2026 C-Store Manager Awards Winners

Christie delivered 15–20% year-over-year sales growth for three consecutive years, while keeping shrink below 0.2% of sales and maintaining 22% loyalty engagement. Her strong store standards, low employee turnover, and personal relationships with customers reflect her all-around leadership.

Nicole goes beyond managing her own store by supporting new store openings, training new managers, and developing standard operating procedures. Her leadership also contributed to a 5.3% reduction in labor costs and a 25.8% increase in EBITDA.

With more than 18 years of experience, Denise has built strong relationships with her team and community through kindness, flexibility, and personal care. Her team members tend to stay for years, and she continues to focus on improving her store and serving her community.

Julie maintains exceptionally low inventory loss, with shrink reduced enough for her store to move from monthly to quarterly inventories. Her organized, consistently managed store and commitment to developing future managers and supervisors demonstrate strong operational control.

Tonya’s focus on personal service, customer relationships, and promoting loyalty offers has helped her store achieve an average sales increase of approximately 10%. Her team knows regular customers by name, and the store has been recognized as the Best Convenience Store in its local area.

Angie achieved 25.1% sales growth in 2026, including a 19.3% increase in inside sales. Her results reflect a consistent focus on serving customers, trying new ideas, and improving performance. She also earned the Emerald 1 award in her company’s internal recognition program in 2025.

Cierra helped transform store performance, delivering a 32% increase in total sales, a 25% reduction in shrink, and an improvement in gross margin from 32% to 43%. Her 95% employee retention rate also reflects her focus on team engagement and consistent store operations.

Amy’s leadership helped drive a 16% increase in inside sales and 20% growth in the food business at her location. She has also developed several store leaders through direct leadership and mentorship, while continuing to grow her own skills and support other managers.

With 42 years at WOCO, Deb has built a remarkable career spanning store management, area management, project management, and retail technology. She has trained hundreds of store and district managers, helped resolve complex operational challenges, and played a key role in strengthening store operations, technology, and controls. Her experience and dedication have made her a trusted resource across the organization.