Culture Chronicles 2024 - Nugget Market, Inc. - English

Culture

Culture CHRONICLES

A Game of Wits!

Riddle me this…

I am your greatest helper or heaviest burden.

I will push you onward or drag you down to disappointment.

I am your constant companion. I am at your command.

Half the things you do might just as well be turned over to me.

Those who are great, I have made great. Those who are failures, I have made failures.

I am not a machine, though I work with all the precision of a machine plus the intelligence of a person.

Show me how you want it done. Educate me. Train me. Lead me. Reward me. And I will then… do it automatically.

I am your servant.

Who am I?

See p. 58 for the answer!

Do you know all our stores’ nicknames?

Store #1: Aces

Store #2: Mighty Mace Mavericks

Store #3: Coming Soon!

Store #5: Florin Kings

Store #6: Team Sixcess

Store #7: Wolf Pack

Store #8: Gladi8ors

Store #9: Gold 9ers

Store #10: The Perfect 10

Store #11: Phoenix

Store #12: The Show

Store #14: Shark Tank

Store #15: The Icebox

Store #16: The Warriors

Store #17: Bear Squad

Store #21: Blackjack

Store #30: Team 30 Rock

Warehouse & NMK: The Hive

SCAN TO SEE A VIDEO ABOUT STORE #3: ROCKLIN!

Letter From Eric Stille

Hello Team and welcome to our 2024 Culture Chronicles!

2024 marks our 98th year in business and our 18th year of being recognized as one of Fortune’s “Top 100 Best Companies to Work For”! Everyone deserves a “pat on the back” and a huge thank you for these amazing accomplishments, for we all come together to create something very special: a Family, that does not settle, always pushing ourselves to become stronger and better, while at the same time having fun and building lasting friendships and lifelong bonds! We create a unique shopping experience that is very hard to duplicate as true trendsetters in the grocery industry.

I hope you enjoy reading and reliving some of last year’s memories and highlights. Special thanks to our amazing Marketing Team for putting together our 5th edition of the Culture Chronicles! May it bring a smile to your face and spur on conversations as you learn a bit more about our benefits and culture. So, what is a “culture” of a company?

The culture of a company is a living, breathing “thing” that is constantly changing, defining a company and its team members. It can be strong or weak, positive or negative. It is pliable and everchanging. This company is blessed with a strong, positive culture that pulls us together. We laugh, have fun, share, grow, and sometimes even cry as a Family. We respect and appreciate everyone, and we protect our culture and one another.

Our guests feel our spirit when they enter our stores. Our culture is a big reason our guests shop with us and enjoy coming to the market! They too want to be part of our Family. Every day and every time you execute World-Class Service and our 7 Guest Guidelines, you strengthen our culture and our bond with our guests!

Thank you, team, for being the best and making us the BEST! You are amazing and YOU make our culture and Nugget Market!

Cheers and many thanks,

Eric Stille

Your Chairman, at your service

RESPECT AWESOME VIVACIOUS ENERGY

REALLY APPRECIATE VEGAN ECHIDNAS

AMAZING ROBUST EVERYONE RUGGED ARTICULATE EGGS VALUE

VINTAGE

RAVE can stand for many things, but here at Nugget Market, we stand for RAVE. To Respect, Appreciate and Value Everyone is not just a catchy phrase we put on a wall—we live by this Core Value every day in every way! From our guests and vendors to our fellow associates, we know our differences make us stronger, our quirks make us unique, and our welcoming inclusivity invites each and every one of us to embrace and celebrate who we are together (including the rugged, articulate, vegan echidnas)!

APPRECIATION BELIEF RECOGNITION

ENCOURAGEMENT

HELP ENTHUSIASM

THE GOLDEN RULE

BOOST

SPECIFIC PRAISE

Bucket Moments

What is a bucket moment? Quite simply, any time someone does or says something to make someone else feel GOOD. Basically, we all have invisible buckets that are constantly filled or emptied depending on what others say or do to us (like an emotional bank account). When we do or say something to make someone else feel good, we fill their bucket... and our own! These inspiring moments happen all the time and are one of the many ways we see RAVE in action. At the end of every CTF meeting (see p. 47), our teams volunteer Bucket Moments from their stores, and while there are simply too many heartwarming tales to count, here are a few of our favorites.

Store #2

One associate knew another member of their team had food allergies and took the time to research and buy a few snacks they could eat safely, filling that associate’s bucket and stomach!

Store #5

One associate wrote UMUBs for all the checkers who had a 0 balance or penny off their tills at the end of the day—it’s easy to call out opportunities, but it’s just as important to recognize those who consistently do a great job!

Store #7

A leader coached an associate who was struggling to keep going, challenging them to keep at it without compromise because he knew they could do it. While he worried it was tough love at first, the associate came back later to thank him, saying it was just what they needed, which filled both their buckets in the end!

Store #10

When an associate’s car broke down and they were without transportation for a while, a few other associates pitched in to help by giving them rides in the meantime!

Store #17

An associate saw a post on our Nugget Market Facebook page about the zodiac signs as Halloween candy and took it around the team so everyone could share some fun and laughs with their signs and candies!

Store #30

A pair of associates filled each other’s buckets when one trained the other with such energy and enthusiasm it was mirrored back with receptivity and appreciation—one of the biggest messages you can send is when you care enough to invest in someone!

Some common threads we keep hearing across our stores are stories of people filling buckets daily just by being rays of sunshine and spreading positivity and joy wherever they go! Our amazing teams also make a habit of stepping up to support each other during both the hard times—rallying together with thoughtful words, covered shifts, etc.—and the good— sharing birthday balloons, intercom calls, baby showers and more!

Everyone’s family may feel like a circus sometimes, and ours is proudly so! Clocking in at over 2000-strong, our Nugget Market, Inc. Family includes throngs of talented people spread across 16 stores plus our Nugget Market Kitchen (NMK), Warehouse and Corporate Office. Not only that, we’ve also been family-owned and family-focused for nearly a century! Since the House of Nugget is so huge, we thought we’d introduce a few folks you may not know yet. Whether they’re familiar faces or behind-the-scenes heroes, let’s hear it for our Nugget Market Family!

The Astonishing Admins

Who handles that? Our Admin.

Where can I order one of those?

Through our Admin. Who can help with coverage? Admin!

Touching many areas of our stores’ operations are our amazing Admin Assistants! Serving both our external and internal guests (U!), these masters of multitasking and experts of communication are the backbone of our stores, helping support, connect and encourage everyone on our team. With responsibilities ranging from covering phones, inputting schedules, handling new hire paperwork and ordering supplies to party planning, organizing donations, compiling Guest Comment binders, managing marketing signage and more, Admins wear many, many hats indeed. One thing is for sure, there’s never a dull (or disorganized) moment when our Admins are involved!

Fun Fact: Our CorpSupport Team is like our Admin to the Admins, serving our corporate office, store teams and external guests!

Sara W., Admin at Store #6

Rose R., Admin at Store #12

Left to Right:

Catrina L., Nydia G., Nathan S. and Veneticia R.

The Inside Scoop on Store Directors

Step right up and witness the eighth wonder of the world… our Store Directors! Do you know how many of these leaders started as Courtesy Clerks? Or which one is an ordained minister? How about whom to go to if you desperately need a sweet potato? While not everyone grows up saying they want to be in the grocery industry (shocking, we know), we work hard to help every associate unlock their potential and reach trapese-worthy heights. This dedicated brand of servant leadership helps grow every new generation into the superstars they are. Case in point: this ragtag group of ridiculously awesome ringleaders!

Marylin Thorne

Store #6, West Sacramento

1. Loves long walks on the beach collecting shells with her granddaughter

2. DIY enthusiast, restorer of old things; currently restoring a vintage trailer

3. Can be frequently found manning the BBQ/grilling, even in the rain

4. 1 husband and 3 dogs named Tootsie Marie, Rudi Anne and Luci Lee

◂ Store Director #6

◂ Store Director #11

◂ Assistant Store Director #6

◂ Assistant Store Director #11

◂ PIC #11

◂ PIC #12

◂ PIC #1

◂ Coffee Bar Manager #1

◂ GM/HBC Manager #30

◂ Video Department #1

◂ Checker #1

◂ Courtesy Clerk #1 Your pop quiz answer from p. 65!

Rodney Beebe

Store #1, Woodland

1. Competitive lover of basketball

2. Forgot English as a child living overseas; first word relearned: “asparagus”

3. Can bend both thumbs back 90° (comes in clutch for thumb wrestling)

4. 1 wife, 5 kids, 1 dog named Bailey

Jonathan Donnelly

Store #2, Davis (Mace)

1. Loves working side by side with his team in the trenches

2. Bringing on the laughter factor and FUN is the name of the game

3. Avid In-n-Out enjoyer, would eat it for rest of life

4. Passionate about seeing the world; happy place is Oahu, Hawai’i

Jazzmen Simms

Store #5, Sacramento

1. Go-getter who’s ready and willing to do ANYTHING for her team

2. Loves boujee brunch with friends, street (must be street) tacos and the gym

3. Passionate about overall wellness (physical and mental)

4. Superpower is event planning; once hosted 50-person self-care day party

◂ Store Director #1

◂ Store Director #7

◂ Store Director #2

◂ Assistant Store Director #9

◂ Manager in Charge #7

◂ Produce Manager #6

◂ Assistant Produce Manager #1

◂ Assistant Produce Manager #2

◂ Assistant Night Crew Manager #21

◂ Night Crew Clerk #30

◂ Produce Wet-Line Clerk #11

◂ Produce Clerk #12

◂ Produce Wet-Line Clerk #30

Erick St. John

Store #11, Vacaville

1. A Iil’ crazy and a lot of fun; brings positive vibes and accountability

2. Has seen Dave Matthews Band over 20 times (and will keep seeing them)

3. Ordained minister who’s performed 27 weddings; talented MC

4. 1 wife, 2 daughters, 2 mini Australian Shepherds named Sven and Kap

◂ Store Director #2

◂ Store Director #14

◂ Assistant Store Director #14

◂ Manager in Charge #14 & #15

◂ PIC #12

◂ Deli Floor Captain #12

◂ Deli Floor Captain #11

◂ Deli Clerk #11

◂ Checker #11

◂ Courtesy Clerk #11

◂ Store Director #5

◂ Store Director #14

◂ Assistant Store Director #8

◂ Marketing Coordinator, Corporate

◂ Assistant Store Director #21

◂ Manager in Charge #21

◂ PIC #1

◂ Training Team Trainer, Corporate

◂ Courtesy & Checker Top Gun #6

◂ Checker #6

◂ Courtesy Clerk #6

◂ Store Director #11

◂ Store Director #5

◂ Store Director #2

◂ Kitchen Manager/ Assistant Store Director #1

◂ Assistant Store Director #7

◂ Manager in Charge #7

◂ Manager in Charge #1

◂ Manager in Charge #2

◂ PIC #2

◂ Kitchen Manager #11

◂ Manager in Charge #11

◂ PIC #2

◂ PIC #1

◂ Checker/Produce/Grocery #1

◂ Specialty Foods Manager #11

◂ Produce #1

◂ Checker #1

◂ Coffee Bar/Courtesy Clerk #1

◂ Walls and Ends/Dairy #30

◂ Coffee Bar #1

◂ Video Department #1

◂ Courtesy Clerk #1

◂ Bakery Guest Service #1

◂ Bakery Breakout/Cleanup #1

Angel Nolasco

Store #10, Roseville (Blue Oaks)

1. Business-minded with high expectations, mixing sternness and humor

2. Passionate about painting, drawing and creating mixed media artwork

3. Equally enthused about Metallica, Star Wars, SD ComicCon and NY-style pizza

4. 2 pugs named Mugsy and Clyde, 1 mini pinscher named GiGi

Hilary Owen

Store #7, Roseville (Pleasant Grove)

1. Resident jingle writer and silly goose

2. Always has a sweet potato handy

3. Loves singing and writing music in her band, Mirours

4. 1 husband, 1 baby girl and 1 chonky cat named Gatsby (a.k.a. Fatsby)

◂ Opening our New Store!

