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Here’s one of the most telling numbers in convenience retail. NACS found that top-decile c-store companies spend about $23.10 per labor hour on wages and benefits, about $5 more than bottom-decile companies, yet generate about $8 more in gross profit per labor hour. The best chains don’t spend less on people. They get more from every hour.
For a chain, that gap lives with your district managers. They’re the ones who turn store data into better shifts, better merchandising and fewer losses. At Petrosoft, we run 22 gas stations, and we built CStoreOffice® and Retail360 to give district managers exactly that data.
Why labor productivity matters more every year
- Average c-store wages reached $15.04 per hour in 2025 (NACS).
- The average store employs 19.9 people (NACS).
- Transactions fell 2.7% to about 1,484 per store per day (NACS).
- The NRF expects retailers to hire 325,000 to 375,000 seasonal workers for the 2026 holidays, tightening the labor market further.
Fewer transactions and higher labor costs mean every scheduled hour has to produce more.
How Petrosoft helps: CStoreOffice® puts sales, gross profit and labor-related shift data for every store in one cloud dashboard, so district managers can compare locations and dayparts side by side.
Stable managers, stable stores
Top-decile companies kept store manager turnover to 17.1% in the first half of 2025, and employee turnover to 60.8%, well below an industry average that typically exceeds 100%. The NRF and Loss Prevention Research Council found 72% of retailers are investing in management training.
How Petrosoft helps: Retail360 gives district managers and store managers the same numbers on their phones, so coaching conversations start from facts, not opinions.
Move labor to where the profit is
Foodservice produced 38.9% of in-store gross profit in 2025, according to NACS. Labor spent on food is often the most productive labor in the store, if orders are accurate and the line moves.
How Petrosoft helps: QwickServe self-order kiosks take orders so staff can focus on making food, while SmartPOS keeps the main register moving.
Don’t let shrink erase productivity
NRF found 63% of retailers report fewer than half of store theft incidents to police. Losses that never get reported still come straight out of gross profit per labor hour.
How Petrosoft helps: Eagle Eye ties video to SmartPOS transactions so district managers can review exceptions across all their stores without driving to each one.
The district manager’s weekly routine
- Rank stores by gross profit and sales per shift in CStoreOffice®.
- Compare dayparts and move labor to the most productive hours.
- Review food sales and speed at QwickServe stores.
- Check voids, refunds and cash shortages and review outliers with Eagle Eye.
- Coach store managers using shared Retail360 dashboards.
Frequently asked questions
What is gross profit per labor hour?
It’s the gross profit a store earns divided by the labor hours worked. NACS found top-decile c-store companies earn about $8 more gross profit per labor hour than bottom-decile companies.
How do top c-store chains improve labor productivity?
They pay better, keep managers longer, staff the most profitable hours and use data to coach. NACS found top-decile companies spend about $5 more per labor hour but earn about $8 more in gross profit.
What tools do convenience store district managers need?
A single view of every store’s sales, margin, cash and exceptions, plus mobile access. CStoreOffice® and Retail360 provide both, and Eagle Eye adds video tied to transactions.
What is a good store manager turnover rate for c-stores?
NACS reported that top-decile companies had 17.1% store manager turnover in the first half of 2025.
How does foodservice affect labor productivity?
Foodservice delivers a large share of in-store gross profit, 38.9% in 2025 per NACS, so well-run food programs make labor hours more productive. QwickServe kiosks help by taking orders automatically.
Give your district managers the data the top chains use. Book a live, no-pressure demo at petrosoftinc.com.
Sources
- NACS, “Key Metrics for a C-Store Employee Retention Strategy” (January 2026): https://www.convenience.org/stay-current/news/2026/january/30/3-key-metrics-for-c-store-employee-retention_nacs
- NACS, “U.S. Convenience In-Store Sales Top $340 Billion” (State of the Industry, April 2026): https://www.convenience.org/stay-current/news/2026/april/15/u-s-convenience-in-store-sales-top-$340-billion
- NRF & Loss Prevention Research Council, The Impact of Retail Theft & Violence 2026 (July 2026): https://nrf.com/media-center/press-releases/retailers-see-fraud-schemes-evolve-as-shoplifting-declines-nrf-study-finds
- NRF, “NRF Forecasts 2026 Holiday Sales Growth as Consumers Remain Resilient” (October 15, 2026): https://nrf.com/media-center/press-releases/nrf-forecasts-2026-holiday-sales-growth-as-consumers-remain-resilient
