QuikTrip
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| QuikTrip Corporation | |
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| Type | Private |
| Founded | 1958 |
| Headquarters | Tulsa, Oklahoma |
| Key people | Chet Cadieux, CEO Terry Carter, CFO |
| Industry | Retail (convenience stores) |
| Revenue | $5.86 billion (2004) |
| Employees | 7,600 |
| Website | www.quiktrip.com |
QuikTrip (abbreviated QT) is a chain of convenience stores primarily found in the Midwestern and Southern United States (not to be confused with Kwik Trip convenience stores).
The first QuikTrip opened in 1958 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where the privately held company is still headquartered today.[1] QuikTrip promotes its gasoline as "high-quality" and offers a money-back guarantee. In 2004 QuikTrip and Chevron were the first two retailers to earn a "Top Tier" rating from General Motors, BMW, Honda, and Toyota. (The "Top Tier" rating exceeds the United States Environmental Protection Agency's standards for gasoline additives.)[2] QuikTrip stores are known for a wider-than-normal selection of fountain drinks, gourmet sandwiches, and grill items.
Quiktrip locations are larger than the average gas station, offering anywhere from 6 to 24 gas pumps and a large retail space inside. All stores are owned and operated by the company and have a uniform layout: to the right of the doors is the candy and grocery items, and the coolers housing bottled soda and alcohol; and to the left is the snack display, fountain drinks (including coffee and frozen drinks), the hot food area (comprising hot dogs, taquitos, Eggrolls, Corn dogs, and stuffed breadsticks), the coolers with cold sandwiches inside and the microwaves for frozen products. Front and center is the checkstand, which usually has space for two or three employees and three to five POS registers.
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[edit] Stores and Locations
QuikTrip operates 510 stores[3], most of which are concentrated in the following 11 United States metropolitan areas:
- Oklahoma: Tulsa (62 stores)
- Kansas/Missouri: Kansas City (73 stores)
- Kansas: Wichita (36 stores)
- Iowa: Des Moines (32 stores)
- Nebraska: Omaha (10 stores)
- Arizona: Phoenix (59 stores)
- Missouri: St. Louis (71 stores)
- Georgia: Atlanta (111 stores)
- Texas: Dallas/Fort Worth (56 stores)
In the last two markets, Dallas/Fort Worth and Atlanta, QuikTrip competes head to head with RaceTrac, an Atlanta-based convenience store chain that is very similar to QuikTrip inside and out. Both chains tend to have newer, clean facilities with abundant on-site lighting, a large convenience area, and generally lower retail fuel prices than other surrounding stations[original research?]. In many cases, the two competitors are located directly across the street or on opposite street corners from one another.
[edit] Highlights
QuikTrip has a business practice of replacing older, less profitable stores with newer ones.
In recent years, QuikTrip has been consistently listed among Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For. The January 2006 version of the rankings placed QT at #21, ninth among companies classified as "mid-size."[5] QuikTrip often uses this fact in recruiting new employees. QuikTrip also ranked 32nd on Forbes magazine's list of largest private companies in 2005. [6].
QuikTrip had its own branded goods marketed from the 1970s-1980s, including QT Beer — QT for "Quittin' Time." The ad campaign would say that it was "QT Time," and would often show a dog named Lamar. The dog's owner was portrayed in television commercials by actor Ben Jones, who often asked the dog, "Ain't that right, Lamar?"
On October 10, 2007, as a founding partner, QT also began operating a location inside the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri. This unit only operates during arena events.
QT opened its 500th store in May of 2008. Chester Cadieux reprised his role at the milestone store by ringing up the first customer, Burt Holmes who was the co-founder of QuikTrip.
QuikTrip signed a naming agreement to a new minor league stadium in Prairie, Texas, which belongs to the Airhogs. QT will have a booth at the stadium and within two years, will sell QT Kitchens products at the park for store price. The name of the park is QuikTrip Park.
There is also a well-known "gentlemen's agreement" between Chester Cadieux and the owner of the 7-Eleven store chain in Oklahoma City not to compete in each other's markets. [7] This is the reason that QuikTrip does not operate stores in Oklahoma City and that 7-Eleven does not operate stores in Tulsa.
[edit] Anti-Line
Recently, in an attempt to increase speed and improve customer service at Checkout, QuikTrip has begun asking customers to stand at the counter versus standing in a long line. Employees are taught at orientation to go help on an additional register when the customer to cashier ratio exceeds 3:1. As well as also directing customers to the closest available checkout.
[edit] QT Kitchens
QuikTrip has begun an initative of offering fresh food made daily at its own bakery and commissary referred to as QT Kitchens. The new offer includes fresh sandwiches, wraps, salads, fruit, and various pastries made and delivered daily. Currently the line of products are available in Tulsa, St. Louis, Kansas City, Wichita, and Omaha. By the end of May they will be available in the Phoenix market as well. Currently, the Atlanta division is in the process of building and hiring employees for QT Kitchens in Atlanta. Predictions for opening the line in the Dallas/Fort Worth market are thought to be early 2009.
[edit] References
- ^ Brian Barber. "A More Congenial Spot: Camelot site may be QuikTrip milestone", Tulsa World, 6/19/2007. Retrieved on 2007-07-02.
- ^ OuikTrip Gasoline
- ^ OuikTrip Locations
- ^ Inside Tucson Business - 31 March.
- ^ Fortune magazine profile
- ^ Forbes Ranks QT 32nd largest private company.
- ^ QuikTrip Moves Into Tucson
[edit] External links
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