QuickChek’s commitment to innovation has set it apart.
QuickChek has been a model of consistency for nearly five decades and
continues to be a shining example of the very best the convenience store industry
has to offer. For its ongoing commitment to retail excellence, we at Convenience Store Decisions are proud to honor QuickChek as the 2016 Convenience Store Chain of the Year.
Over the past 27 years, CSD has consistently honored convenience retailing excellence. And while there have been some companies gobbled up in acquisitions, the chains we have honored remain industry leaders, starting with Wawa, the first chain of the year winner in 1990.
While the industry leaders were relatively easy to identify in the early years, over the past decade, we have found that there are more and more chains deserving of this prestigious award every year. This across-the-board commitment to convenience retailing speaks volumes about the hard work and commitment each of you makes every day to convenience retailing. So while we honor QuickChek in 2016, this is very much an opportunity to celebrate the work being done by the entire industry.
The QuickChek story began in 1888 when Durling Farms was founded to serve the central New Jersey region. Over the next 79 years, the Durling Farms brand grew to become synonymous with high-quality milk and dairy products delivered fresh to customers’ doors.
In 1967, Carlton Durling founded QuickChek convenience stores to ensure that loyal Durling Farms customers had a neighborhood-shopping destination not only for their milk but for a full range of deli and grocery products. QuickChek has grown to be the market leader in the New Jersey and New York metropolitan area through innovation and its focus on fresh food and coffee, fast fuel and friendly people. Today, the company operates 147 stores, including 10 with full-service pharmacies and employs 4,000 men & women in the two states.
Always Improving
When I asked Dean Durling, QuickChek’s president and CEO to describe who QuickChek is, he said it was a company rooted in the tradition of serving customers and employees and one that was constantly evolving. This service-first culture has been cemented in its corporate motto: Total Customer Dedication.
In fact, throughout out the process of vetting QuickChek for Chain of the Year, I learned that customers are truly driving the innovation for which the company is being recognized. Consider its sandwiches and made-to-order foodservice program. Customers asked for it. Developing self-checkout lanes, mobile apps and a coffee freshness guarantee? You guessed it, customers asked for it. They asked, QuickChek delivered.
As with foodservice, when other chains were looking to invest in emerging retail technology, they turned to QuickChek for guidance. The chain was on the leading edge of adding foodservice touchscreens in 2000, which resulted in a spike in incremental sales and a dramatic improvement in customer service speed and satisfaction.
In 2009, the chain again broke the mold in the industry by becoming the very first c-store chain to introduce self-checkout lanes equipped with cash readers and coin dispensers. Today, QuickChek Fast Lanes are in more than 40 stores. Speed and convenience again took center stage earlier this year with the rollout of the QuickChek mobile ordering app. Customers can order freshly-prepared foods through the app and pick up their order at any of the chain’s 147 stores seven days a week.
As I have detailed, QuickChek is keenly focused on service. Its corporate mission is strictly to be “A Great Place To Work, A Great Place To Shop And A Great Place To Invest,” and it shows. QuickChek enjoys the distinction of being named one of the best companies to work for in both New Jersey and New York State for the past five years. Its commitment to employees is a major reason why store employee turnover is among the industry’s lowest at just 40%.