Blog written by Jon Brucato and edited by Matthew Bruner
One of the things we’re seeing across retail right now is that the winners aren’t simply the biggest chains — they’re the ones most committed to being the best. That means building a reputation for quality, consistency, and a customer experience that feels different.
Brand Examples of Customer Experience Focus
Look at Starbucks, whose brand is synonymous with coffee and customer experience. Even as they restructure and cut non-store roles, the message from leadership is clear: resources need to be closer to the customer. It’s about elevating the in-store experience, not bloating the layers behind it.
Consider Buc-ee’s. They became a phenomenon because they’ve turned each store into a destination. The focus is on brand reputation, merchandising, and delivering something customers can’t find anywhere else.
And then there’s Kwik Trip, a chain that often says it wants to be the best, not the biggest. That mindset has driven them to invest in vertical integration, operational excellence, and a culture that prizes reputation. The result? A loyal following and one of the strongest brands in the Midwest.
Why Customer Experience Matters
What ties these examples together is a shared understanding: your people should be focused on customers, not paperwork. Growth and differentiation come from the quality of the experience you deliver — not from how many hours managers spend handling invoices or how much back-office staff rekey vendor invoice data.
That’s why automation and outsourcing in areas like AP and EDI matter. They’re not just about cutting costs. They’re about enabling organizations to put their energy where it counts — on building reputation, elevating experience, and being known as the best.
In an industry where margins are thin and competition is everywhere, the lesson from Starbucks, Buc-ee’s, and Kwik Trip is clear: free your teams from the back office so they can do the work that customers actually notice.
