Ever wonder what makes a company last for the long haul? At Nugget Market, that list is long indeed, but the very top is our amazing associates! For the last century, our family-owned company has been dedicated to being a World-Class Employer (one of our 3 Company Goals), because our talented team makes everything we do possible. From industry-leading benefits to some serious opportunities for fun, we go all out to make sure our Nugget Market family knows how much they matter!

For starters, Fun is in our company expectations three different times. We believe you can work hard and play hard, which is why we go out of our way to up the fun factor. This includes everything from companywide adventures like whitewater rafting and snow days to store parties, spirit weeks, and our annual Bag-Off—a chance for all our stores to compete to see who reigns supreme as California’s (and possibly the nation’s!) best bagger.

And as fun as fun is, we also work hard to support our team’s personal and professional development! This includes funding $12,000 in annual scholarships for our associates and their dependents, plus creating opportunities right here in the company like vendor field trips, hands-on training, and promoting from within. One favorite is our Return to Learn program, where every member of our team can choose an extracurricular class (like public speaking, cake decorating, or dance) to take on paid time! And for the truly ambitious, we also offer our year-long Leadership Nugget program to teach them the ins and outs of our company and support their individual growth.

And we keep working to get better, too! After nearly 20 years of ranking on Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” list, we’ve upped our game and partnered with Gallup to dig deeper into what makes our team tick. The purpose of the Gallup survey is not to make it on a list, but to better understand how we can keep improving and build on our culture to benefit our team. After all, Constant Improvement is another one of our Company Goals!

While not everyone grows up dreaming of being in the grocery industry, many of our associates wind up making a career here when they see firsthand what it’s like, and we are truly honored. Whether it’s our dynamic culture of encouragement and fun, our industry-leading benefits (zero-premium health plan and 401(k) retirement options, anyone?), opportunities for growth, or all of the above, we are so grateful for every one of our associates for choosing to be part of the Nugget Market family.

Want to learn more about Nugget Market’s secret sauce? Stay tuned to get the inside scoop on what makes Nugget Market the only one of its kind with new installments every month through our centennial year!