From Dark & Dingy to Clean But Clunky
When I took over the store, it was a mess, physically, emotionally, and operationally.
Think dim lighting, homemade, wooden shelves, poorly painted, that looked like they came from a garage sale, and staff who did the bare minimum because, frankly, that’s all that was expected of them.
So I started with the obvious: the layout.
I spent a couple thousand dollars to completely remodel the store. I added new shelving, brighter lighting, a clean, professional look that actually made it feel like a real business.
I brought in vendors who helped me stock the best-selling products and gave me the insights I needed to stay competitive. I put the customer first.
The store looked great. And yes, we saw a bump.
But it wasn’t enough.
I had a beautiful store, but I was still putting out fires, still frustrated with the team, still feeling like I was dragging this business uphill. The store was no longer the problem.
The staff was.
I now had a clean, professional storefront, but my staff didn’t match.
The new environment raised the bar. But my team was still acting like they were working in the old version of the store.
That’s when I made a move that most owners wouldn’t dream of.
A 50% Raise—And Why It Made Sense
I didn’t just give them a small bump. I gave them a 50% raise across the board.
Here’s how I made that decision rationally, not emotionally:
- We typically only had one person per shift, open for 14 hours a day.
- So 14 hours × ~$10 extra per hour = $140 more per day in payroll.
But don’t confuse sales with profit.
I didn’t need to make $140 more in sales per day. I needed $140 more in profit.
Assuming a 30% profit margin, I knew I’d need to generate around $470/day in extra sales to cover the raise. So I reverse-engineered my target.
Then I looked at volume.
We sold thousands of small-ticket items every day like candy, energy drinks, snacks, smokes.
Because I was dealing in such high volume, I could spread out the increase over several products, especially our top selling ones.
So I made a small pricing shift:
- Raised some items by $0.05 to $0.25
- Left some items untouched
- Priced higher-margin goods for stronger returns
That simple shift covered the raise. Done. No loss, no guesswork. Math.
And it didn’t just break even. It turned into real upside.
Recruiting the Right People… Finally
I looked around at other businesses.
After the increase, my clerks were making more than Managers at Subway Restaurants, the local grocery store, and every front line employee at the Outlet Mall nearby.
Let that sink in.
Suddenly I wasn’t getting desperate applicants. I was getting driven, capable candidates who wanted to work.
People who could think for themselves. People who took pride in their job.
For the first time, I wasn’t hiring whoever walked in. I was choosing.
And me choosing meant not sifting through resumes.
When I was out and about and I saw someone with true customer service skills, someone I wanted on my team, I recruited them. I chose my team.
And the difference showed.
- No more schedule Tetris
- No more unreliable weirdos
- No more rolling eyes when a customer asked a question
The store ran smooth. Like a damn business.
Results That Paid for Themselves
Within 60 days, the difference was night and day.
- Sales more than doubled
- Staff took pride in their work
- Customers noticed the change
And this was the basis from all of the other improvements I made, from upselling products, having staff that remembered customers names, favorite items; it was the basis for all of the other successes I had.
The regulars loved my staff. I received compliments regularly.
Many of our regulars even brought down big food dishes for staff who had to work on Thanksgiving and Christmas.
That’s building a relationship with your customers looks like.
And when I eventually sold the store, I walked away with more than double what I bought it for.
So yeah. It worked.
Real Talk
Raising pay isn’t charity… It’s a strategy.
But you better pair it with expectations, structure, and training.
You don’t just pay more and sit back. You use that raise to unlock better performance, better recruiting, and better customer experience.
Set the expectation from the start. And hold them to it.
If your store’s clean but your team is chaos? You’re still not open for business.
The Action List (For You, The Owner)
- Look at your layout. Make sure your store is worth walking into.
- Calculate what a raise would cost you in profit, not just payroll.
- Tweak pricing strategically. Small increases on high-volume goods can bridge the gap.
- Advertise the job like it’s worth applying for. Because it is.
- Train and hold staff accountable. New pay, new standards.
TL;DR
- I fixed the store first. That wasn’t enough.
- Gave staff a 50% raise and it brought in quality talent.
- Smart pricing tweaks covered the cost.
- Staff raised their game. Customers noticed. Sales jumped.