Culture Chronicles 2023 - Nugget Market, Inc.

Culture NUGGET MARKET, INC. • 2023

CHR O NI CLE S

Culture CHR O NI CLE S

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e 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.

Sound familiar? Our mission statement says a lot about what we stand for at Nugget Markets, but it means so much more to see it in action! That’s why we created our Culture Chronicles—a yearly publication dedicated to U, our amazing associates. Flip through the latest edition to get to know your fellow associates, learn more about your company culture and discover all the exciting things your Nugget Markets journey has in store. Thank U for making us extraordinary!

Do you know all our stores’ nicknames?

Store 1: Aces

Store 11: Phoenix

Store 2: Mighty Mace Mavericks

Store 12: The Show

Store 3: Coming Soon!

Store 14: Shark Tank

Store 5: Florin Kings

Store 15: The Icebox

Store 6: Team Sixcess

Store 16: The Warriors

Store 7: Wolf Pack

Store 17: Bear Squad

Store 8: Gladi8ors

Store 21: Blackjack

Store 9: Gold 9ers

Store 30: Team 30 Rock

Store 10: The Perfect 10

Warehouse and NMK: The Hive

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U Make Us Better Being extraordinary means many things, Starting with supporting our guests and our team!

Each day and each shift, each moment’s a choice, A chance to fill buckets with notes, deeds and voice.

Celebrate, thank and praise when it's due, For when we fill buckets, we fill your own, too.

It's always important to remember your wake And the incredibly powerful impact it makes.

Our culture and family both set the stage, To see them in action, just turn the page!

04 RAVE 12 Family 24 Fun 36 Positive Attitude 42 Trust 46 Benefits 62 Communication 68 Servant Leadership 78 Community 84 Sustainability 88 Rewards & Recognition 2023 |

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espect, Appreciate and Value Everyone— these five simple words make one little acronym with a very big impact. Whether it’s race, gender, age, background, beliefs or anything else, we embrace what makes us unique because diversity is a gift! As one of our Core Values, RAVE is at the heart of everything we do. Check it out!

Respect Treating others the way they want to be treated shows respect and consideration for their feelings and beliefs even if they’re different than our own.

Appreciate A little appreciation goes a long way, which is why we like to praise in public and celebrate Bucket Moments (keep reading to learn more!).

Value Both within our company and out in the community, we do everything we can to champion what makes us each unique because our differences make us stronger.

Everyone We practice these key principles with all our associates, guests, vendors, communities, environment and U! Put some respect on these artists.

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Andrea L. gets a token of appreciation.

Vicente O. getting his Rookie Card!

Fill those buckets!

Tag, you're it!

Just another boring financial meeting.

What's Angel got there?

ACES!

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Filling Buckets 101 You may hear us talk about filling buckets around here, but what does that really mean? Basically, each of us has an invisible bucket that’s 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!

We face a choice every moment of every day.

We can either fill each other’s buckets or we can empty them. This one choice profoundly influences our relationships. A full bucket gives us a positive outlook and renewed energy, and every drop makes us stronger and more optimistic.

The thing is, every interaction is either positive or negative—there is no neutral! Our wake (the waves and ripples of consequences that follow our every action) is bigger than we can ever imagine. When we’re all mindful of the wake we create together, incredible things can happen!

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Tag, You’re It! At our final P&L meetings of 2022, every store’s leadership team had the chance to come together, go wild and paint a graffiti-inspired masterpiece showcasing their store’s unique personality. Looks like we’ve got some artists in our midst!

Top - The Florin Kings know courage comes from the heart!

Middle Right - Jessica H. on the spot!

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Top Lef t - Peep that pineapple.

Top Right - Abstract. Interpretative. Elevated. The Show knows art.

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Top Lef t - That chihuahua in the corner is happy for V. It's a smile, not a grimace.

Middle Right - Lydia's on fire!

Bottom Lef t - #LoveMyTeam! Awww.

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L to R: Todd F., Brian S., Sean P. and Jeff A.

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t Nugget Markets, we’re not just a team, we’re a family! We cherish, support and celebrate each other on the good days and the bad because we want the best for everyone here. Many associates even call Nugget their second family!

From the sales floor to the corporate office, we are so grateful to every person in every department who comes together to create something truly special—we couldn’t do it without U! Read on to get to know some of the teams you might not know yet and be sure to say hi the next time you see them!

Get 'er Done There is not a department, team or store that hasn’t been helped by our incredible Get ‘er Done team! No project is too big or too small, it’s never too early or too late, and if you need them, they will—you guessed it—Get it Done! From kitchen floods to power outages, Floral tent events to Bag-Off, building an event space for P&Ls to store remodels and openings, their talents, work ethic and positive attitudes know no bounds. We are so lucky to have Todd F., Brian S., Sean P. and their fearless leader, Jeff A., stop at nothing to keep our stores running seamlessly!

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The Corporate Directors Our Corporate Directors are often referred to as the architects of their departments.

They are constantly on the hunt for the latest trends, highest quality suppliers, best cost of goods, most delicious products and most efficient practices for our teams. Aside from our biggest point of difference (U!), we set ourselves apart from our competitors with an unsurpassed selection of unique items and options for every attribute our guests might find important.

From plant-based products to

humanely raised Waygu beef, artisan breads to fresh juices, local produce to imported treasures, it’s no accident every base is covered! Beyond setting their departments up for success

Susi DeStefani, Floral

in introducing new offerings in our seasonal menus, keeping our department fresh and exciting.

What are your drivers or goals for your department?

What is your favorite food or item?

One of my goals is to facilitate growth for the Floral Department in sales and in margin. Most importantly, I’d like to maintain our reputation for having high-quality flowers and plants all year round!

An Americano is my go-to every morning. I get to taste the espresso and its rich and complex flavors while getting my caffeine fix!

Jaclyn Neff, Specialty Cheese

What is your favorite food or item?

I love it all from growing to cooking to enjoying to trying new restaurants! I enjoy fresh fruit off my trees, a delicious salad from my garden, an indulgent dessert after a hard week, or a warm soup in the winter. I also dream about BBQ ribs in the summer with freshly grilled corn. It’s so hard to pick!

What are your drivers or goals for your department?

Kara Chan, Coffee & Juice Bar What are your drivers or goals for your department?

Guest satisfaction is our constant ultimate goal! Every guest that steps up to the bar should receive a world-class level of service.

We will continue to build strong

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with a fabulous product mix, our CDs are also known for rolling up their sleeves and working side by side with our teams when the chips are down. Now that’s servant leadership!

Susi D., a.k.a. Snow Angel!

connections with our guests and be consistent in offering only the highest quality beverages. We’ll also have fun applying our creativity

I want Specialty Cheese to be the conduit of an extraordinary experience. I want other retailers to look at our team and cases and know that we have the best selection, highest quality and most knowledgeable mongers.

