How Real Will Grocery’s Labor Shortage Get?

It’s one thing when the world’s second-largest retailer offers signing bonuses of $1,000, as Amazon did when it sought to add 75,000 people to its fulfillment and logistics network in May, but it’s quite another when a regional grocery chain with 59 stores offers the same incentive for each new hire.

Ontario, Calif.-based Cardenas Markets, one of the largest Hispanic grocery chains in the country, is currently offering a $1,000 sign-on bonus now through Sept. 30. The sign-on bonus applies to those who onboard for positions in the company’s distribution center in addition to roles in Cardenas Markets store locations across all its geographies, the company said.

Cardenas’ generous signing bonuses come amid increasing labor shortages in grocery that have forced some with lean staffs to invest heavily in overtime pay for existing employees and prompted others, namely Walmart and Target, to offer enticements like paying for its associates’ college tuition. The labor crisis has also impeded the ability of some grocer’s, like Seattle’s PCC Community Markets, to open new stores.

“Cardenas Markets is seeking candidates for a variety of jobs in our distribution center and stores across our company,” said Adam Salgado, chief marketing officer for Cardenas Markets. “The company is committed to creating good-paying jobs with exceptional benefits in a dynamic work environment where our team members have several opportunities for personal growth and professional advancement.”

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In addition to the $1,000 sign-on bonus, Cardenas Markets offers “competitive pay,” a 10% discount on groceries and discounted lunch from Cardenas Kitchen, vacation pay, education and tuition reimbursement, a COVID-19 vaccination incentive, flexible scheduling, and opportunities for professional advancement, the company says.

Cardenas Markets operates a total of 51 stores under the Cardenas Markets banner and eight stores under the Cardenas Ranch Markets banner. It is one of the largest Hispanic grocery chains in the country with stores in California, Nevada and Arizona.