◂ Store Director #10

◂ Store Director #6

◂ Director of Meat Operations

◂ Store Director #7

◂ Store Director #11

◂ Store Director #2

◂ Store Director #21

◂ Assistant Manager #11

◂ Assistant Manager #1

◂ Assistant Manager #4

◂ Deli Manager #4

◂ Meat Manager #4

◂ Meat Cutter #4

◂ Meat Apprentice #4

◂ Meat/Deli #4

◂ Stock Crew #4

◂ Courtesy/Meat Cleanup #4

Brian Wagner

Store #8, Elk Grove

1. Hands-on, in the mix; not in front of or behind you, but right beside you

2. Into: hip-hop, lo-fi and surf rock, plus outdoor fun, The Office and making food

3. Loves salads loaded to the point where it isn’t even really healthy

4. 0 pets (self-professed weirdo about pet hair)

Julie Sa

Store #9, El Dorado Hills

1. Prioritizes team and guests with an execution mindset… gets it done!

2. Known for being in perpetual “fast motion” (a.k.a. “Squirrel”)

3. Makes some KILLER enchiladas and loves exploring trails, lakes and the great outdoors

4. 1 husband, 3 sons and 1 mini goldendoodle, Kallie

◂ Store Director #7

◂ Assistant Store Director #12

◂ Assistant Store Director #10

◂ Manager in Charge #10

◂ PIC #7

◂ Checker/Barista #7

◂ Coffee Bar Manager #9

◂ Barista #9

◂ Checker #9

◂ Courtesy Clerk #9

◂ Store Director #8

◂ Director of Bakery Operations

◂ Production Bakery Manager, (now) NMK

◂ Bakery Manager #12

◂ Bakery Manager #8

◂ Coffee Bar Manager #8

◂ Deli Floor Captain #8

◂ Deli Clerk #8

◂ Deli Clerk #12

◂ Store Director #9

◂ Assistant Store Director #9

◂ Manager in Charge #9

◂ Kitchen Manager #9

◂ PIC #9

◂ Checker/Checker Top Gun #9

Quentine Lambert

Store #14, Tiburon

1. Resident hype-man; like Christmas in a person

2. Loves anime, video games and lifting weights

3. Had a bout of chronic sleepwalking in college

4. 1 wife who makes epic chicken parm, 1 Bernese mountain dog/BFF named Nana

Kanoa Aipia

Store #15, Corte Madera

1. Swonky (suave + wonky), quick-to-laugh curator of esoteric info

2. Can fit a soda can between his teeth and put down a full turkey dinner

3. Constantly thinks about food, even while eating food

4. 1 wife, 3 cats, 2 bearded dragons and an undisclosed number of tortoises

Chaunté Chastang

Store #16, Novato

1. A warrior! Disciplined, driven and dedicated

2. Favorite feasts include baby carrots or enchiladas with rice and beans

3. Loves learning about investing, singing and listening to audiobooks

4. 0 pets—unless her brother and sisters count

◂ Store Director #14

◂ Store Director #2

◂ Assistant Store Director #6

◂ Assistant Store Director #2

◂ Assistant Store Director #6

◂ Manager in Charge #6

◂ PIC #6

◂ Checker #6

◂ Checker #11

◂ Courtesy Top Gun #11

◂ Courtesy Clerk #11

Jonathan Giannini

Store #12, Davis (Covell)

1. Competitive, focused and detail-oriented coach and teller of dad jokes (sometimes funny)

2. Not bad at drawing cartoons or playing sports

3. Loves a good lasagna (like Garfield)

4. 2 kids, 1 dog named Ruby

◂ Store Director #15

◂ Assistant Store Director #8

◂ Manager in Charge #5

◂ PIC #5

◂ Specialty Cheese Manager #5

◂ Specialty Cheese Clerk #5

◂ Deli Clerk #8

◂ Store Director #12

◂ Store Director #16

◂ Store Director #7

◂ Assistant Store Director/ Grocery Manager #21

◂ Assistant Store Director #12

◂ Assistant Store Director/Deli Floor Captain #7

◂ Assistant Store Director #6

◂ Assistant Store Director #7

◂ PIC #7

◂ PIC #12

◂ Specialty Grocery #12

◂ Checker #12

◂ Courtesy Clerk #2

◂ ProClean #2

◂ Store Director #16

◂ Produce #7

◂ Assistant Store Director #7

◂ Manager in Charge #7

◂ PIC #1

◂ POS #30

◂ Top Gun #30

◂ Utility Clerk #30

Vicente Osegueda

Store #30, Food 4 Less, Woodland

1. Fun, welcoming, respectful and versatile, valuing real, genuine connection

2. Loves fishing, biking, listening to anything by Mana and being by the water

3. Would eat pupusas forever

4. Has small zoo: chickens, 2 dogs, 3 cats, a tortoise and a fish pond (plus kids)

Cody Moody

◂ Store Director #30

◂ Assistant Store Director (plus role of Kitchen Manager for a while) #17

◂ Manager in Charge #5

◂ Manager in Charge #2

◂ PIC #30

◂ PIC #2

◂ Grocery/Checker #2

◂ Courtesy Clerk #2

Store #17, Sonoma Market, Sonoma

1. Vigorous, forward-pressing and uplifting; Adventure Guide to FUN

2. Intrepid outdoor thrillseeker (snowboarding, jetskiing, hiking... does it all)

3. Loves being on top of mountains and enjoying cheeseburgers with extra pickles

4. 1 wife, 1 set of twin girls and 1 red heeler named Odie

◂ Store Director #17

◂ Store Director #14

◂ Grocery Manager #1

◂ Grocery Manager #5

◂ Healthy Living Specialist #1

◂ Healthy Living Specialist #8

◂ Healthy Living Specialist #2

◂ Checker #12

◂ Courtesy Clerk #6

Randy Watson

Store #21, Fork Lift, Cameron Park

1. Consistent leader and huge fan of the Kansas City Chiefs

2. Loves photography, pizza and rockin’ to Rush

3. Took the stage as singer in several bands; favorite song to belt out is “Stairway to Heaven”

4. 1 wife, 3 kids; also had a cat who lived for 24 years

◂ Store Director #21

◂ Produce Manager #30

◂ Produce Manager #21

◂ Store Director #6

◂ Assistant Store Director #12

◂ Front End #20

◂ Produce #20

But Wait, There’s More!

Matt Morley Director of Information Technology

1. Hardworking Mack Stille Legacy Award winner with a huge collection of Guess watches

2. Rollercoaster enthusiast; can’t get enough twists, loops, drops and speed

3. Loves music (except jazz), has been to American Music and Billboard Music Awards

4. 1 wife (they met at Store #1 over 3 decades ago!), 4 kids

Jillian Matta Workers’ Compensation Coordinator

1. Cool, calm and collected

2. Appreciates art, oldies and soul, and the beauty of the coast

3. Plays/watches/consumes (probably too many) sports

4. Loves sushi and her Golden Retriever pup, Ozzie

Being a Store Director isn’t the only ultimate option for anyone looking to progress their career at Nugget Market. See how two marvelous members of our Corporate Team made it to where they are!

◂ Director of Information Technology, Corporate

◂ Manager of Information Systems, Corporate

◂ MIS Coordinator, Corporate

◂ Scan Coordinator, Corporate

◂ POS Clerk #1

◂ Reset Team

◂ Head Clerk (a.k.a. PIC) #1

◂ Checker #1

◂ Night Stock Clerk #1

◂ Day Stock Clerk #1

◂ Frozen Foods Clerk #1

◂ Dairy Box Clerk #1

◂ Courtesy Clerk #1

◂ Meat Cleanup #1

◂ Workers’ Compensation Coordinator, Corporate

◂ Benefits Team, Corporate

◂ Kitchen Manager #11

◂ Assistant Store Director #17

◂ Floor Captain #1

◂ PIC #1

◂ PIC #12

◂ Courtesy Clerk #1 & #12

The

Curious World of Accounting

Our Accounting Team is responsible for managing our company’s finances and providing information to assist in decision-making processes. They balance (get it??) a lot of different roles, but here are some of their key duties!

Auditing Daily Sales

All transactions that run through the registers are audited weekly to ensure accuracy of sales reported. Activity at the registers is our main source of revenue, so we need to ensure that we’re capturing the transactions completely and accurately. The team works with and supports the Bookkeepers to investigate and resolve any issues identified. Every week, they also report on the sales and

labor of each store and department through the side-by-side report, which store leaders receive.

Processing Invoices

Everything we purchase flows through our Accounts Payable (A/P) Department. Our A/P Team is made up of six associates with over 65 years of combined experience. In 2023, A/P processed over half a million invoices from our vendors. Processing involves a variety of activities such as: entering invoices, balancing spreadsheets with invoices, investigating and resolving pricing discrepancies, investigating duplicate invoices, communicating with buyers on deal pricing, communicating with vendors, reviewing monthly statements, fielding purchase journal

inquiries, ensuring vendors are paid on time so that we’re getting our discounts, retrieving invoices, processing expense reports and mileage reimbursements and interfacing the A/P detail into the general ledger—just to name a few!