Specialty Cheese always has something new and trendy—and who doesn’t love cheese??

What is your favorite food or item?

What a question… Currently I am in love with Beecher’s 4-year cheddar and Coro Agrumi Salami.

Riley Stille, Grocery What are your drivers or goals for your department?

The biggest goal is to always meet our guests’ needs and provide a fun, enjoyable experience while doing so. We want our guests to leave with a full basket—and a smile!

What is your favorite food or item?

The staples: milk, eggs, water and ice. These few items are significant sales drivers and allow us to take chances on fun unique items that make Nugget Market who we are.

Bill Davis, Meat & Seafood

My go-to item is our Thai Chicken Salad!

Crunchy cabbage with bell peppers, onions, delicious chicken dressed with the best Thai dressing—it’s hard to beat!

- Sandy Dahlkamp, Kitchen Tina Moore, Bakery What are your drivers or goals for your department?

While we always push for sales increases, we also strive for constant growth in guest count and volume.

We also aim for healthy margins— taking risks that may capture a new guest can pay off! Consistent high quality is extremely important. The growth of our leaders is encouraged, and we give as many opportunities for our leaders to learn as we can!

What are your drivers or goals for your department?

I’m driven by helping guests find products they can’t get anywhere else and increasing sales!

What is your favorite food or item?

I love lemon meringue pie made with Eagle Brand condensed milk!

You can skip the meringue, though.

Jose Torres, Produce What are your drivers or goals for your department?

I love supporting local farms! It’s also always a goal to be known for unique produce and variety, which factors into leading the company in sales growth and building an enduring reputation for having the best quality produce every day!

Jose T. looking as cool as a cucumber at the 36th Annual Nugget Markets Golf Tournament.

What is your favorite food or item?

My favorite veggie is asparagus (especially in the peak of California season). I also like citrus season—the varieties and flavors are aplenty from California!

Sandy Dahlkamp, Kitchen What are your drivers or goals for your department?

What drives me is having the best quality in town that you can’t find anywhere else accompanied by unbeatable service. Why go to a restaurant when you can have chef-prepared dishes made by our talented in-house chef teams?

What is your favorite food or item?

My go-to item is our Thai Chicken Salad! Crunchy cabbage with bell peppers, onions, delicious chicken dressed with the best Thai dressing— it’s hard to beat!

What is your favorite food or item?

I would put our brownies up against any competitor—anytime, anywhere!

I also love our Toasted Almond Crunch Cake for being made without gluten and tasting like a bear claw!

Tina M. passing out potential winning Cirque du Soleil-themed cupcakes!

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ike their mantra says, the Buying Team is relentless in their pursuit of the best cost of goods, most promotional dollars and hottest items available to keep our sets competitively priced, margins healthy and category mixes industryleading! It starts with building great relationships with our vendors, pricing, meticulously reviewing each category, calculating space to sales, tracking competitors’ prices, reviewing

turns and codes on inventory, pricing, store walks, keying Ad items, proofing the Ad, resets, more pricing and dropping

everything to help when a store is in need. Let’s hear it for all our amazing Buyers!

Hank Beal, Adult Beverage

Mike Taylor, Adult Beverage

What are your drivers or goals for your department?

What are your drivers or goals for your department?

I’m driven to find the best possible deals to keep us competitive, ensuring great prices for our guests while maintaining a turnover of inventory that makes sense for our financial goals. In my work on the ad, I strive to showcase our diverse selection of products.

My goal is to have the most wellrounded selection in the industry and to have the most knowledgeable wine stewards to boot!

What is your favorite food or item?

My favorite item is a beverage— Pinot Noir, specifically Pinot Noir from Burgundy, France. I fell in love with California Pinot Noir initially, but over time have gravitated to Pinot’s ancestral home. It can be so complex and elegant yet versatile and food-friendly—perfect around the table or just to enjoy on its own.

What is your favorite food or item?

Nicki L. glistening at the golf course!

Diana DePaepe, Grocery What are your drivers or goals for your department?

My goal is to always make sure we have conventional innovation on our shelves at competitive prices!

What is your favorite food or item?

I love food! Too many to list!

I love roasted red peppers (I can eat them on anything) and fried egg sandwiches!

Riley Stille, Meat Deli What are your drivers or goals for your department?

Guest satisfaction, always! Providing them with the classic world-class experience will always be a huge goal.

What is your favorite food or item?

You can’t go wrong with the staples (and our biggest sales drivers): milk, eggs, water, and ice.

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perception my department to line up with the “coolness” of Healthy Living by partnering with top-trending brands and offering a more inclusive variety of goods.

What is your favorite food or item?

I love all food, but carnitas tacos are number one.

Katie Cole, Bulk

I’m proud to have changed the perception of my department to line up with the “coolness” of Healthy Living by partnering with top-trending brands and offering a more inclusive variety of goods.

- Tony Nagel, Health & Beauty Care Phil Pennington, Frozen What are your drivers or goals for your department?

My goal is to foster an exciting experience for our guests with both unique specialty items and value items. I want my department to not only be ahead of the trends, but to set them!

What is your favorite food or item?

In the Frozen Food department, my favorite food item is tied between Beecher’s Mac & Cheese and Cream’wich ice cream sandwiches.

Tony Nagel, Health & BeautyCare What are your drivers or goals for your department?

One of my major drivers is the opportunity to train new associates!

This department tends to be an entry into the Grocery department, and I appreciate the opportunity to work with them closely before they continue their journey. Second, I’m proud to have changed the 18 |

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What are your drivers or goals for your department?

Quality food, competitive prices and sustainability!

What is your favorite food or item?

I love our Fresh to Market PB & Yay Snack Pack. The combo of sweet, salty and crunchy is great.

Lance Benton, Purchasing What are your drivers or goals for your department?

To relentlessly negotiate for the best cost of goods and give our stores the best chance to compete in their neighborhood.

What is your favorite food or item?

I love me some Bitchin’ Sauce Original… It has only been a year since I tried it, but dang that stuff is good with naan, flour tortillas or baby carrots. Most any candy runs a close second, and Otter Pops a close third!

Kris Scott, General Merchandise What are your drivers or goals for your department?

I want us to have a diverse General Merchandise department full of both everyday and unique items.

Everything from things like Bella Tunno, a female-founded Certified B Corp company and baby product brand that donates one meal to children in need for every product sold (together, Nugget guests and Bella Tunno have given 10,045 meals) to cookbooks to inspire our guests!

What is your favorite food or item?

Anything cherry. I have a slight cherry addiction!

Behind the scenes with Saj Khan, our very own Master of Multi-Tasking.

Well known for all things Grocery and Grocery Math, he also mentors our Corporate Directors and Buying Team in pricing strategy, category management and the art of negotiation.

