Why C-store staff quit — and how to stop it

In the world of convenience retail, high turnover isn’t a surprise — it’s the norm. According to YOOBIC’s Senior Advisor, Gyöngyvér Manissy-Bondar, the average c-store sees around 140% annual employee churn. That means for every role filled, another one is already slipping through the cracks — and the cycle keeps repeating.

Each time someone leaves, the pressure intensifies: teams are overstretched, onboarding gets rushed, morale dips, and customer experience suffers. Eventually, that strain shows up in the numbers. And as convenience stores face growing competition from quick-service restaurants, gig platforms, and even healthcare roles, retaining frontline talent has never been harder — or more urgent.

To move forward, the experience of work needs to change.

The dignity shift

For Gyöngyvér, the starting point is simple: dignity.

Employees today want more than a paycheck. They want to feel safe, supported, and respected — and they want their effort to mean something.

“If there’s one word that matters in frontline work today, it’s dignity.”

It’s about more than perks or values written on the wall. It’s about what the job actually feels like — shift after shift.

Some retailers are already leading the way. Gyöngyvér points to Wawa, Sheetz, and Shell as examples of businesses that have elevated the role of the frontline worker, both operationally and culturally. These teams aren’t treated as interchangeable, they’re recognised as brand ambassadors, supported with structure and consistency.

Why onboarding is make or break

Most turnover happens in the first 30, 60, or 90 days — not because new hires are the wrong fit, but because the onboarding experience fails them. Many walk into high-pressure environments with minimal training, unclear expectations, and no consistent support.

Retailers seeing success are tackling this with smart, lightweight systems, from mobile-first task lists to quick, on-the-job learning modules. These tools help new employees feel capable and confident from day one.

Noreen Allen, Chief Marketing Officer at YOOBIC, sums it up well:

“You can’t just say you care about your employees. The actual experience in-store has to reflect that. It’s about giving people the structure to do their job well, and making that structure feel usable.”

Flexibility is the new baseline

Today’s workforce expects some control over their schedules — and flexibility is no longer a bonus, it’s a baseline. While c-stores may not offer total autonomy, they can introduce simple solutions that go a long way: rotating weekends, shift swaps, and preference-based scheduling, for example.

Gyöngyvér makes the case clearly:

“Flexibility isn’t a perk anymore. It’s an expectation.”

Giving employees more ownership over their time helps reduce burnout, builds trust, and ultimately increases loyalty — without disrupting store operations.

The power of everyday recognition

It’s easy to focus on what’s going wrong, but recognition is what keeps people going. And it doesn’t need to be elaborate. A timely thank-you, a shoutout on a shift, or a digital badge for completing training can all reinforce a sense of purpose and belonging.

Recognition also helps close the gap between intention and experience. It tells people that their work matters, and that someone is paying attention.

Technology helps but culture delivers

Technology has a major role to play, but it’s not the hero. The tools are there: mobile platforms that centralise training, tasks, communication, and performance data, but success depends on how those tools are embedded. The retailers seeing results aren’t just adopting new systems; they’re redesigning workflows around them. They’re creating consistency at scale. That’s what makes a difference.

In one example, a large U.S. retailer saw a 24% reduction in voluntary turnover after revamping onboarding and performance support using mobile tech. That translated to an $8 million cost impact — and a massive cultural one.

Building a workplace people choose

When the experience of work improves, everything else follows. Employees stay longer. Teams run more smoothly. Customers feel the difference.

Becoming an employer of choice isn’t about marketing. It’s about making the job itself better, clearer, more respectful, more sustainable. That doesn’t require a total transformation overnight. Just small, deliberate changes, made consistently.

As Gyöngyvér puts it:

“It’s not a one-dimensional problem. But it’s absolutely solvable.”

Want more insights from this conversation?

Click below to read the full CS News POV feature with Gyöngyvér Manissy-Bondar and Noreen Allen, where they explore how c-store leaders are rethinking retention, onboarding, and the role of technology on the frontline.