Paying Bills

After processing invoices, approximately 500 vendor payments are issued every week. Of this, approximately 180 are checks that are mailed out manually. Afterwards, every invoice is scanned, and data from each invoice is keyed and saved into our software for document retention. Additionally, we have over 2,600 active vendors in the system that need to be maintained and updated when changes occur.

Accounts Receivable

While most of our guests pay at the register before they leave the store, there are a handful of other arrangements where we receive payments outside the stores. Primarily these are situations where our vendors pay us—like with bill backs, our stop sign program, ad monies and slotting. In 2023, we processed about 21,000 transactions with just one Accounts Receivable associate.

Reporting & Close

The Accounting Team manages the general ledger (GL), which is the official register of all business activity. It’s the basis for all our historical financial reports. At the end of each quarter, the

Accounting Team focuses on ensuring accuracy of each GL account through reconciliation and review. A significant part of this process is obtaining the results of the physical inventory counts and working with store and corporate leadership to finalize quarter-end inventory balances, review gross profit percentages (GPPs) and ultimately generate the quarterly P&L reports. After we close one quarter, we use that historical financial information to project what the following quarter’s results will be. Once projections are completed, it’s almost time to start the quarterend historical reporting process again! This is a never-ending cycle that keeps Accounting associates employed!

...& More!

We’ve probably bored you enough, but there are several other areas that Accounting is engaged in. Some of these activities are: monitoring several different kinds of taxes (income, sales and use, real property, personal property) and related tax returns, managing licenses and permits, completing required government census reporting, managing insurance programs and maintaining banking relationships.

Meet Sue Patella, CFO

Born and raised in Sacramento, Sue earned her Mathematics degree from UC Davis before diving into the financial industry. Throughout her career, she’s spent about 20 years performing financial audits for companies ranging from banks and insurance companies to real estate developers and local soda bottlers. She also led the general accounting and consolidations team at a company previously based in Sacramento for about 10 years, before ultimately taking on the role of Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at Nugget Market, Inc. in 2023.

What drew you to Nugget Market?

Greg Hill! While I had always enjoyed visiting Nugget Market, there is not one very close to my house and therefore I didn’t really have a lot of exposure to the culture. When Greg reached out to me, I was not necessarily looking for another job, but he drew me in with the lure of amazing people, outstanding culture and an opportunity to learn something new. I still have a lot to learn about the company and the

grocery industry, but everyone has been so willing to share their experiences and knowledge to help get me up to speed! This job and the people here are everything Greg promised and more!

How do you like it so far?

I’ve never worked somewhere before where everyone is so positive and caring. (Note: I’ve been working for more than 30 years so there have been many opportunities!) I love coming to work here every day because you all make it a special place to be!

What are your hobbies or extracurricular passions?

Playing soccer! I play indoor soccer two nights a week and outdoor soccer on Sundays (when my own kids don’t have sports!).

What’s your favorite quote?

“For our own success to be real, it must contribute to the success of others.” —Eleanor Roosevelt

FUN FACTS:

1. 1 husband, 3 kids, 1 dog, a Rhodesian Ridgeback named Kona

2. Can moonwalk better than MJ himself (miiiiiiiiight be an overstatement)

3. Would subsist entirely on ahi tuna poke bowls

4. Has a newfound love of our Bakery’s challah rolls

5. Dabs whenever she scores a goal while playing soccer (only when she knows her kids are watching)

Meet Greg Hill, CEO/President

Originally from Walnut Creek, Greg moved to Sacramento to earn his Business degree from CSU Sacramento. Since then, his career has ranged from working at a global accounting firm to an in-house finance role, becoming an entrepreneur by acquiring and later selling the company to working as CFO and Co-President at Save Mart. All these roles helped Greg learn the value of world-class service, culture, servant leadership and a work hard, play hard mentality before he finally joined the Nugget Market family as CFO in 2019, and became CEO in 2023.

What drew you to Nugget Market?

Save Mart taught me the fundamentals of the industry, and that some of life’s most important lessons come in the form of what not to do. Although a family-owned company like Nugget, the similarities stopped there. The best thing that came out of my Save Mart experience was the opportunity to meet Eric Stille and then Nugget CFO, Dennis Lindsay. Working in the industry, I had great admiration for Nugget and its legendary quality and service. I had no idea at the time that my interactions with Eric and Dennis would lead me to Nugget, but that’s exactly what happened when Dennis retired in 2019.

How do you like it so far?

The last 5 years with Nugget have been without a doubt the highlight of my career. I can honestly say the culture and people that make up the Nugget family are EXTRAORDINARY. I have enjoyed every moment and am excited for the what the future holds.

What are your hobbies or extracurricular passions?

1) Working on anything mechanical. I love getting dirty and figuring out how things work. My father built and raced cars, and I inherited his passion for anything with four wheels (especially if it’s German). I always have at least one project going in my garage.

2) Fitness is a MUST when it comes to maintaining balance in my life.

What’s your favorite quote?

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts.” —Winston Churchill

SCAN TO SEE GREG REVEAL OUR NEW PRIZE WHEEL!

FUN FACTS:

1. 1 wife, 3 kids, 2 cats (Max and Fuzz), 1 very spoiled English Cream Retriever (Marley)

2. Once waved the starting flag at a NASCAR race

3. Loves all genres of music, especially live; has seen 30+ concerts ranging from The Beastie Boys, Prince and Metallica to his favorite, Miles Davis

4. Learned the Rubik’s cube at 13 and still fiddles with one when working on tough problems

5. Does his own stunts (watch our new prize wheel reveal video for proof!)

While it’s been a lively party so far, it’s time to get serious about our expectations as a company. Just so we’re all clear, where does FUN fit in with the workday? Well, considering it’s one of our Core Values and in our Global Expectations THREE times, it’s safe to say work and play go hand in hand here at Nugget Market—whether you’re singing in chorus, joking around or celebrating a milestone with coworkers, enthusiastically engaging with guests to foster genuine connection or tagging along on a company-wide adventure, FUN is REQUIRED, no ifs, ands or buts. Because when we have fun, it lifts our spirits and makes everyone’s day a little brighter—HAVE A GOOD TIME, dang it! It’s for your own good!

Disneyland is undoubtedly a place of fun and magic. Know what’s also magical and fun? Bonding with your peers! That’s precisely why we flew out all our Managers and Corporate Directors by department to experience an all-expenses-paid day to be remembered forever. Props to Tina M. for making it all happen!

Our 30th Annual Bag-Off

As one of our biggest, most anticipated annual company events, the Bag-Off is part celebration, part competition—starring none other than our amazing Courtesy Clerks, of course! This party is for them and all they do to support so many areas of our stores, a spotlight they deserve. But it’s also to show off their artful yet swift bagging skills and put them to the test for a chance to go to Nationals and win a $10,000 CA$H PRIZE!

This time, it was extra special because it was our 30th annual Bag-Off, and seeing as it was also the same three-decade anniversary of a certain classic timetravel movie, we couldn’t resist a little pun. Thus, the event was dubbed Bag to the Future 2023! We held the event at Cal Expo, and the scene was set by Jeff A. and the Get ’er Done team, complete with a clocktower and DeLorean. Everyone showed up in style, and after dinner (in the form of food trucks) and a show (in the form of store skits), the competition

began! Judged on aspects like speed, weight distribution and proper technique, one practiced Courtesy from each store burst into action.

Ultimately, it was Coby E. from Store #10 who took home the grand prize for the second year in a row and went on to represent Nugget Market and California at Nationals! For their impeccable vibes, volume and level of enthusiasm, the Spirit Cat went home with the Florin Kings of Store #5—and, in proper fashion, has since been stolen. Wherefore art thou, O Cat?!

Frightfully Fun Fashion

Due to the overwhelming popularity of our past Halloween costume contests (and the intense competitiveness they inspired), we decided to hold another one and let our guests vote on which store wore it best! It was a tight race with the lead swapping between Store #12, Store #6, Store #15 and Store #5 all day, but Store #5 pulled away from the rest and ran away with the win for a back-to-back victory and pizza party—not to mention bragging rights!

The Winners! Store #5

Spirit Days

When we’re not in our regular polo or t-shirt uniforms, that means there’s spirit in the air… and it’s time to dress to impress! From holiday festivities to themed Spirit Weeks, almost any excuse to show up in style is a valid one! Can you tell the cause for celebration...?

Ragin’ Waters

Nugget-style fun doesn’t have to happen within store walls! If getting wet in the sun and making new friends as you work together to stay afloat is your idea of a good time, you’re onto something. We’re all about nautical nonsense, complete with food and water cannons! For over 20 years now, we’ve been having a splash rafting on the river thanks to ETC (Environmental Travel Companions), whose mission is to make adventures like these accessible for all.

Snowy Slopes

Whether you’ve never seen snow or are a pro at shredding the pow pow, our Snow Days at Sierra at Tahoe are fun for everyone, with lessons and gear rentals available for those who wanted them (plus FOOD)! It’s hard not to have a smile on the slopes (photographically evidenced). Each trip was an absolute blizzard of fun with thrills abounding! If you didn’t make it this time, think about going next year!

Clocking in at Core Value #4 is the all-important, death-defying, worldrenowned… POSITIVE ATTITUDE! While this simple state may not seem worthy of all those adjectives, you can’t put a price on positivity. In fact, we look for this optimistic characteristic when hiring because such a stance is superlatively superior to the alternative. You see, with the right attitude, everything else can be taught! As Henry Ford once said, “Whether you think you can, or think you can’t—you’re right.” So, no matter what happens, remember that staying positive is a tremendous tool to overcoming challenges, celebrating success and everything in between!

Walley World

Normally, we like to infuse FUN into our year-end P&L summit —and for 2023, it was way more than just a meeting. Our Warehouse grounds were transformed into our very own Walley World by our talented Get ’er Done team, with food, games and rides galore. Speaking of rides, you know we had to make it a little competitive! Each store was a team (nothing out of the norm there), and with their chosen Spirit Captain (a.k.a. Moose-cateer) at the helm, it was a race for everyone to complete rides and earn a bead necklace for each one. Enough beads from every ride for every person in the group meant the team earned an enamel pin to mark their achievement! The rides were department-themed, and the store-level departments that scored top spot in the P&L power rankings (see p. 64) got to skip the line to their corresponding ride! It was a day full of working together, spirit and challenge—nothing out of the ordinary.