Josh Dwinell, Specialty Grocery What are your drivers or goals for your department?

To stay trendsetting with our offerings, build small emerging brands into success stories, and continue to partner with local producers! I’ve always wanted to continue to be the place known for unique products. When guests are having trouble finding something particular, I want them to think of us as the solution!

What is your favorite food or item?

Right now, a prime-grade ribeye steak!

Ben Griffin, Adult Beverage What are your drivers or goals for your department?

My goal is to have the best possible selection and variety of different styles of beverages, showing strong support for our local companies but also showcasing unique offerings from around the US and internationally.

What is your favorite food or item?

My favorite beer would be Scrimshaw Pilsner from North Coast Brewing Co. It's such a clean and crisp beer that pairs well with any meal and any occasion.

Madison Burton, Healthy Living What are your drivers or goals for your department?

I love supporting my team whether it be with coverage, training, answering questions, helping with orders, etc.!

My goal is for more consistency in our sets across stores. I’m always looking for new, interesting, items with purpose to add to our sets!

What is your favorite food or item?

Strawberries in springtime!

Zach Young, Dairy What are your drivers or goals for your department?

The Nugget team drives me—as well as family! My goals are to continue to build relationships with my Dairy

team and help them to achieve their individual goals. I also always aim to secure the best deals I possibly can to enhance our margins!

What is your favorite food or item?

I love Noosa Lemon Yogurt. And Hot Wheels!

Nicki Leonard, Specialty/ General Merchandise What are your drivers or goals for your department?

Store support! I’m here to help, however it is needed. I’m extremely passionate about display building—I love having the opportunity to go to all stores to help build up their skill level. I love seeing associates gain confidence, and it gives me more drive each working day!

What is your favorite food or item?

I always enjoy pizza no matter the time of year! I’m also always looking for exciting new kitchen gadgets or condiments to add to my collection!

I’ve always wanted to continue to be the place known for unique products. When guests are having trouble finding something in particular, I want them to think of us as the solution.

- Josh Dwinell, Specialty Grocery

Diana D., Nicki L. and Jaclyn N. enjoying a beautiful day at the 36th Annual Nugget Markets Golf Tournament.

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WINNER

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L to R: Rebecca G., Humberto M., Anne V. and Jose S.

Hiring Team You’ve probably already heard from at least one person on our hiring team en route to your current role at Nugget Markets, but now’s your chance to put a face to the name! With nearly 40 years of combined experience, Anne V., Rebecca G., Humberto M. and Jose S. are seasoned pros at finding just the right people to join our world-class team. Together they work hard to recruit, interview and vet out potential associates to join our Nugget family.

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Why do we put so much time and effort into finding the right candidates for the job? In order to create an extraordinary experience for our guests and fellow associates, we have to make sure the people we hire fit with our culture of RAVE, positive attitude and constant improvement! Know anyone who might be a good fit for the team? Send them to nuggetmarket.com/careers to get started—you might even earn some cash from our Associate Referral Program (see p. 94 for details)!

Payroll

Payroll Team (L to R) Katie V. has been with Nugget for over 11 years!

Here is what our amazing Payroll Team did in 2022:

Aleida R. has been with Nugget for over 7 years!

• Paid over $95 million dollars to our associates

Jackie C. has been with Nugget for over 6 years!

• Generated over 111,000 checks/direct deposits

Karen B. has been with Nugget for over 16 years!

• Processed over 900 new hires into the system

Margaret H. has been with Nugget for over 15 years!

• Not to mention fixing punches/timecards weekly, employment verification, helping associates navigate their Paylocity portal and answer questions—the list can go on and on…

Sheri B. has been with Nugget over 33 years!

I so appreciate the Payroll Team and all they do for our associates to ensure accurate weekly pay checks—a HUGE thanks to all of the team! - Sheri B.

Security, Aisle 5!

Led by Brandon S. and Ned W., our amazing Loss Prevention (LP) team acts behind the scenes to keep our associates, guests and inventory safe. They may be a little camera shy, but rest assured these heroes deserve a big round of applause for all they do! While they may be known for stopping criminals in their tracks,

our LP agents do so much more than that. They were integral in providing accurate contact tracing during the pandemic and helped bring our safety program to where it is today. Huge thanks to our intrepid LP team for all they do to prevent crime and support safety in our stores!

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n case you haven’t noticed, here at Nugget Markets, we like to have FUN. In fact, it’s one of our Core Values and in our Global Expectations THREE times! We work hard and play hard with picnics, parties, competitions, company-wide adventures and more. Whether it’s singing at the check stands or hosting themed Spirit Weeks, we always look for ways to have fun at work and let out our “inner dork” even on the sales floor. Why? Because when we have fun, it lifts both our spirits and our guests’, making everyone’s day a little brighter. Don’t be afraid to have fun on the job. After all, you can’t spell FUN without U!

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E

Even better, this was the first very year, we host an year we got to return to a little inter-store competition normalcy and invite the whole known as Bag-Off to see which company to join the fun! We held associate can claim the title the event in an airfield museum of Best Bagger. As you can see surrounded by real-life fighter from all the fantastic photos, jets and movie props. The sunset Bag-Off 2022 was a HUGE blast! was a perfect backdrop to an Picking a theme was easy this amazing stage, put together by Jeff A. and the Get ‘er Done team year—with the success of our (as seen on p.13).

Top Gun training program and This was also the first year the the success of the hit sequel Warehouse Team and NMK movie, Top Gun: Maverick, it (Nugget Markets Kitchen) Team was practically meant to be!

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came to support the event… and then ran with away with the Spirit Cat! It was impossible to deny the vibe, volume and support their team brought to the event—an easy choice for the Spirit Judges for once! As for the champion bagger, after much practice and focus, it was Coby E. from Store 10 who took home the Bag-Off trophy and went on to compete at Nationals!

Cowabunga! These two are an udder delight. We always need more cowbell!

Alex O. marshals the event.

The Gladi8ors showed up in full force.

Jeremy J.: M.C.!

An impressive crew.

For the record, that's just Martinelli's Cider.

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ATTENTION!

Sean poking at Eric.

The flying Aces!

Standing at the ready!

Coby has a fan!

Cue "All I Do is Win" by the esteemed DJ Khaled.

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The Hive showed up for moral support: 99 bees but a bagger ain't 1!

There's a reason they took home the Spirit Cat!

The Show showed up for—well, the show!

Store 7 's elite receives important communications.

The ambassador of fun and energy!

Store 5 displayed nothing but headstrong support for their bagger.

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Boo Wore It Best?

While we always encourage a good costume around Halloween, last year we held a company-wide costume contest to up the ante! While the competition was fierce, Team Sixcess ultimately won a well-deserved Pizza Party thanks to their sheer commitment, massive participation and unifying theme. Not to be outdone, Florin took home the peep's choice prize of an Ice Cream Social thanks to their killer costumes, great participation and successful campaigning for votes from our guests! As for next year… only time will tell!

