Sheetz Inc. Owes Success to Enterprising Teen

Bob Sheetz’s father may have been surprised when the teenager asked his dad to sell him one of the family’s dairy stores in Altoona, Pennsylvania, back in 1952. But he went ahead and sold a store to his son, and today, Sheetz Inc., is a company with more than 580 convenience stores in six states. Sheetz employs more than 18,000 people, says Nick Ruffner, Public Relations Manager for the company. Joe Sheetz is now President and Chief Executive Officer of the company and just finished a year as chairman of the board of directors for NACS, the trade association for convenience stores.

Sheetz opens 20 to 30 stores a year in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio and Maryland, Ruffner says, and each new store means 30 to 35 new employees. “There are no plans for further expansion outside those states – we have plenty of room for expansion there.”

The average Sheetz Inc. store is about 6,000 square feet, with inside and outside seating and 10 to 12 fueling locations outside.

Sheetz is perhaps best known for its food.

“When the stores were first created, they were highly centered around the deli counter,” Ruffner says. “As time went by, that went toward a smaller menu.”

In 1986, however, Earl Springer, the manager of a Sheetz Inc. store in Williamsport, Maryland, set up a system where people could order food made to order. Springer’s customers filled out little slips of paper, dropped them into a basket, and the kitchen crew prepared their requests on the spot.

That system worked, but in the mid-90s, Ruffner says, Sheetz became the first in the convenience store industry to implement a touch-screen ordering kiosk.

Today, customers can order both food and Sheetz Brothers Coffee, including specialty drinks such as mochas or lattes, through the kiosks. They can also order online for immediate pickup or pickup several hours later.

“Our motto is to give the customers what they want, how they want it, when they want it,” Ruffner says.

For customer Holly Rosborough of West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, that might be a car wash, some lottery tickets and a sandwich. “I like Sheetz because they are convenient. I like the assortment of grocery items they carry, especially the bottled drinks,” she says. “Sheetz is a nice all-around stop for food/grocery items, gas, and those lottery tickets. I’ve purchased sandwiches there, and they are decent.”

The Importance of Variety

“We’re committed to variety in snacks and drinks in the same way that we’re committed to made-to-order and Sheetz Brother Coffee,” says Ruffner. “Variety is highly important to us. Our stores carry a couple of hundred types of beverages and snacks.”

That variety shows up in the kinds of snacks that each store displays, says Tom Rosenberger, Snack Sales Manager for Sheetz Inc.

“Overall, we are seeing growth in non-chocolate chewy candy and bagged candy,” he says. “Both are expected to grow in 2019. Another area of growth is healthy, or better-for-you, snacks, which have seen slow but steady growth.”

Rosenberger says the company’s top sellers include Frito-Lay, Reese’s, M&M, Snickers and Hershey products, with Mentos, Icebreakers and Wrigley making up the top gum brands. “We’ve also seen a major growth in sales of Kinder Joy products, and we look for more growth in 2019,” he says.

Rosenberger’s tips for snack retailers include careful inventory control so popular products stay in stock. He also suggests trying new items and targeted shippers, or displays, to prompt more impulse pick-up of snacks. Put those new items, and seasonal items, near checkouts, he says, and encourage vendors to “go loud and proud” on new and seasonal offers.

Sheetz’s ‘3 Cs’

“Sheetz prides itself on providing its customers with fast and friendly service, and delivering quality products in clean and convenient locations,” says Joe Sheetz.

He uses the “3 Cs” to describe what makes Sheetz so successful. They are “customers, culture and community,” he says. That means giving customers what they want, of course, but it also means creating a workplace culture that will attract and retain the employees who serve those customers.

As for community, Sheetz puts its money where its mouth is. An employee-run charity, Sheetz for Kidz, was founded 25 years ago. It purchases clothes, toys and other items for local children during the holiday season and has raised more than $21 million.

For more information about Sheetz Inc., visit www.sheetz.com.