Mantra Video Contest

In2022, every one of our stores was tasked with creating their own mantra, a unifying declaration of their team’s unique personality, goals and drive in 15 words or less. (Do you know yours??) The mantras were a BIG HIT, so in 2023, we took it a step further and challenged our teams to put them on film. With little time and no budget, our stores pulled out all the stops to produce 90-second-orless mini movies that truly captured what it means to live their mantra on their home turf, in their own style and with their own people. While they were all Oscar-worthy performances, this challenge was a contest and only three could reign supreme.

MANTRA VIDEOS

Missed the world premiere? Watch all the videos here!

Masterful Merchandising

Part of having a Positive Attitude is taking pride in our work, and whether we do or don’t, it shows! Thankfully, our stores are known for their stunning displays along with world-class service and quality thanks to all the care, skill and thoughtfulness our associates put into building sets, facing aisles and generally keeping our stores looking great. Some displays even cross-merchandise to support multiple departments at once!

5 Basics to Increase Sales

Quality:

Only the freshest, bestest products make it onto our displays.

Cleanliness & Safety:

No dust bunnies or unstable stacks to be seen!

Stock Level:

Our featured products are full, faced and fit to be bought!

Signage & Accurate Pricing:

Tags and labels show our delicious deals.

Guest Satisfaction:

Attentive associates = great displays = happy guests!

Trust is like the classic carnival game and ultimate test of strength—the high striker. Case in point: Trust is the hardest thing to earn, and the easiest thing to lose. It takes strength, dedication and consistency to be able to hit the highest mark on a regular basis, and all it takes is one mistake (or gravity) to let it fall. In other words, we have to be active about it! When we give it our all to serve each other, our guests and our community, the passion and purpose ring out loud and clear, whereas half-hearted follow-through, questionable quality and subpar service yield results that don’t speak to our potential. Whether it’s with our fellow associates or guests, we win Trust through integrity, quality and consistency, and we keep it the same way. Trust or bust!

Taking Pride in Earning Trust!

Our Pride Sticker program gives us a clear daily metric of how committed we are to conducting thorough quality inspections. The quality of our products directly (and hugely!) impacts our guests’ TRUST in us! Every time you and your team earn another Pride Sticker, it’s an affirmation of your consistency in building TRUST. Every time all the Pride Stickers come off your department’s communication board, it means a quality issue compromised our guests’ TRUST. If a quality issue ended your department’s Pride Sticker streak and you don’t know what it was, you aren’t paying enough attention to this area. It’s key to look at safeguarding our quality through the lens of TRUST. Every day, we have the chance to earn our guests’ TRUST by carefully inspecting our products to ensure they’re fresh, in-code and up to our quality standards!

Chris Carpenter, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT/CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER

Safety First!

The safety of our team and our guests is paramount in all we do, and our awe-inspiring Safety Team helps make it happen! With help from the boots-on-the-ground Safety Specialists at each of our stores, our Safety Team works hard to improve food safety, guest safety and associate safety at all our locations. Through safety packets and store walks identifying points of prime preparedness along with areas of opportunity, stores earn quarterly safety grades, and the two stores with the best year in safety earn the coveted Safety Award—see p. 97 to see who won it last year!

Did you know Safety is more than First Aid and CPR? While those are both very important (sign up to take one of our internal trainings!), our curators of caution also handle compliance issues like Prop 65, health inspections, etc., OSHA items, supplies, training, workers’ compensation and, as of this year, sustainability (see p. 85 to learn more). Remember, even with a crack team of experts, safety is everyone’s job!

SAFETY SPECIALISTS

◂ Store #1: Tim B.

◂ Store #2: James P. & Tim R.

◂ Store #5: Adrian R. & Taylor V.

◂ Store #6: Jessica H. & Teresa N.

◂ Store #7: Courtney T. & Kyle H.

◂ Store #8: Dan C. & Matt F.

◂ Store #9: Sharon P. & Noah M.

◂ Store #10: Abbey M. & Olivia L.

◂ Store #11: Brad A. & Theresa D.

◂ Store #12: Paul D. & Sabrina A.

◂ Store #14: Steven O. & Didier E. G.

◂ Store #15: Uly T. & Roxanne H.

◂ Store #16: Brendan D. & Oscar M.

◂ Store #17: Monica P.

◂ Store #21: Santino M. & Danielle M.

◂ Store #30: Kenny N. & John G.

◂ NMK/WHS: Laura B., Callan W. & Philippe C.

Jillian M. & Sean R., Corporate Safety Specialists

ProClean Dream Team

Our guests trust us to provide them top-notch quality, world-class service and the CLEANEST stores around. While cleanliness (like safety) is everyone’s responsibility, our ProClean team takes it to another level. Meet some of the ProClean pros who make our stores shine!

Demis M.

Rudy C.

Store #12

“The pride and effort that Rudy puts into any task he takes on is something that is exemplary, bottom line. Any task given to Rudy is executed and completed with confidence, and there is literally no job he won’t take on. His ability to support our team by doing the jobs that require his expertise and handiwork is remarkable, and he always does any task with a smile and without hesitation. He actually takes initiative and connects with leaders to ensure that the inconvenient, challenging jobs are scheduled and handled. Rudy takes total-store pride in setting our team up for ultimate success, and he is a key player in keeping The Show looking sparkling clean. Rudy is also a service superstar; the guests that Rudy interacts with are always taken aback by how knowledgeable and helpful he is. Truly, The Show would not be the same without him!”

Store #6

“Demis is an amazing all-star associate with a positive attitude, and he has fun no matter what tasks are thrown in his direction; the answer is always YES! He truly lives our store mantra daily and works with the total store mindset. Not only does he keep the store clean top to bottom, but he also lends a helping hand in any department that is in need. There are times you’ll see him jumping back to his roots and bench or bake bread, come in at 2 a.m. to help set up the floral displays, help count inventory, step in to work a freight crew shift (so the FC team can have the night off to have their quarterly meeting), jump into receive loads and help with being Mr. Fix-It in the store.”

Santino M.

Store #21

“We can’t say enough about how awesome Santino is. He keeps our store spotless while working pro-clean and maintenance, and his attention to detail is amazing. When we are short-staffed in the Deli, Santino jumps in (no matter what the shift is) and gets the job done. Never does he complain—he just asks what needs to be done next. He always has a can-do attitude and a smile on his face. Santino is an AMAZING ASSOCIATE!”

Communication

Have you ever played telephone and the first person says something like, “I brought a tuna sandwich for lunch,” and by the end, the twelfth person in line hears, “Some of the best foods don’t require chewing, like cotton candy”? To help avoid such silly misunderstandings, our company is dedicated to constant, copious and clear communication. From departmental communication boards and U-Tube messages to rallies, internal publications (like this one!), ongoing training opportunities and two-way dialogue with our team for total transparency plus accurate messaging and feedback from our guests, we believe the best kind of communication is overcommunication!

Are You in the Know...?

Taking the First 5 of your shift to read the daily U-Tube message is not just a good practice, it’s an expectation!

When you first clock in (or after lunch if you have an early shift), remember to read what’s on the U-Tube that day and from any of your days off. Why, you ask?

Well, these messages contain valuable information like new policies, deals, events or publications, plus associate recognitions and a chance to $pot your U and win BIG BUCKS. Gimme Five!

Communication Task Force

It takes a village to raise our communication game, which is why we started our Communication Task Force (a.k.a. CTF) back in 2009. Now a decade and a half later, this tremendous team is made up of can-do communicators from each of our stores plus the NMK, Corporate Office and executive team. Every month, these intrepid correspondents survey their team on topics ranging from specific departments to companywide topics, then get together with their fellow CTF members to share how it’s going in that area and how we can raise our game in the name of Constant Improvement. After that, they take what they learn back to their team so our entire company is in the know!

CTF MEETING TOPICS

◂ March ’23: Admin Assistants

◂ April ’23: Store Mantras

◂ May ’23: Bookkeepers

◂ June ’23: Return to Learn/Bag-Off

◂ July ’23: The CTF Program

◂ August ’23: Gourmet to Go 2.0

◂ September ’23: Culture Chronicles

◂ October ’23: Holiday Meals

◂ December ’23: Safety

◂ January ’24: Produce Operations

◂ February ’24: Benefits

◂ March ’24: Coffee Bar

Left: In addition to being our Training Director, Alex O. also heads up our Communication Task Force!

Tell Us More!

The great thing about communication is that it goes both ways. If you have a question, concern, suggestion or WOW moment to share, we want to hear it! Along with talking to a leader in person, you can also drop a note in the U Matter Box. Robust dialogue is a key to our success!

Rallies are fun and informative avenues of communication!

Print

Field Guide: A free quarterly magazine full of recipes, puns, product highlights and other delicious inspiration.

Recipe Cards: Free seasonal recipes merchandised across departments and at the checkstands (learn more on p. 53.)

ROP (Run-Of-Print) Ads: Printed ads in magazines and newspapers or on buses and billboards.

Posters & Signage: Messaging posted in-store for departments, policies and/ or promotions.

Superior communication doesn’t start and stop within our ranks—it involves our guests and communities, too! Along with all the helpful one-on-one conversations that go on in our stores, we also produce a variety of marketing materials to help communicate with our guests while they’re in store, at home or out and about!

Digital

Website: Our main hub for recipes, blogs, our weekly E-Ad, online ordering and more.

Weekly E-Ad: Our Wednesday email featuring our latest deals and exclusive Secret Special. Fresh to Market Newsletter: Our Friday email featuring our latest giveaways, recipes, blogs and exclusive Secret Special.

Social Media: Our online community on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube and LinkedIn.

Pro Tip:

These aren’t just for our guests! Use these resources to stay in the know about what’s on sale, what’s in season, delicious recipes, current promotions and more, both so you can enjoy the savings yourself, and so you can answer guest questions (RETAIL AUTHORITY!). If you haven’t already, sign up for our E-Ad and Newsletter and follow us on social media to stay up to date, and encourage our guests to, as well!

Speaking of the Weekly E-Ad, ever wonder how the products on sale get chosen?

The One, The Only… The Ad!

Life Cycle of the Weekly Specials

5–6 Weeks Before Launch:

1. Buyers key (enter items into) their category’s ads and Secret Special based on funding, promotional agreements or inventory levels in the warehouse.

How many hands a single item passes through before it goes online? How long the process takes from start to finish? If so, you’ve come to the right place! Read on to discover the intricate ins and outs, terrifying twists and turns and bewildering back-end of ad building… if you dare!

3–4 Weeks Before Launch:

2. The keyed items are imported from the V2 into our Ad Builder, providing the SKUs that will be on Ad and their retails.

3. The Marketing Team begins to build the Ad.

4. Images of items are gathered via vendors or vendor’s websites, converted to the proper format, clipped (making sure there is a transparent background) and loaded into the Ad Builder.