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Dressed to Impress

From holiday festivities to themed Spirit Weeks, we’ll take any excuse to show off our style! Can you identify all our Spirit Week themes and festive holiday fun…?

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FROM THE WAVES...

We love taking the fun outside our store walls to even greater heights. Last year, we were thrilled to bring back our company-wide adventures, starting with whitewater river rafting! For more than 20 years, we’ve been proud to partner ETC (Environmental Traveling Companions) which champions accessible adventures for all. Paddles up!

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...TO THE SLOPES In early 2023, we also gave our entire company the chance to hit the slopes for some skiing or snowboarding, complete with rentals and lessons for those who needed them! Our team had a blast on each of our snow days, full of fun, food and plenty of powder. If you didn’t make it this time, be on the lookout for our next round of adventures!

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D

id you know the number one trait we look for in hiring new associates is positive attitude? It’s true! We place such a premium on positivity because the right perspective makes all the difference. At Nugget Markets, we don’t think of mistakes as failures so much as opportunities to learn and improve.

Challenges don’t stop us, they encourage us to dig deep, grow stronger and reach new heights! Quite simply, whatever we put in, we get out. Poor attitudes will yield poor results, but extraordinary attitudes will help us obtain extraordinary results. Optimism empowers us to achieve great things!

And Stretch!

If you do a lot of repetitive motions on the job, it’s important to stretch to avoid workplace injury. It’s also important to have FUN! That’s why our clever Warehouse and NMK team started using a weekly stretching song. Kevin L., Director of Warehouse Operations, even dressed up as Richard Simmons

to get the ball rolling! Every week, associates at the Hive get to vote on what will be their stretching soundtrack, then when the beat drops, everyone stretches for the extent of the song. It just goes to show that a positive attitude can make even a daily routine like workplace safety a fun part of your day!

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A

key part of having a positive attitude is always keeping a growth mindset for constant improvement. That’s why we’re thrilled to bring back our 8th annual Return to Learn program! Each spring, Nugget Markets has the privilege of offering a wide variety of classes to all associates both to expand our team's product knowledge and explore new skill sets.

Classes incorporate an element of hands-on learning, such as sampling delicious foods and beverages or practicing newly learned techniques.

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Many of our classes even expand beyond the traditional classroom setting! For those who are seeking a change of scenery, we offer a handful of tours exploring local vendors’ facilities. If professional growth is what you’re looking for, then courses offering business-oriented skills like grocery math and inventory will be right up your alley. Want to step up to a physical challenge? Then a class such as Jazzercise or DDP Yoga might catch your interest. Whatever path you choose to follow, you’re sure to walk away from the class with brand new knowledge and most importantly, have some FUN along the way!

Vicky O. shows off what she learned in Charcuterie Building Skills—what a show-stopping board!

Learning how to make fresh pasta is just as fun as eating it!

Is this heaven? Close to it—everyone had fun at Full Belly Farm (on Earth).

Learning about brew-tiful pours during Coffee Bar 101.

Casey A. teaches the art of pasta.

Don't mess with these folks! They kicked it at Self-Defense 101.

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This bowl is so beautiful, you almost don't want to eat it—but it's as delicious as it looks!

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Look at how bulked up bulk is!

An important part of merchandising is thinking about what goes together!

Pearfection!

Orange you glad you're witnessing the beauty of our Produce Department?

For goodness bakes, this case really takes the cake!

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Merchandising 101 We always want to put our best foot forward, including when it comes to displays! Merchandising 101 is one of our Return to Learn classes and helps associates learn the skills to build beautiful and effective sales displays like these. By taking pride in what we present, we can utilize everything from thoughtful cross-merchandising to simple facing to keep our shelves and our stores on point.

Colors and cupcakes galore!

Maddie M. proudly presents Gold 9's full Bakery case.

Cheese Louise! This stock level is as gouda as gold—simply brie-lliant.

Make no mis-steak: Store 16's Meat Department is bringing the heat!

This display is clean.

Get a piece of this.

Crackin', not lackin'!

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A guest brought in a gift for Jen to show appreciation for all of her amazing floral arrangements and genuine, caring service.

L

ast but certainly not least, our Core Value of Trust is paramount to our culture at Nugget Markets. We work hard to earn, keep and honor the trust our guests, associates, vendors and communities put in us as a company. From the time they walk through our doors, our guests count on us to provide world-class service and quality, and you, our associates, count on us to take care of our team with a supportive work environment, great benefits and sincere caring. We take that trust seriously and do everything we can to promote and protect it. When we act with integrity, sincerity and transparency, we build a culture of trust everyone can depend on. In everything we do, trust is a must!

Dorothy, winner of our Boar's Head Sweet Slice Ham as a part of our Big Green Eggstravaganza Giveaway, loves the Vacaville store so much she wanted Erick in the picture with her!

SERVICE + QUALITY = TRUST! As with any relationship, our guests’ loyalty is built on TRUST! Our guests will only choose to shop with us if they trust us to take care of them, and that depends on two main things: SERVICE and QUALITY. Just like providing high-quality products and exceptional service builds our guests’ trust in us, selling poor-quality products with bad service undermines our guests’ trust in us. Trust is the hardest thing to earn and the easiest thing to lose!

We earn our guests’ trust through integrity and consistency, and thanks to you (yes, YOU!) always setting the bar high, our guests trust (and expect!) us to provide them top-notch quality and worldclass service on each and every visit. When it comes to developing trust, YOU make all the difference!

- CHRIS CARPENTER

Opposite page: A guest made Jaclyn a quilt and gave it to her on her last day at Store 11 before she transitioned to Corporate as Specialty Cheese Director!

Vice President/Chief Operating Officer

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Word on the Street Guest comments are a great way to see how well we’re doing in terms of building trust. To make sure we keep our compliment-to-opportunity ratio strong, we track guest feedback from comment cards, review sites and social media. That’s also how we determine the monthly Service Wand winners (see more on p. 95). Thanks to you, our world-class team, the vast majority of comments are rave reviews and little love notes like these!

GUEST COMMENT CARD—STORE #30

Sal in the Meat Department was so friendly, greeting everyone with a smile.

He took time out to cut some beef strips for me. I so appreciate it and him for his smile; it goes a long way!

GUEST COMMENT CARD—STORE #6

I love this store! The staff are always so friendly and helpful. Literally, one of them saw me struggling opening a bag for some bell peppers and came to help me open it since he had gloves on. He even asked if he could open a couple of them to help me out. Another employee helped me figure out how to use the cashew machine and showed me how to write down the number for it.

Instead of pointing things out, they literally walk you to the item and ensure you get exactly what you’re looking for! Every time I come here, regardless of who helps me, it’s always consistent and a great experience.

