Why Wegmans Just Topped Fortune's List Of Best Places To Work

As retailers, restaurants, and businesses across all industries continue to court workers in the face of post-pandemic labor shortages, employee satisfaction is more important than ever. This year, Wegmans – the Rochester, New York-based grocery chain with a cult following — proved its popularity among workers by dominating Fortune's Best Workplaces list in the category of retail.

The family-owned grocery chain, which was founded in 1916 by brothers John and Walter Wegman, now employs over 52,000 staffers at 107 supermarkets across the northeast, and has been ranked as America's favorite grocery store (via Wegmans).

The century-old retailer is not only popular with shoppers — or Wegamaniacs, as particularly passionate fans of the grocer are known — but also employees (via Fortune). The company received an impressive 90% workplace approval.

The list, which describes itself as "America's largest ongoing annual workforce study," uses a combination of employee surveys and industry data (related to demographics, size, roles, location, and more) to determine its company rankings. The confidential employee surveys ask respondents to assign their company a 1 to 5 grade in response to 60 different statements related to the employee experience.

The surveys are then used to assess the overall satisfaction of workers, which is indicated by a percentage out of 100 employees that "say this a great place to work." Other large retailers (with over 1,000 employees) who received high placement on this year's list included Target (which came in second place with a 70% approval rating), Sheetz (the Pennsylvania-based convenience store chain, which received a 90% rating), and Publix (with an 83% approval rating) (via Great Place to Work). The only fast food chain to make the retail list was White Castle, with an 80% favorable employee rating.

In addition to topping the retail category, Wegmans was also named the third best employer overall on this year's Top 100 list (via Fortune). Employees cited Wegmans' flexible scheduling policy, company training, high school work-scholarship program, and "family culture," as reasons they love working for the retailer (via Fortune).

"We are a values-based family company on a mission to help people live healthier, better lives through exceptional food," Wegmans wrote in its company overview. "Customers love our caring, knowledgeable people who provide incredible service making all feel welcome."