane??self-checkout system.?

Key Benefits of Self-Checkout?

• Enhanced efficiency: Streamline operations and reduce wait times.?

• Improved customer satisfaction: Empower customers to shop at their own pace.?

• Increased revenue: Boost sales through faster checkout times and reduced labor costs.?

• Enhanced employee morale: Free up staff to focus on more fulfilling tasks.? ?

Conclusion?

As the labor market continues to evolve, convenience stores must adapt to stay competitive.?Self-checkout technology offers a valuable solution to the challenges posed by the labor shortage. By implementing self-checkout, businesses can improve efficiency, enhance customer satisfaction, and ensure long-term success.?

Contact us today to learn more about our solutions.