Thanks, Nugget staff! You’re all amazing!

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Culture Chronicles | 2023

GUEST COMMENT CARD—STORE #9

I have been in the hospitality industry for 45 years. I’m not easily impressed by employees—I’ve seen it all.

However, Courtney in the Bakery Department went so far out of her way to help me that I can’t ignore praising her decision-making and her solutionoriented actions—all with a magnificent smile! Her action? Giving me a sourdough bun, instead of having to buy a pack of four. Simple. I like her resolve! resolve

GUEST COMMENT CARD—STORE #2

Pouring rain! A few days ago, I was sitting in my car, and I noticed a young man in the rain who worked at Nugget help an older gentleman out of his car.

He went and got him a cart! When the man came out, he again helped him into the car and put the cart back. This brought tears to my eyes. You should be proud of all the people who work here.

GUEST COMMENT CARD—STORE #5

GUEST COMMENT CARD—STORE #16

Selena in the Deli Department was very helpful.

She helped me find things I would like and had me try some of the items. She was able to tell me what she liked about some of the food, which helped me pick out what I would like.

GUEST COMMENT CARD—STORE #21

I'd like to thank and compliment your catering staff. We ordered all the food for a birthday party from your store. The platters and everything else were not only beautifully prepared and delicious, but the presentation and quality were outstanding. Just wonderful in every respect. Thank you for making a celebration so easy for us and adding such an elegant touch of class to the fun!

Thanks to Sam N. in the Meat Department! They were out of chorizo, and he offered to mix me a fresh batch.

With it being Christmas Eve, I didn’t want to be extra needy and figured I would just make-do with another flavor that was available. After describing to him what flavor type I was looking for to help pick an alternative he just looked at me and said, “You need chorizo! I’ll go make a little batch, no problem.”

Really appreciate his help, especially on such a crazy day!

GUEST COMMENT CARD—STORE #7

Oh my gosh, what a perfect day this is already. I did not know that coming into this store would set the rest of the pace.

Jaqueline is an amazing, upbeat person who is such an asset to your company.

She is friendly, helpful, and put a smile on my face. Thank you, Jacqueline, and I hope you have a fantastic day.

2023 | 2022 |

Culture Chronicles | 45 Culture Chronicles | 45

46 |

Culture Chronicles | 2023

O

ne of the benefits of working at Nugget Markets is our amazing benefits package! Like you saw in the last section, trust is incredibly important and at the root of everything we do both for our guests and for U, our associates! That’s why we offer outstanding benefits including everything from industry-leading wages and flexible scheduling to zero-premium healthcare, a matching 401(k), plus an annual discretionary 401k contribution made by the company to your account! If you’re not already familiar with all we have to offer, keep reading to see what it’s all about!

Above - Standing lef t to right: Nikki G., Sheri B., Raquel R. and Jill M. Opposite page left - Paulette’s got a new little cupcake!

Opposite page right - Eric W.’s daughter, Violet

Pro Tip: If you ever have any questions, you can also reach out to our wonderful benefits team at benefits@nuggetmarket.com or (530) 399-3355.

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Culture Chronicles | 47

Your Benefits at a Glance Nugget Markets offers an extraordinary benefits package throughout associates’ journeys with us! Here are a few highlights before we dive into the details.

To learn more, you can refer to the benefits guide and/or the Summary Plan Description or contact the benefits team at benefits@nuggetmarket.com or (530) 399-3355 and choose the “benefits” option.

EAP (Employee Assistance Program) • No-cost resources that associates and their families can utilize for help and guidance in many areas including 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.

Zero-Premium Health Plan • Comprehensive health plan • Medical, dental, vision and prescriptions • Zero premium cost for associate coverage in Anthem Blue Cross plan (see page 50)

Associate 20% Discount/U-Card (see page 53)

Long-Term Disability Insurance

Dependent Care Account • Reimbursement for dependent care expenses

Flexible Spending Account (FSA)

Group Term Life Insurance

• Reimbursement for medical expenses

401(k) Plan • Weekly company match • Annual discretionary company contribution • Traditional and Roth components to contribute into (see page 56)

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Vacation/PTO Combination • After the 90-day introductory period, associates begin accruing Vacation/PTO. Associates can earn up to 5 weeks of vacation, depending on years of service and additionally, associates can earn up to 32 hours of PTO annually.

• Unused Vacation/PTO hours will roll into the next year. Associates may request a payout from their Vacation/PTO.

CA-Sick Pay • 24 hours annually

Bereavement Pay

6 Recognized Paid Holidays • New Year’s Day • Memorial Day • Fourth of July • Labor Day • Thanksgiving • Christmas Day

Scholarships (see page 52)

Holiday-Worked Pay

benefits@nuggetmarket.com

Feel Free to Reach Out!

ENGLISH: (530) 399-3355 (select the “benefits” option) SPANISH: (530) 399-3375 2023 |

Culture Chronicles | 49

To Your Health!

Having a great healthcare plan for associates and their families is extremely important to us at Nugget Markets. With the everincreasing cost of healthcare, it is rare to find companies that pay 100% of their associates’ healthcare premiums, and we’re proud to be one of the few!

Even better, 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 Markets are outstanding and 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 a spouse or dependents?

Associates can also add coverage for eligible dependents at a very reasonable cost. To see how valuable this benefit is, just look at how these numbers add up:

Associate Coverage Our Anthem Blue Cross Plan: FREE! Without premium coverage: $600.33 per month ($7,203.96 per year)

Spousal Coverage Our Anthem Blue Cross Plan: $30 per week ($1,560 per year) If paying the entire premium: $1,242.68 per month ($14,912.16 per year) Our plan saves you nearly 90%!

Family Coverage Our Anthem Blue Cross Plan: $60 per week ($3,120 per year) Without premium coverage: $1,897.04 per month ($22,764.48 per year) And dependent premium weekly deductions are on a tax-free basis!

Abby J.’s daughter following in mama’s footsteps!

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Culture Chronicles | 2023

But Wait, There’s More!

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

Michelle L.’s daughter, Jenny, is smiling and in good spirits despite her fractured arm.

Fun Fact Nugget Markets 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 lower while still offering associates the best possible coverage!

• Mental Health Wellness is included within our health plan.

• Alternate resources in obtaining healthcare (including mental health wellness): LiveHealthOnline where medical professionals are available to assist you via video visit.

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Culture Chronicles | 51

It Pays to Learn!

Here at Nugget Markets, we’re big fans of constant improvement. That’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, don’t forget to apply! Watch for your opportunity to apply in the upcoming year.

