Buc-ee's Stands Out Among Retailers for High Wages & Customer Experience

LAKE JACKSON, Texas — Texas-based convenience retailer Buc-ee's has been named No. 1 on the Forbes Customer Experience All-Stars List, as well as earning a spot on Insider's list of highest paid entry jobs in retail.

The cult-favorite retailer has long had a reputation for both unique customer experiences and staff satisfaction. Earlier this year, a job posting for a Buc-ee's manager went viral for its high rate of pay, while Placer.ai labeled the c-store operator a regional company to watch for its continued success even after the difficulties of the pandemic. Buc-ee's has also launched an ambitious expansion plan, with multiple stores planned for states outside of its traditional Texas home base.

Forbes determined the list via an online survey conducted over the course of 2022. Nearly 4 million ratings were received from 121,00 participants, with categories including company products, services and customer treatment, among others. Respondents specifically spoke to the quality of things like Buc-ee's bathrooms as a reason to patronize its locations, along with the variety of merchandise and the friendliness of its staff.

Produced in partnership with the data analytics company HundredX, the magazine's debut list derives from an online survey throughout 2022 that gathered more than 3.7 million ratings of more than 2,220 unique brands.

Insider primarily drew its information from Glassdoor.com, which gathers information and averages it out via publicly available postings like job listings and comments provided directly from employees. According to the report, Buc-ee's average start rate of $16.66 per hour is more than twice the federal minimum wage, with benefits like paid time off accruing from day one.

Other food retailers on the list include Trader Joe's at $16.91, New Seasons Market at $17.17 and Costco at $18.02.

Glassdoor's averages are calculated using hourly-wage information submitted by users of the platform between Jan. 1, 2022 and March 3, 2023 for sales associate and related roles, like cashiers and retail representatives.

Lake Jackson-based Buc-ee's has more than 40 locations. The retailer kicked off its multistate expansion plan in 2019.