5. For products without available images, the product is store-purchased, photographed, edited and uploaded.

More than 121,000 guests receive our Ad (a.k.a. Weekly Specials) each week!

While all of this is going on for the Ad and Secret Special to go live on Wednesday—the same process is happening, one and two weeks earlier in the process, for the next two Ads!

MORE THAN 50,000 AD TAGS ARE HUNG EVERY YEAR!

Vendors pay for placement in the Ad to help promote their brand or launch a new item. This is why it is doubly critical to make sure we are locked and loaded on Ad items—our guests are depending on us and so are the vendors who paid for the promotion!

6. For perishable departments, the items are prepared, styled, photographed and edited. For Meat Department, recipes are developed to go with the Ad photo.

7. Feature images are created (any group image is a composite image, or “feature image”) for items that will have a feature spot.

8. Descriptions, pack sizes, labels and origin info is refined.

2 Weeks Before Launch:

9. The Ad is released for Buyers to proof.

10. Copy is researched and written for features.

11. Feature copy is proofed and translated into Spanish for the Food 4 Less ad.

1 Week Before Launch:

12. The Secret Special is built.

13. The Secret Special and features go out to CDs, Buyers and IT Data Support for proofing.

2 Days Before Launch:

14. Ad preview goes out to Department Managers, POS, Receiving, Stock Crew, SDs, ASD/MICs and PICs for a last look at proofing and Ad preparation.

15. Ad is scheduled and POS hangs Ad tags and executes batches.

Takeoff:

16. Ad is LIVE!

So Many Recipes!

We currently have over 1,500 recipes available through our website! These are a very popular resource for guests as our recipes are both delicious and free of pop-up ads, affiliate links and/or a blogger’s life story. Not only that, our recipes are chef-created and tested to build trust with our guests. How do these recipes come to be? We’re so glad you asked!

Recipe Creation

New recipes are created for a variety of reasons—like when commissioned by a vendor, a special event like the Honey Festival takes place, a need is identified based on the theme of the Field Guide, we want to showcase a new product or we need some new offerings for items regularly on Ad. Here’s how it works:

• A recipe is requested.

• One of our chefs R&Ds (researches and develops) the recipe.

• A photographer does research and gathers inspiration swipes and props for styling photography.

• Our chef makes the recipe for final testing and shooting.

• A photographer takes photos of the finished recipe.

• Our chef keys (enters) the recipe into our CMS (content management system).

• A copywriter proofs and edits the recipe.

• A photographer edits the photo and uploads it to the CMS.

• Our chef gives final sign-off on the whole thing.

• The recipe is published on the website.

SCAN TO CHECK OUT OUR RECIPES ONLINE!

of our photographers, Vicky O., & Stazi D., Corporate Chef de Cuisine

One

Casey A., our Corporate Executive Chef

Recipe Cards

When selecting recipe cards for the season, we try to represent a variety of departments (Adult Bev, Produce, Meat Department, Grocery), use occasions (appetizer, breakfast, dinner, dessert), take advantage of holidays happening in the quarter and honor any vendor commitments (like a campaign with CA-Grown or a brand that commissioned recipe cards). Only 25 or so cards get printed each round, but if a guest isn’t finding what they are looking for, the website can be a great help! Our recipe cards now have a QR code linking them to our recipe page to help guests find hundreds of options at their fingertips!

Recipe Updates

Our guests trust us to provide them with quality ingredients AND tested recipes. That’s why we audit our recipe bank regularly to make sure our older recipes will still turn out great! Here’s how it looks on a weekly basis, though the same process takes place quarterly when existing recipes are selected for recipe cards or the Field Guide.

• Each week, 10–15 recipes featuring items on Ad are hand-selected for our Weekly Meal Planning page, which is shared in our Wednesday email.

• The photos are reviewed to determine if they need to be reshot.

• Our chef audits the recipes for any updates needed.

• Photoshoots are scheduled for any that need to be redone.

• Any necessary typographical or visual edits are made.

• The recipe is reproofed and published!

CHECK OUT OUR WEEKLY MEAL PLANNING

WEB PAGE!

The Magic of Photography

Our in-house photography is a lot more than point and shoot! Even after setting the stage with appropriate props, perfect lighting and fabulous food styling, sometimes photos need a little touch-up before they’re ready to go live. Whether a shot needs some slight color adjustments, a stray crumb or drip needs to be removed or a whole cake needs to be reconstructed (true story), our photographers’ post-production process ensures every dish looks as good as it tastes!

So, why do we do it? Why do we go above and beyond to delight, dazzle and WOW? It’s all for the crowd! We want our World-Class performance to be memorable and as profound as possible, which means our guests’ total satisfaction is the name of the game—and a big part of that is the friendly, genuine service that attracts our community and keeps them coming back. The magic of making grocery shopping the best part of any guest’s day comes down to your individual role in creating it—U make all the difference!

The Talk of the Town

How do we know how we’re doing? Guests tell us! We track all the direct feedback that comes our way, whether by comment card, review site or social media, to see how well we’re building that invaluable Trust. (It’s also how we determine our monthly Service Wand winners!) Thanks to you, the vast majority of feedback we get is positive, with these rave reviews and notes of gratitude being just a small sampling!

Store #1

I’d like to say a few good things about your AWESOME STAFF, especially Al at the Deli. Al, like all of your staff, performed ABOVE & BEYOND the usual standards. He saw to it that my shopping experience was superb. He made sure that I got a great sandwich. I casually mentioned I was waiting for your wonderful French bread to come out and he got a loaf while I was looking at meats, with a basket. I knew that Nugget was all about quality—and Al proved it. Please recognize his superior service.

Store #5

I have always adored Nugget for your great selection and supportive staff. Today, like all other days, proved that respect well-earned. I went to check out and my checker, Brenda, remembered me and our previous conversation! It’s probably been a year or more! Wow! She, like everyone else here, amazes me! Where else can you go to find wonderful food and have such a positive personal experience where you are not just a patron, you are a person!

Store #8

Five-star rating for Lauren, the Bakery Dept. manager, and her amazing team! Lauren is very knowledgeable, professional, and skillful with her art. She always has a cheerful smile and kindness towards each [guest] she encounters. This is the third time I placed a cake order with Lauren. I was so impressed by her as she still remembers me, and this shows how much she cares for her [guests]. She always goes over and beyond with her artisan skills on small, detailed decorations. Nugget is very fortunate to have such an employee and department manager who is really a true representative of Nugget.

Store #10

Luba is INCREDIBLE! I just want to send a shout-out to Luba, who, over the course of a couple interactions with my children, has changed the game for going to the store with my kids! She exudes kindness and joy to her [guests], and as a parent who frequently shops with young kids, I truly appreciate her—my kids love going shopping now because the idea that we might see Luba brings them so much excitement. Recently, Luba seized the opportunity to open a check-stand just for us—wow! My girls jumped for joy the entire time we were checking out. Her 2–3 minutes of talking to the girls while we were checking out will forever have a positive, lasting impact on them and has changed their perspective on what it means for a stranger to extend such kindness, joy and fun. Thank you, Luba!

Store #12

I write to express my sincere gratitude for Alireza T. I am a physically disabled [guest] who often needs a bit of extra help in retail establishments. Today, AIireza spotted me struggling to reach something and came right to my aid. He then proceeded to accompany me through the store, carrying my basket and selecting all items from the shelves and displays. His awesome attitude and friendly service are why I shop at Nugget. Please reward him and acknowledge an act that was above and beyond. Thank you Alireza!

Store #21

I wanted to compliment your checker, Joy, for her attention to detail! She made sure to use the coupon that gave me a bottle of vitamins for $3 off. Not only did she make sure I got the discount, but caught the error I wrote in my check. I really appreciated her thoughtfulness!

Yes, we’re after those “ooohs” and “aaahs,” but it goes beyond that: if you think about it, we’re lucky to be in a profession that presents so much opportunity to create beautiful moments with strangers. As we see them over and over because of the nature of our stores’ role in their lives, beautiful relationships blossom! While we’re the ones with the mission to create WOW moments, sometimes it goes the other way, with guests inspiring and impacting us, thus continuing the flow of positive vibes! We asked some of our associates to recount their favorite instances of true connection.

Mia C.

Store #6

Jacqueline H.

Store #7

“There was a day when I was assisting a gentleman with a large order in the checkstand when another guest with a smaller order approached. The guest waiting was wearing a veteran hat, seated in a mart cart. While checking, the guest with the larger order quietly shared with me his intention to bless this man by covering his grocery bill. When the veteran guest was surprised with this kindness it moved me to tears—and both guests were touched in this moment. How we serve the community and how the community responds to us as well as one another is something that stands out as WOW-worthy—it goes both ways!”

“I would have to say that one WOW moment that really stuck with me was when one of our regular guests came up to Sheila (our bookkeeper) and myself. She was crying because she was going through a rough patch in life and told us how she loved coming to Nugget because we all felt like family to her. She talked about how she was always greeted with a friendly smile and always left feeling better than when she came in. It was a reminder of the impact we have in our guest’s lives, and how our daily interactions really matter and make a difference.”

Randy E.

Store #15

“We have a lovely guest named Fran. She is a loyal guest with us in Corte Madera. She asked me to stuff and tie a boneless pork roast with an herb and onion mixture that she provided. I cut and stuffed her pork roast and tied it up to perfection. Fran came in a week or so later and raved how well it was stuffed and tied, she said it turned out delicious. She cooks for a group/club of friends each month, and it’s fulfilling to be a part of it!”

Giveaway Goodness (Who’s Feeling Lucky?)

What’s something everyone likes? Winning prizes and getting free stuff! That’s why we partner with brands like Boar’s Head, Exponent Energy and more to create great giveaways for our guests. Not only does the spirit of giving make everyone involved feel all-around satisfied, it creates exposure and catapults more sales for items we want in the spotlight, drives attention to our store and gets more newsletter sign-ups—win, win, win! Take a look at some of the lucky winners from recent giveaways throughout our locations!

Remember that riddle from p. 2…? The answer is also the key to Constant Improvement… HABITS! And not just any habits, we might add: Boring, Old Habits. Whatever your goals are at work or at home, good habits are founded on consistency. It takes focus, discipline, staying power, conviction, drive and heart to make lasting, impactful habits and reach your goals long after the newness wears off. By sticking to the boring, old habits like facing the aisles or culling subpar product, doing the push-ups or reading that chapter, we can make even our biggest goals and dreams a reality. Constant Improvement, here we come!