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2022 SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS! Gene & Joan Stille Scholarships: • Christopher Bruton ­­—Formerly at Store #12 • Daniel Oleson-Wheeler ­—Formerly at Store #15 • Daniela Ramirez—Store #1 • Emma Sarty—Store #2 • Hailee Flink (dependent of Cindy Flink)—Store #17 • Liliana Tapuro (dependent of Leo Tapuro)—Store #8 • Mike Ham—Store #7 • Nevaeh Rich (dependent of former associate Joshua Crabtree-Rich)—Warehouse • Rachel Johnson (dependent of Michelle Johnson)—Store #7 • Sofia Velasquez—Store #5 Adam Bazarnik Scholarship: • Bradley Ruport (dependent of Craig Ruport)—Warehouse Barry Ashcraft Scholarship: • Julia Reyes—Store #1 52 |

Culture Chronicles | 2023

$$$ for U Did you know your U-Card is your ticket to both saving money and earning money?

Check it out!

Double the Discount: Last year, we upped our associate discount from 10% to 20% to save our team some extra cash! Just scan your U-Card when checking out at any Nugget Market, Inc. store to get 20% off your purchase.

Show Me the Money!

Not only that, if you spot the unique “U” design from your U-Card on daily U-Tube messages, in Lil’ Nuggets and in other company communications, you can earn the chance to win up to $500!

Rysa K.’s got her U-Card!

In 2022, the company paid out more than…

• $64,830 in U-Card Redemptions • $101,570 in U Make Us Better Spins • $470,890 in Parties and Events

• $223,138 in Rewards and Gold Coins • $268,924 in Associate Appreciation • $956,745 in Associate Discounts

…$2,086,097 total!

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Culture Chronicles | 53

Bundles of Joy 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 at benefits@nuggetmarket.com or (530) 399-3355 to learn what options are available to you.

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Culture Chronicles | 2023

g trip a divin b u c S ay l to a 12 d st Apri a l y l i We did e fam r old e whol 17 yea y M with th . lize and dro Be n there w o d San Pe d fie rkeling ot certi n a sno o t twins g n e sw tepson . my 2 s with us y a d e trip on

Last y ea grand r in May 20 mothe 22 I su r in rp with m y fam Guatemala rised my g re il Sacra mento y after 9 ye and reconn at ars. I ected to L A, Me xico flew dr , grand and flew in ove from L A from to Tap mothe to Tiju ac rl It ’s be a en her ives in Mala hula, MX. M na, y grea catán, home an hou of 8 t G r and m from Tapac 7 years, an uatemala. hula. y cous d it ’s a It in wan and o rg ted to was our last bout do som day to Me x anized tran eth sp ic out to o from Gua ortation for ing “fun” temala us to g Ta o .

River. lisman, we I was went d When we we back confus n o take a w t n to th ed s c my co ar or walk. ince norma e Suchiate us lly we On w river v in informed ce we got t o the r ould ia zipl us tha iver ine int t we w my Tio oM ould c s ros It was house , ate T e xico. We c ame b s the acos a truly a ack to nd we memo nt ry I w ill nev back home . er forg et.

k trip to French I took a two wee re ar with the enti Polynesia last ye ews, y sister, two neph m s, nt re a .p .. fam wife his partner, my my brother and we’ve Starting in 2016 and three kids. year trip or two every taken a family ic so it was really until the pandem and with the family nice to get away . ntures with them go on some adve

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.

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Store #

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from: Vacation Story

Marc Q. Store #8

Last September my wife and I traveled to France and visited and tasted in Burgundy (through Cha blis, Cote de Nuits, Cote du Beaune ) Then on to Alsace and a quick stop in Champagne. Emma and I are definitely grateful to be able to tak e time off of work to go explore differen t places with each other.

sit New York e a trip to vi d a m I arry nd a Emma t was to see H reason we wen n The ai . m en r d Ou ar !

G City on Square is ad M at m uare Garden Styles perfor t, Madison Sq er nc co e th nner raised in night of by having a ba ts at “The y rr a H ed at celebr utive nigh his 15 consec atch celebration of .” We got to w na re A s ou m Fa t te , defini ly World’s Mos t in front of us t been gh ri en pp ha history th had no ember. We bo a night to rem we did all sorts of touristy , so ork bagels to NYC before icious New Y el d e at e W om different activities! with coffee fr ng lo a y, ng ni or every m tue of Libert sited the Sta vi ate s, St op re sh pi ee m coff d the E l Park , visite ra nd nt a , Ce ay ed w lk d a a w Bro w “Wicked” on able Building, sa grateful to be re a e W s. od fo erent y iff m d m ate yu go explore off of work to e m ti ke ta to ch other. places with ea

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Synthia R. Store #11

Vacation Story from:

Hank B. Corporate

Vacation Days!

2023 |

Culture Chronicles | 55

401(k) FAQs Planning for the future is an important part of today!

That’s why we offer powerful investment options like our 401(k) as part of our benefits package. Have questions?

We’ve got answers!

How do I enroll?

Eligible associates are auto-enrolled (unless you proactively enroll or opt out) in pre-tax contributions of 2% of weekly pay so you can start setting money aside for retirement.

Contributions automatically increase 1% every July (unless you decline) until you reach 10%.

How do I change my contribution?

What are ROTH (post-tax) contributions?

Does Nugget Markets offer a company match?

You can increase or decrease your contribution amounts whenever you want through your Empower portal or by contacting our benefits team. The maximum contribution limits for 2023 (as set by the IRS) are $22,500 for participants under 50 and $30,000 for those 50 and over.

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!

Darn right, we do! Every time you contribute to your 401(k), Nugget Markets 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!

What are my investment options?

Our 401(k) plan offers 27 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). Nearly 80% 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!

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What are discretionary company contributions?

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 tax-deferred 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.

Nugget Markets can also make an annual discretionary contribution based on business performance. Historically, the discretionary contribution has averaged 2% of eligible participant compensation.

So, if you’re contributing at least 4% to your 401(k), you would receive a 2% match and potentially an additional 2% discretionary contribution annually—that’s a big deal!

Why should I invest?

Quite simply, because investing now leads to big returns later! Let’s look at the numbers:

Hourly Rate

Traditional

ROTH

$

$

Weekly Hours Worked Weekly Pay

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:

21 32

$

672

PIGGY BANK 21

$

32 $

672

21 32

$

672

4% Contribution

27

27

27

Company Match

13

13

–

Total Contribution

$

40

$

40

$

27

Estimated Annual Discretionary Match - 2%

$

699

$

699

$

–

Impact on Weekly Paycheck

$

(20)

$

(27)

$

(27)

–

Estimated 401(k) Balance After 40 Years: Taxable Balance

$601,000

$293,000

$

Non-Taxable Balance

$

–

$308,000

$56,160

Total

$601,000

$601,000

$56,160

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. Your future self will thank you!

