Quik-E Food Stores
None of that would be possible unless Quik-E Food Stores was successful, and Burgess says the company has a devotion to customer service that exceeds the competition’s. With “the customer is always right” as its mantra and strong relationships with its suppliers, Quik-E Food Stores has created a convenience store experience for shoppers that goes above and beyond the expected. This experience and the company’s strong family leadership add up to Quik-E Food Stores being in a strong position to continue its success well into the future.
Offering More
It’s obvious when entering one of Quik-E Food Stores’ 12 locations throughout Virginia that Burgess came from a grocery store background. Although the typical convenience store focuses on snack items or impulse purchases, Burgess says Quik-E Food Stores wants to be a place where customers know they can find things they need and be in and out quickly without having to make a full trip to the supermarket.
“If a guy lives within half-a-mile from me and he wants steak sauce, I want to have it for him,” Burgess says. “He won’t find that at every convenience store.”
Quik-E Food Stores also sets itself apart from the rest of the convenience store crowd by delivering a greater selection of wine and beer options. Burgess says the company has devoted a lot of attention to that in recent years, and the rise of the craft beer movement has prompted Quik-E Food Stores to devote more space in its coolers to a broader selection of beers from smaller and lesser-known breweries.
Those additional services don’t take the place of traditional convenience store staples, however, and Quik-E Food Stores’ locations also provide customers with everything they’ve come to expect from a convenience store. All of the company’s locations feature Marathon gas, as well as the Virginia Lottery. Five of the company’s locations serve fast-food options, and five locations feature car washes.
On top of the selection and services offered at each location, Burgess says ensuring customers have clean, modern-looking stores to shop in makes a lot of difference for Quik-E Food Stores. Just in the last couple of years, the company has rebuilt and remodeled two of its locations, and Burgess says the company places a lot of importance on making sure every store is as appealing to customers as possible. “Keeping stores looking good, I think that’s the name of the game,” he says.
Staying Competitive
According to Burgess, one of Quik-E Food Stores’ biggest obstacles to continued success is dealing with the excessive turnover in the work force, which is a problem that typically plagues the convenience store industry. “I think a lot of my challenges are hiring people who really want to get involved in the business and the company,” he says.
In addition, Burgess says, the company is sorting through its options in the wake of the Affordable Care Act. Burgess says the company has been meeting with insurance companies to explore all the options available to it.
Aside from those challenges, Burgess says, the primary concern for Quik-E Food Stores going into the future will be ensuring the company maintains the same high level of service it has now. Although many of the company’s competitors are snatching up real estate and opening new stores, Burgess says his focus is on making sure Quik-E Food Stories continues to offer its customers more than the typical convenience store experience. With the next generation of family leadership already in place at the company, it seems likely that this will continue to be the case. “I’m not looking too much to build new stores myself, but to keep the ones I’ve got competitive,” Burgess says.