BORING,OLD HABITS

Cue the school bells—class is in session! Now in its ninth year, our annual Return to Learn program gives every associate in our company the opportunity to take a class of their choosing, get PAID to learn new things and have fun at the same time! Associates get to choose from a variety of classes ranging from food and beverage topics (think Cake Decorating, Charcuterie Building Skills and Introduction to Wine) to personal and professional development courses (Excel, ASL, Budgeting, Jazzercise and DIY Greeting Cards, to name a few), and even tours onsite with some of our closest partners! So whether you prefer brushing up your public speaking skills, learning how to make pasta from scratch or frolicking with the lambs at Full Belly Farm, there’s something fun and informative for everyone!

Field Trips

Constant Improvement doesn’t start and end within our four walls—sometimes our best discoveries are out in the field. By taking department teams to the heart of the action, our associates are able to learn more about the products we offer firsthand (seeing the source, learning the process and often tasting the final product—yum!), or see what other companies are up to and what we can learn from them in our own quest for Constant Improvement. Where will our next adventure take us…? Only time will tell!

Sampling around at the UNFI/Tony's show!

Our Produce leaders visited Moonlight to see fruit packing at its finest!

Leadership Nugget

Are you looking to challenge yourself and grow your career like never before? Do you want to meet leaders in our company and get the inside scoop on what makes Nugget... Nugget? Is Constant Improvement your middle name?* If so, Leadership Nugget may be for you! This oneof-a-kind, year-long education program gives 25 ambitious associates an inside look at all that goes into the grocery business and our company culture, plus opportunities to grow as a person and a professional.

Sounds awesome, right? Great news—anyone can apply! Fill out an application in the spring for your chance to join next year’s class.

* Your middle name does not have to be “Constant Improvement” to enroll in this program, but it should be a personal value!

What are Power Rankings?

Sales:

It’s no secret that increasing sales is a great indicator of a successful department! It’s important to dig deeper because increased sales can also come from increased retails, like during times of inflation.

Sales Per Hour Worked (SPHW):

Literally sales dollars divided by hours worked, this is a measure of efficiency. A low SPHW can indicate that a department did not adjust the schedule based on business, like keeping the same schedule from the busy holidays rolling into the slower month of January. A number that is too high is also a red flag, indicating more hours need to be scheduled in that department.

Margin:

Power Rankings are the combined scores from four key performance areas: Sales, Margin, Sales Per Hour Worked and Guest Count. Why these four? Because together, these metrics speak to the overall health and performance of a store or department.

A high margin shows that a department is writing great orders and avoiding excess shrink, that invoices are being paid consistently in the correct quarters and that the display plan or blu-print is being maximized to promote those margin enhancers!

Guest Count:

This is a huge indicator of health in a department and store. Gaining guests means that new guests are coming in and being won over by the store or your department. If the store is up, but your department is down, it’s time to start reaching out to guests with warm service, samples, product information or a stunning display that reminds them how awesome your department is!

How Do You Rank #1?

To determine who ranks where, every store and department is ranked 1–16 for each key performance area depending on their numbers. The Total Rank is the combination of each of those metrics. (For example, if a store ranked 2nd in Sales, 6th in Margin, 4th in SPHW and 1st in Guest Count, that would add up to a score of 13.)

The store and department with the lowest combined scores rank first!

BONUS: Everyone wants to be #1, but now there’s a little extra incentive… Not only does each winning department earn bragging rights (among some very stiff competition!), every person on the winning team also gets $100! Just our way of saying, “Thank you for being #1!”

Success Leaves Clues

If you want to be successful at something, look for the successful people achieving what you want to achieve and follow their example! In this case, Monica M., Kitchen Manager at Store #6, is a fantastic person to look to for advice, because she’s led her team in topping the Department Power Rankings for FIVE CONSECUTIVE QUARTERS!

POP QUIZ! This associate spent some of her career in the Video Department at Store #1. Who is she...? Answer on p. 10.

How long have you been at Nugget Market?

I celebrated my 24-year anniversary with the company in May! I have been a Kitchen Manager for about 16 years at Stores #1, #12, #2 and the past three years at #6.

What are some of your team’s boring, old habits?

Accurate ordering, keeping our department organized, having a plan of action to execute holidays and holding accountability to expectations.

Any other advice for aspiring Power Rankers?

I feel as though communication and follow-through are key to our success. We also focus on capitalizing on not just the big holidays, but all the ones in between.

If you have other goals at home or at work, ask around and study the boring, old habits and disciplines of other successful people to see how you can raise the standard in your own journey!

For nearly a century, Nugget Market has been dedicated to being a World-Class Employer (one of our 3 Company Goals), which means taking care of U—our World-Class Team! To us, this all-important mission means helping everyone on our team reach their goals, feel included and special, and have the resources they need to succeed both on and off the clock. From an empowering culture of fun, communication and RAVE to the best benefits around, here’s an inside look at how we do it!

Benefits 101

One of the ways we take care of our Nugget Market Family is with our industry-leading benefits. Between our zero-premium health plan and 401(k) retirement options plus things like FSA, EAP, LTD, GTL and all sorts of other acronyms, our company offers more benefits than most associates realize! It’s important to familiarize yourself with these benefits before you need them, so keep reading to brush up on all the benefits we offer, how to access them and why they’re so important.

Total $31,310,085

Show Me the Money!

Come one, come all, and marvel at the dazzling digits and stunning stats of HOW MUCH we invest in our associates! It’s one thing to talk the talk, it’s quite another to walk the walk. Year after year, Nugget Market puts its money where its heart is—with our team! See how it all stacked up in 2023:

◄ $15,685,897

Covered in healthcare premiums & medical expenses

◄ $9,195,895

Paid out in time off

◄ $3,402,003

Paid out for associate appreciation

◄ $3,026,290

Boosting associate 401(k) with company match & profit sharing

That’s $14,225.39 per associate in benefits for 2023 alone!

Your Benefits at a Glance

EAP (Employee Assistance Program)

• No-cost resources associates and their families can utilize for help and guidance in areas like mental health, substance abuse and other professional counseling (up to 5 free visits).

• You do not need to be enrolled in our healthcare plan to use this benefit.

401(k) Plan

• Weekly company match

• Annual company profit sharing contribution

• Traditional and Roth components to contribute into

Total Plan Assets: $109,796,000

(see p. 76)

Zero-Premium Health Plan

• Comprehensive health plan

• Medical, dental, vision and prescriptions

• Zero premium cost for associate coverage in Anthem Blue Cross plan

• $15,685,897 covered in premiums and medical expenses for 2023 alone!

(see p. 70)

20% Associate Discount/U-Card

$2,151,210 paid in 2023

(see p. 73)

Scholarships

(see p. 72)

Long-Term Disability Insurance Dependent Care Account

• Reimbursement for dependent care expenses

Flexible Spending Account (FSA)

• Reimbursement for medical expenses

Group Term Life Insurance

Alex G. and daughter, Violet, in Cambria!

Philippe C.'s son, Niko!

Vacation Time

• After the 90-day introductory period, associates begin accruing vacation time. Associates can earn up to 5 weeks of vacation annually, depending on years of service. Associates may request a payout, and any unused vacation hours will roll into the next year.

Holiday-Worked Pay

Bereavement Pay

Personal Time

• After the 90-day introductory period, associates begin accruing personal time. Associates can earn up to 16 hours annually on their anniversary. Associates may request a payout, and any unused personal hours will roll into the next year.

6 Recognized Paid Holidays

• New Year’s Day

• Memorial Day

• Fourth of July

• Labor Day

• Thanksgiving

• Christmas Day

2023 Total Paid Time Off

• 321,516 hours

• $9,195,895 paid

CA-Sick Pay

• 40 hours annually

Dan C. and son, Elias!

Tina W. in the Sahara Desert!

Katie K. in Korea!

Joey R.'s daughter, Layla Grace!

To Your Health!

Great healthcare doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. In fact, at Nugget Market, associates’ premiums don’t cost anything at all! THAT’S A BIG DEAL! With the ever-increasing cost of healthcare, it’s rare to find companies that pay 100% of their associates’ healthcare premiums, and we’re proud to be one of the few.

Beyond that, our associates are eligible for healthcare benefits at just 22 hours worked per week (compared to the nationwide standard of 30 hours per week). Just one more reason the healthcare benefits we have at Nugget Market are a major point of difference!

What Does Zero Premium Mean?

It means eligible associates have access to our comprehensive Anthem Blue Cross healthcare (medical, dental, prescription and vision) without any monthly cost! Have eligible dependents? Associates can also add coverage for them at a very reasonable cost. To see how valuable this benefit is, just look at how these numbers add up:

Associate Coverage

Our Plan: FREE!

Without premium coverage:

$821.44 per month ($9,857.28 per year)

Spousal Coverage

Our Plan: $30 per week ($1,560 per year)

Without premium coverage:

$1,725.02 per month ($20,700.24 per year)

Our plan saves you more than 90%!

Family Coverage

Our Plan: $60 per week ($3,120 per year)

Without premium coverage:

$2,192.47 per month ($26,309.64 per year)

And dependent premium weekly deductions are on a tax-free basis!

Fun Fact:

Nugget Market has a partially self-insured medical plan, which means our company assumes the risk and pays for all medical claims up to a predefined dollar limit. If the claim amounts extend beyond that limit, then insurance pays the balance instead of insurance paying the entire claim every time. This keeps our insurance premiums low while still offering associates the best possible coverage!

But Wait, There’s More!

• Our Blue Cross plan allows associates to see a specialist without a referral from their primary care provider.

• You can find alternate resources in obtaining healthcare through LiveHealthOnline where medical professionals are available to assist you via video visit.

• Mental health wellness is included in our health plan!

Erick S. with daughter, Tayler!

2023 Payroll Stats

Check, Please!

Wondering who’s behind the scenes making all the cash flow? Our Payroll Team works hard every week to ensure you are paid accurately and on time, which equates to MONEY in YOUR bank!

Above: Sheri B., Lizzy G., Karen B., Margaret H., Aleida R. and Jackie C

Constant Improvement is the name of the game at Nugget Market, and part of that is self improvement! It’s why we award $12,000 in scholarships to associates or dependents of associates who are continuing their education every year! Scholarships are based on academic merit and evidence of outstanding character and leadership potential. If you or your dependent are pursuing further education, watch for your opportunity to apply in the upcoming year!

Congratulations to Our 2023 Scholarship Winners!