Fun 401(k) Facts • Current Participants: 2,107 • Participation Rate: 97% • Average Participant Balance: $44,035 • Total Plan Assets: $93,262,000

2023 |

Culture Chronicles | 57

Speaking of Retirement…

Celebrating Randy Wehman (third from right)

Many of our associates make a career at Nugget Markets all the way up until they retire some 20, 30 or 40 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 $2,923,304 in 2022 alone!

POP QUIZ L to R: Kevin Belcher, Brad Fritz and... ?

Pop Quiz: This (likely underage at time of photo) beer-enjoyer currently works at Corporate. He’s worked at 6 stores and has had 7 kids since this photo was taken 38 years ago. Who is he? Answer on p.21.

Right - Kevin Belcher’s retirement party at Plainfield Station

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Culture Chronicles | 2023

Congrats to all the associates who retired this year!

SARAH ROHWER 16 years MARY MULLER 21 years, 7 months

BOB KENNEDY 32 years, 4 months

RANDY WEHMAN 19 years, 4 months

KEVIN BELCHER 41 years, 3 months

GREG HORTON 22 years, 3 months

Top Lef t - Dennis Lindsay and Mary Muller at Bag-Off 2012 Top Right - Sarah Rohwer Bottom Lef t - Bob Kennedy Bottom Right (2) - Greg Horton

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Culture Chronicles | 59

Holidays!

60 |

Top Lef t - The Aces are sure in the holiday spirit!

Top Right - Michael S. knows if you’ve been naughty or nice.

Middle Lef t - Marilyn T. and Sheila H. are merry and jovial!

Middle Right - Notice Store 30’s official holiday mascots?

Bottom - Each official member of the Christmas Cookie Crew plays an essential role in keeping Santa happy!

Culture Chronicles | 2023

Top Lef t - The Bear Squad pays homage to our first responders.

Top Right - Where’s Wally?

Middle Lef t - Sally and Jack Skellington make an appearance!

Middle Right - That’s right—we have a T-Rex on our payroll.

Bottom Lef t - This picture was taken over at Fork Lif t on a regular old Monday.

Bottom Right - Erica D. spent the entire day stringently and dutifully guarding the pumpkins.

2023 |

Culture Chronicles | 61

A

t Nugget Markets, we have 3 Company Goals— Guest Satisfaction, Constant Improvement and being a World-Class Employer—and none of them would be possible without communication!

To take care of our guests, we stay in the know about what’s on ad, store layout and policies and general product knowledge so we can answer questions and provide useful suggestions.

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To keep getting better, we encourage robust, two-way dialogue and seek out feedback from our team, guests, vendors and community. In the spirit of being a World-Class Employer,” we go all out to support communication and keep our team in the loop with everything from daily U-Tube messages and rallies to internal publications like Lil’ Nuggets and this very Culture Chronicles.

Don’t forget, the great thing about communication is that it goes both ways! Along with talking to a leader in person, you can also drop a note in the U Matter Box or call our confidential hotline at (530) 399-3397. Whether you have a question, concern, suggestion or WOW moment to share, we want to hear from U!

Above - Everyone Zoom-ed in for February’s Floral-focused CTF meeting!

Communication Task Force Since its inception in 2009, Nugget Markets’ Communication Task Force (CTF) has been a huge factor in improving communication across the company. This unique program was piloted with the launch of our U-Tube messaging system and department communication boards to help bridge the information gap between leaders and storelevel associates. Nowadays, we have 20 CTF leaders who help bring need-to-know information to the team at each of our locations including our stores, Nugget Markets Kitchen and corporate office!

Every month the CTF leaders are tasked with surveying the associates at their respective locations to see who is taking the First 5 to read the U-Tube and their department boards. They also attend monthly meetings to share ideas from our associates on how we can improve as a company in various focused departments. If you don’t know who your CTF leader is, seek out your store director to get introduced and find ways how you can support communication.

We’re extremely proud of the progress our company has made with important program, and it’s exciting to see how much more we can grow in 2023!

2023 |

Culture Chronicles | 63

Training Team

Top Row - Alex O. and Jeremy J. Bottom Row L to R - Sean B., Taylor W. and Paul B.

All Aboard!

World-class communication starts on day one and continues throughout the course of any associate’s Nugget Markets journey thanks to our worldclass training team! Along with our famously fun orientation sessions, our talented team of trainers also hosts a variety of additional learning opportunities like…

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Culture Chronicles | 2023

• Courtesy Training • Checker Training • Deli Training • Bakery Training • Leadership 101 • PIC 101 • Service Sells • Serv Safe Food Safety • First Aid and CPR • Train the Trainer

…just to name a few! As if that weren’t enough, our training team is also the powerful and creative force behind our annual Bag-Off (p. 26) and Return to Learn (p. 36). If you ever want to learn something new, reach out to a leader or one of these rockstar communicators to see how you can get involved!

Get AMPed After a 3-year hiatus, our global A.M.P. (Assistant Store Director, Manager-in-Charge, Person-in-Charge) meetings are back and better than ever!

These meetings are important and impactful because they bring our leaders across the company together as a team.

When we meet face to face, we can connect, feed off everyone’s energy, learn from each other and implement new ways to improve!

Top - Amber R. and Marilyn T. Bottom - L to R: Hilary O., Matt R., Emma W. and Alex O.

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Culture Chronicles | 65

In Print Along with great verbal communication our associates provide in store, our marketing team produces a variety of printed and digital materials to keep the line of communication open even after our guests head home. Look out for printed collateral like these at your store and out in the wild:

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

Recipe Cards Seasonal recipes merchandised across departments and at the checkstands.

California Fall Cheeseb YIELD

oard

6–8 servings

PREP TIME

10 minutes

COOK TIME

NA

DIFFICU LTY

“ROP” Ads Printed ads in magazines and newspapers or on buses and billboards.

Did we mention that our Field Guide and recipe cards are free? Encourage our guests to take them home, and be sure to check them out for yourself, too!

MORE THAN

C ro i s s

SO DO

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WE!

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5LOCA,1L0ITE0MS

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om scratc h with real Pl butter ugrá , handshaped and ba ked in -house daily un til perf ectly crisp and te nder.

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always been committed Sonoma Market has rs. farmers and vendo to supporting local than 5,100 unique items We now offer more producers in our area!

200 than from more le Icon to find Lifesty Local our Just look for these. fantastic products like

G-NOLA

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gourmet This award-winning, scratch granola is made from

company in Santa Rosa.

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SOLANA GOLD ORGANICS

S T R AU S FA M I LY CREAMERY

Gravenstein Apples Upgrade

Organic Yogurt

your apple with the

dairy Enjoy extraordinary d starring minimally processe in milk from family farms .

Marin and Sonoma counties

organic sweet, juicy and crisp ed apples fresh from Applese Farms in the hills of

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Culture Chronicles | 2023

E

8–12

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whole in small batches with wned ingredients by a family-o

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sonomamarket.net

nuggetmarket.com

D IF

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Online For an interactive experience, our guests (and associates!) can also connect with us online. For your scrolling pleasure, you can also find Nugget Markets in the digital space!