Gene & Joan Stille Scholarships:

1. Alicia B. – Store #9

2. Ana Maria P. (dependent of Carlos P.) – NMK

3. Anthony W. (dependent of Agnes W.) – Store #8

4. Daniela R. – Store #1

5. Emily H. – Store #12

6. Kyle M. – Store #2

7. Makena W. – Store #1

8. Monica L. – formerly Store #15

9. Nicholas R. (dependent of Luis R.) – Store #5

Wyatt L. – Store #9 (not pictured)

Adam Bazarnik Scholarship:

10. Hannah C. – Store #2

Barry Ashcraft Scholarship:

11. Keira M. – formerly Store #1

$$$ for U

Always keep your U-Card handy—it can help you save money and earn money!

Associate Discount: Scan your U-Card while checking out at any of our Nugget Market, Inc. stores to get 20% off your purchase!

Show Me the Money! Spot the unique “U” from your U-Card in our U-Tube messages, Lil’ Nuggets and other company communications for your chance to win up to $500!

U Make Us Better & U Rock

The little things matter when it comes to every associate’s drive to help each other out and improve our stores, but just because an action may be small, doesn’t mean its impact isn’t large.

EVERYONE can recognize another associate for making a positive difference of any size through written UMUBs (your lottery ticket to some potential ca$h) or a U Rock (recognition that’s displayed on the U-Tube for the whole store)!

Wheel 2.0

Every associate looks forward to their chance to spin the wheel for cash prizes! Whether it’s from having a UMUB card drawn or as a reward for seeing your “U,” a BIG spin can mean BIG money! Even better, this year we updated our wheels with even BIGGER prizes ranging from $25 to $200 with a chance to win an “I’m On Fire” card, good for a day off!

In 2023, the company paid out more than...

• $60,545 in U-Card Redemptions

• $91,969 in U Make Us Better Spins

• $565,305 in Parties and Events

• $226,498 in Rewards and Gold Coins

• $306,476 in Associate Appreciation

• $2,151,210 in Associate Discounts

...

$3,402,003 total!

Whether you’re embarking on your educational journey or starting a family, our benefits cover you at every age and stage of life! From maternity leave and baby bonding to general surgeries and more, if a need for a leave arises, simply contact our benefits team to learn what options are available to you.

Bon Voyage!

Work-life balance is essential to good health and happiness, which is why we’re so glad our team knows how to work hard AND play hard (or R&R hard as the case may be). In 2023, associates redeemed a total of 206,555 hours of vacation time to go on all sorts of awesome adventures like these!

Allison P. on a cruise to Mexico!

Anne V. and family on the Amalfi Coast!

Jen K. in Disney with her husband!

Ryan B. in Manhattan at the Harry Potter Store!

Vicky O. in Morocco!

Duane R. in Zion National Park at Angels Landing!

401(k) FAQs

How do I enroll?

Eligible associates are auto-enrolled (unless you opt out) in pre-tax contributions of 4% weekly so you can start setting money aside for retirement. Contributions automatically increase 1% every July (unless you decline) until you reach 15%.

How do I change my investment?

You can increase or decrease your contribution amounts whenever you want through your Empower portal at empowermyretirement.com. The maximum contribution limits for 2024 (as set by the IRS) are $23,000 for participants under 50 and $30,500 for those 50 and over.

What are my investment options?

Our 401(k) plan offers 29 different investment options, including the industry’s best target date funds (mixes of investments that balance expected returns and risk based on a participant’s target retirement date). More than 90%

Planning for the future is an important part of today! That’s why we offer a powerful 401(k) Profit-Sharing Plan as part of our benefits package. Have questions? We’ve got answers!

of the plan’s total assets are invested in target date funds, but you can customize your plan portfolio at any time. Simply access your Empower online portal to learn more about your fund options and see what plan works best for you!

What are TRADITIONAL (pre-tax) contributions?

The 401(k) plan offers you two ways to save. The most common way to contribute to your 401(k) is on a pre-tax basis. That means your contributions (along with associated investment growth) are not subject to income tax until money is withdrawn from the plan at retirement.

What are ROTH (post-tax) contributions?

If you contribute on a post-tax basis (ROTH), your contributions (along with associated investment growth) can be withdrawn tax-free at retirement. ROTH contributions are a great option early in your career when tax rates and earnings are lower. Since tax rates tend to increase over time, paying tax now at lower rates can equal big savings later!

Does Nugget Market offer a company match?

We sure do! Every time you contribute to your 401(k), Nugget Market matches 50% of your contribution up to 2% of your total compensation. That’s the equivalent of earning a 50% return on your investment every time you contribute! And now that 4% is the auto-enroll percentage, everyone receives the full match, unless you reduce your contribution to below 4% or opt out of participation.

What are profit-sharing contributions?

Nugget Market can also make an annual profit-sharing contribution based on business performance. Historically, this has been 2% of eligible participant compensation. So, with the company match of 2% and potentially an additional 2% profit-sharing contribution annually—that’s a big deal!

Fun 401(k) Facts:

Why should I invest?

Hourly Rate

Weekly Hours Worked

Weekly Pay

4% Contribution

Company Match

Total Contribution

Estimated Annual Discretionary Match (2%)

Impact on Weekly Paycheck

401(k) Balance

40 Years:

Balance

Quite simply, because investing now leads to big returns later! Let’s look at the numbers: Assume an associate makes $21 an hour, works 32 hours a week and contributes 4% to their 401(k) plan. Let’s say this associate is 25 years old and contributes for 40 years. If we assume the average return on the associate’s account is 7% (the average stock market return over the last 100 years), here’s how it adds up:

Comparing that to saving the same amount in your piggy bank, that’s a difference of $544,840, just by investing in a 401(k)!

If you’re not enrolled in our 401(k) plan yet (or you want to increase your investment), just ask our Benefits Team or visit your Empower online portal to start saving for retirement today.

SCAN TO VISIT EMPOWER FOR MORE INFO ON YOUR 401(K)

Speaking of Retirement...

Many of our associates make a career at Nugget Market all the way up until they retire some 20, 30, 40 or 50 years later! No matter how long an associate has been with the company, we make sure to take care of our team every step of the way, and these investments add up to many happy returns. From retirement contributions and plan fees to profit sharing, the company paid out $3,026,290 in 2023 alone!

Eric Stille Retires After 50 Years

In the summer of 1973, 14½-year-old Eric began his career in the family business—the one and only company he’s ever worked for— bagging groceries, facing aisles, sorting bottles, clipping carrots, peeling onions, husking corn and stocking produce for fifty cents an hour. That was the year he fell in love with grocery. Half a century and tons of growth later, he made his transition from CEO to Chairman of the Board. Eric is still at your service!

Tina M. & Erica DeGray

Richard Heinson

Gene, Eric & Joan Stille

Larry O. & Eric Stille

Congratulations to all the associates who retired this year!

Erica DeGray: 20 years, 8 months

Katie Cole: 23 years, 2 months

Steve Ailor: 25 years, 9 months

Ben Bautista: 29 years

Linda Clesi: 29 years, 10 months

Richard Heinson: 33 years, 7 months

Steve Balbuena: 37 years, 9 months (not pictured)

Hank Beal: 38 years, 11 months

Eric Stille: 50 years

Katie Cole

Hank Beal & Eric Stille

Linda Clesi

Steve Ailor

Ben Bautista

Bud B., Bill D., Steve Balbuena & Sarah B.

For nearly 100 years, Nugget Market has been committed to supporting local nonprofits and causes in our communities. In the past, our support has primarily been by way of donations, sponsorships and participation in local and regional events. In 2023, we expanded our philanthropic pillars, developed collaborative partnerships with like-minded businesses and contributed matching funds to increase our impact in our communities. Additionally, our Community Ambassadors worked with their fellow associates to plan and execute Community Fieldwork Projects that also expanded our impact. In this section, we’ve outlined just a few of the many ways our community impact continues to grow.

As Helen Keller once stated, “Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.”

Our Philanthropic Pillars

Empowering Future Generations

We support programs and activities that contribute to the success and sustainability of future generations.

Fortifying Our Neighborhoods

We aspire to contribute to the health, well-being and productivity of our communities and workplace by providing opportunities for others to pursue positive life outcomes.

Cultivating Environmental Change

We aim to reduce our impact on the environment and foster preservation of our agricultural lands.

Our philanthropic pillars continue to evolve as our company’s engagement with local and regional nonprofit communities has expanded. These pillars continue to be rooted in our company’s mission, vision and core values.

• Advancing education (K–12 School)

• Kids in crisis

• Youth development

• Youth sports

• Food insecurity

• Domestic violence Elder care and support Disease prevention

• Disaster relief

• Diversity, equity and inclusion

• Homelessness

• Environmental education and preservation

• Nugget Market’s Sustainability Program

Nugget Market’s Food Recovery Program

Inspiring Philanthropy

Community Giving Stats

2023 Charitable Contributions: $7,094,596

Community Fieldwork Projects

Big Day of Giving

• Giving Partnerships

Donations: $63,701

Sponsorships: $567,752

Events: $11,288

Scrip: $154,977

Food Recovery Donations: $6,296,878 (1,149,465 lbs.)

Kate Stille, Chief Impact Officer, and Julie C., Community Relations Manager

2023 Corporate Good Citizenship Award

While we’re not in it for the glory, we were honored to be named this year’s Corporate Champion for Neighborhoods & Communities! The Sacramento Business Journal presented their 2023 Corporate Citizenship Awards last April, and we’re both thrilled and humbled to be in the company of so many fantastic organizations and individuals supporting worthy causes in our region.

Women’s Empowerment & the Women’s Fund

El Dorado

Fortifying Our Neighborhood

In collaboration with the Sacramento Impact Partners (SIP), Nugget Market supported Sacramento’s Women’s Empowerment, a comprehensive program designed to respond to the unique needs of women and children experiencing homelessness. Through classes, support and services, homeless women gain the skills and confidence to secure stable employment, a safe place to live and a healthy lifestyle for themselves and their children. SIP works to connect Sacramento-based philanthropists to reputable nonprofits in our region in need of a $25,000 to $100,000+ infusion of cash to execute a project that has or will have measurable impact. Past projects that have received support from Sacramento Impact Partners are Habitat for Humanity and Improve Your Tomorrow, both organizations that Nugget Market supports outside of the SIP partnership.

The Women’s Fund El Dorado harnesses the power of collective giving to support community philanthropy. By pooling members’ funds, we enhance the quality of life on the western slope of El Dorado County and cultivate future philanthropists. A member and sponsor of the Women’s Fund El Dorado for more than ten years, Nugget Market is one of over 400 members from all walks of life, each contributing to annual community grants that have exceeded one million dollars in the past 16 years. This past year, 2023, the Women’s Fund El Dorado supported the following organizations with grants: Housing El Dorado, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northern Sierra, CASA El Dorado, Hands4Hope and El Dorado County Fire Safe Council, Mother Teresa Maternity Home, Hands and Hoofs and the El Dorado Chapter of the National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution.

Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of El Dorado, Marin, Placer, Sacramento & Yolo Counties

Empowering Future Generations

CASA programs throughout the State of California and nation work to ensure that children and youth in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems have both a voice and the services they need to thrive. A CASA volunteer works one-on-one with a foster youth, advocating for their best interest. Having a stable relationship with a supportive adult can help children who have experienced abuse and neglect do well, even when they have faced significant trauma and hardship. With more than 72,000 children and youth in foster care in California, the highest in the nation, every county CASA volunteer and program in our State is providing transformative services and support.

For many years, Nugget Market has supported CASA programs in all counties where we have stores (as listed above). This past year, we chose to provide matching funds to each organization in the Sacramento Valley on the Big Day of Giving to encourage the community to support CASA. Although Marin County does not participate in the Big Day of Giving (BDOG is a Sacramentoregion philanthropic event), we also contributed to them as well.

Community Fieldwork Projects

Inspiring Philanthropy

Our Community Ambassadors (CAs) are associates who have a passion for philanthropy and are able to inspire and motivate others in their stores. By way of organizing Community Fieldwork Projects, our CAs inspire volunteerism, foster a sense of community and family, encourage camaraderie and leverage our culture and commitment to constant improvement, which in turn impacts our communities in a positive way. Many thanks to those associates that have served as our stores’ Community Ambassadors for the past two years, many of whom will be continuing for another two years and those that are new to the position. The energy and enthusiasm that our Community Ambassadors and all volunteer associates committed to our communities is both inspiring and impactful. Many thanks!

Goals of Community Engagement Program:

• Inspire volunteerism

• Impact our communities

• Foster a sense of community and family

• Encourage camaraderie and fun

• Leverage our culture, sense of competition and commitment to constant improvement

• Incorporate the company’s/ founders’ legacy

• Provide added benefit to all associates

Caring for Our Community

Below are just a few of the many 2023 Community Fieldwork Projects…

Playfields Park Clean-Up

Community-minded associates from our Davis (Mace) store came together with the Reset Team to improve the Playfields Park in Davis by painting the park’s railings and tools. They worked with the City of Davis’ volunteer coordinator to put up tarping and painter’s tape, scrub the railings to prep for painting and have a little fun with spray paint. Together, they were able to complete all the hand railings on Field 1, restoring part of the community so everyone can enjoy the baseball fields. Huge thanks to these volunteers for helping beautify our local parks!

Special Olympics

Our Reset Team worked together with associates from our Davis (Covell) store, using their skills, talents and expertise to teach participating members of the Special Olympics Northern California 2023 Soccer Tournament about nutrition, water intake and positive sportsmanship. They concluded the fun by spreading good vibes and leaving positive messages with the participants on the pledge wall. Big shout-out to our volunteers for spreading smiles to participants and spectators alike!

San Francisco–Marin Food Bank

Dedicated associates from our Marin stores supported the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank by spending two hours building 360 boxes packed with groceries that were then distributed to food insecure families in the area. The San FranciscoMarin Food Bank provides 153,000 healthy meals each day totaling enough food for 55.8 million meals throughout the year. Thanks for going the extra mile to feed those in need!

Nugget Market’s Food Recovery Program

Cultivating Environmental Change

For decades, Nugget Market has been donating food to our local food banks and nonprofit organizations, providing direct food services to the insecure in our community. In 2019, we partnered with Feeding America, a network that connects regional food banks to one another and ensures safe food-handling practices across all points of distribution. Our regional food banks each work with a network of local food distribution agencies in their county, which allows for a broader distribution to diverse populations and often in hard-to-reach locations. Food recovery programs are now mandated for all grocery stores in the State of California. We were fortunate to already have had a system in place that served as a model for many other grocers in Northern California. In 2023, our company donated a total of 1,149,465 pounds of edible food that was not sold or repurposed. Recipients of this food were: ExtraFood Marin, Placer Food Bank (also serving El Dorado County), Sacramento Food Bank, Yolo Food Bank and their nonprofit agency partners as well as Redwood Empire Food Bank’s agencies in Sonoma Valley. Many thanks to Danielle M., our former Sustainability Coordinator, who managed our Food Recovery Program for the past several years, and congratulations to Sean R., who is now overseeing our program.

SEE-ing Sustainability

Along with our four philanthropic pillars, Nugget Market also has three key ways we SEE sustainability:

Social Responsibility: taking care of people

One of our core values at Nugget Market is to Respect, Appreciate and Value Everyone (RAVE). This means taking care of our guests, associates, communities and producers.

Environmental Stewardship: taking care of the planet

With every action we take, we aim to ensure the resilience and sustainability of our ecosystems by reducing our environmental footprint and sourcing sustainable products for our guests.

Economic Vitality: taking care of business (sustainably speaking)

We’re dedicated to being good stewards of our resources, supporting local growers and producers and partnering with companies who share our values for sustainability.

From reducing water and energy usage to recycling, diverting food waste and donating to local nonprofits, almost every act of sustainability falls into more than one of these categories. Now that our Safety & Compliance Manager, Sean R., oversees the sustainability program, he works with our store-level Sustainability Specialists to help us all be as green as can be!

“No, winning the President’s Cup hasn’t changed us at all.”

As we beckon, “Come one, come all,” and guests trickle through our doors, YOU are the ones who starring on center stage for all to see! And who doesn’t like being recognized and rewarded for their efforts out there? For the way you shine every single day, we love to spread the love and fill buckets all the same—because we know we have the best in the biz!

President’s Cup

As one of the highest annual honors in the company, the President’s Cup is the ULTIMATE team award! The one store out of 16 locations that had the most impressive overall year gets to proudly raise this glinting goblet into the air in celebration of having the best execution on the ingredients for success. Increasing sales, maintaining cleanliness and safety, meeting sales and labor goals, giving our guests world-class service, improving over the last year and continually raising the standards… Store #15 in Corte Madera never wavered in 2023, meeting and rising above their goals, thereby claiming the coveted Cup! Yay, Icebox!

Spotlight on Service

Our level of service is a huge part of what sets us apart from the rest in our industry. Since it’s such an important part of what we do, a spotlight is shone on one standout individual plus one whole department per month for their commitment to going above and beyond when it comes to providing our guests with nothing but the best and helping their team or store succeed!

Düers

Consistent. Positive. Driven. Service maniac. Focused. Team player. Self-motivated. Energy bus driver. As associates who are all this and more (a.k.a. ALL-IN), Düers get it DONE, always making sure our guests and their team are taken care of! Weekly Düers get to spin the wheel for ca$h, and on special occasions where everyone’s gathered, Department Managers award Düer shirts for associates to wear with pride!

Associates of the Year

Being Associate of the Year is a huge achievement in and of itself, but it’s even more meaningful when you’re democratically elected by the entire team at your store! These standout associates were voted as such because of their dedication to teamwork, service and positivity, uplifting their stores and our company. Phenomenal job, 2023 honorees!

Katherine M., Store #8

Alex C., Store #17

James A., NMK

Nancy O., Store #14

Nick G., Store #2

Pedro A., Store #11

Frances Q., Store #21

Jasmine C., Store #9

Zach W., Store #1

Jessica L., Store #15

Jo H., Store #12

Bao X., Store #5

Christian N., Store #10

Sierra A., Corp.

Madison Z., Store #30

Rick T., Warehouse

Scout M., Store #7

Kelly F., Store #16

Sheila H., Store #6

Coach of the Month & Year

The best coaches mentor, support and bring out the best in their teams as they work alongside them—and here at Nugget Market, we like to celebrate leaders who excel at doing just that. How one takes on their responsibilities to their team makes all the difference in success, and our Coaches of the Month and Year are world-class leaders in a company full of World-Class associates!

COACH

OF THE YEAR! — Jessica N.

Mack Stille Legacy Award

Named after our company cofounder who was known for his inventive approach to the grocery business, this prestigious annual award is bestowed unto one dedicated associate in honor of his or her commitment to constant improvement. The honored associate’s lasting legacy on Nugget Market, Inc. must be undeniable and mirror Mack’s own, achieved through fully embodying our philosophies and what it means to be a servant leader. Congrats to Rebecca R., our Director of Marketing, for earning the 2023 honor!

Service Wand

Great guest service builds TRUST, and that’s nothing short of magical! Service Wands are awarded monthly to the two stores that achieved this to the highest level, and it comes straight from our guests—each good comment is direct advocation! But it’s not just about the amount of feedback, it’s about the comments’ content, too, plus overall balance in terms of the whole-store picture. Since everyone’s so great at building TRUST, it’s hard to decide who gets the Wands sometimes!

Safety Trophy

Safety is one thing we have no choice about—we’ve got to stay on top of things like sweeps, temps and everything else that keeps fellow associates and guests in one piece! Every store earns a safety grade each quarter, and for the highest consistent achievement in the fundamentals in 2023, the Safety Trophy went to Store #7 & Store #17!

18 Years as a Top 100 Company!

It’s official—Nugget Market is once again one of the best places to work in the nation! Clocking in at #99 on Fortune’s latest “100 Best Companies to Work For” list, this marks our 18th year of being recognized. This list includes many national and international companies with tens of thousands of associates in all sorts of industries. With just 16 stores and just over 2,000 (AMAZING) associates, the fact that we’re in the same tier as these heavy hitters is a huge accomplishment!

To earn this prestigious award, companies must show how they build Trust with their teams and take care of them both on and off the clock. Great Place to Work judges data from anonymous surveys, company statistics and in-depth responses to questions about culture, values, strategy and leadership.

Along with the industry-leading benefits and one-of-a-kind culture you’ve seen throughout these pages, one of the biggest reasons we earned this recognition is because of your honest feedback and how it helps us Constantly Improve. And as much as we love the official title, the fact that our FAMILY believes we’re a World-Class Employer means more than anything. Thank U for making Nugget Market the extraordinary Family company it is!

5 CORE VALUES

RAVE FAMILY FUN POSITIVE ATTITUDE TRUST

COMPANY GOALS

GUEST SATISFACTION

CONSTANT IMPROVEMENT

WORLD-CLASS EMPLOYER

5 BASICS TO INCREASE SALES

QUALITY CLEANLINESS

& SAFETY

STOCK LEVEL

SIGNAGE & ACCURATE PRICING GUEST SATISFACTION

MISSION STATEMENT

We are a family of dedicated people with a love of food and a passion for excellent service. We are committed to constant improvement, our people, and most importantly, guest satisfaction.

Our associates are our competitive edge —

superior quality and great prices are just part of the bargain.