Website Our main hub for recipes, blogs, our weekly ad, online ordering and more.

Weekly E-Ad and Newsletter Weekly emails featuring our latest deals, contests, cooking inspiration and exclusive Secret Special.

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

If you’re not already signed up for our newsletter or following us on social media, sign up and follow us today, and encourage our guests to do the same!

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Culture Chronicles | 67

W

hen we say, “all in,” we mean it! Every leader in our company got their role by living our core values, filling buckets, embracing teamwork and leading by example. While job descriptions may vary, every leader’s main job at Nugget Markets is supporting their team and setting them up for success.

Along with storewide wins, that also means helping associates reach their own personal and professional goals. If you’re excited to advance your career here at Nugget Markets, let your leader know and keep an eye out for exciting opportunities to learn and grow!

The Sky’s the Limit!

At Nugget Markets, we’re proud to fill 95% of our leadership positions from within—it’s easy when our team is just that good! As a company, we’re dedicated to promoting based on talent and ability and empowering our associates to constantly learn and grow, both personally and professionally.

Ready to take the next step in your Nugget Markets career? Let your leader know and keep an eye out for training classes, our Return to Learn program, Leadership Nugget and other development opportunities!

Congratulations to Kristi S. and Robert Y. on joining Corporate Produce Operations!

KRISTI’S NUGGET MARKETS JOURNEY

1. Courtesy Clerk 2. Produce Associate 3. Assistant Produce Manager 4. Produce Manager 5. Produce Manager / Operations Support!

ROBERT’S NUGGET MARKETS JOURNEY

1. Courtesy Clerk 2. Produce Associate 3. Produce Manager 4. Produce Manager / Operations Support!

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Culture Chronicles | 2023

Fun Fact Our company org chart is an inverted pyramid with our CEO at the bottom supporting the executive team, who supports our store directors and department managers, who support all our associates at store level!

1

2

#

#

#

RODNEY B. WOODLAND, CA

6

QUENTINE L. DAVIS, CA — MACE

7

#

9

#

PHILIPPE C. ROSEVILLE, CA — PLEASANT GROVE

10

#

ERICA D. EL DORADO HILLS, CA

#

ANGEL N. ROSEVILLE, CA — BLUE OAKS

14

12

JONATHAN G. DAVIS, CA — COVELL

16

#

JONATHAN D. TIBURON, CA

17

CHAUNTÉ C. NOVATO, CA

30

KANOA A. CORTE MADERA, CA

21

#

#

ERICK S. VACAVILLE, CA

15

#

#

BRIAN W. ELK GROVE, CA

11

#

#

JAZZMEN S. SACRAMENTO, CA — FLORIN

8

#

MARILYN T. WEST SACRAMENTO, CA

5

#

CODY M. SONOMA, CA

RANDY W. CAMERON PARK, CA

WH

VICENTE O. WOODLAND, CA

KEVIN L. WAREHOUSE—WOODLAND, CA

2023 |

Culture Chronicles | 69

Coach of the Month & Year Having the right mentor makes all the difference! At Nugget Markets, we have an impressive array of coaches throughout our company helping stores, departments and associates all reach the next level. It’s a huge responsibility, so we like to celebrate and recognize our stand-out leaders as Coach of the Month or Year. After all, a successful leader means a successful team!

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Culture Chronicles | 2023

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Leadership Nugget If you want to learn more about the grocery business, meet leaders throughout our company and challenge yourself like never before, you’ll love Leadership Nugget!

Now in its 18th year, this year-long education program gives 25 hard-working associates the chance to explore different departments and leadership principles through class projects, interviews, reading assignments and handson activities. Want to join the fun? This program is open to aspiring leaders throughout our company, so make sure to apply when applications open in the spring!

The Nougats enjoyed graduation dinner at Full Belly Farm.

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Part of being a good leader is being well-rounded, which means learning new skills like sausage-making and bouquet-arranging!

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Field Trips One of the best ways to gain product knowledge is by seeing, hearing, trying and tasting things for yourself! We partner with vendors to take teams from different departments on educational field trips so they can learn more about their products firsthand. From our produce team visiting local farms to our grocery team exploring an olive oil factory, we’re always up for adventure!

Above - The Bakery leaders had fun on a trip to San Francisco!

Right - The joys of olive oil were explored at Cobram Estate.

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Macro education at Cal Microgreens!

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A grand time at the TCHO Chocolate Factory.

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ince 1926, Nugget Markets has been committed to supporting local nonprofits and causes in our communities through donations, sponsorships and participation in local and regional events.

With every nonprofit partnership we establish, our primary goal is to build a positive and long-lasting relationship where we bring together our resources to support and improve our communities.

Stats In the 2022 fiscal year, we donated 1,066,659 pounds of product valued at $5,722,571! We also made charitable contributions totaling $671,674, including our Community Scrip Program. Keep reading more to learn about some of the amazing nonprofits we support in the community!

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

Inspiring Philanthropy We aim to inspire philanthropy with our associates, guests and community to make our communities and world a better place for everyone.

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Advancing education

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Kids in crisis

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Youth development

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Youth sports

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Food insecurity

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Disaster relief

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Domestic violence

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Elder care and support

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Disease prevention

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Diversity, equity and inclusion

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Environmental education and preservation

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School garden grants

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Nugget Markets’ Sustainability Program

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Clean green energy (see p. 81 to learn more!)

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Big Day of Giving

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Giving Marin

Our corporate community giving team oversees our sponsorships and event participation, while each of our stores have a budget (individual and regional) to support their immediate community with in-kind donations. Our corporate community giving team focuses on supporting 501(c)(3) nonprofits and educational institutions (K–12) that align with our company’s four Philanthropic Pillars. We also offer a Community Scrip Program so guests can support their favorite nonprofit organizations while they shop!

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Extra Food

Fortifying Our Neighborhoods

Back on opening day of our Corte Madera store (April 2018), a gentleman named Marv Zauderer, founder of Extra Food, introduced himself to our leadership team. From that day forward we have forged an amazing relationship that has expanded to our Tiburon and Novato stores. Extra Food provides a unique solution to edible food recovery that exists nowhere else in the country. Extra Food’s team is on a mission to fight hunger, food waste and climate change in the North Bay area.

They rescue excess fresh food from businesses, schools and gardens and immediately deliver it to their 150 nonprofit partners serving vulnerable people. Those of you who work in our Marin stores are probably very familiar with the Extra Food team, as they pick up our excess food daily!

Last year, Marv retired and passed the leadership over to Will Dittmar, who has expanded Extra Food’s program immensely. Not only have they increased their delivery by 1,500 individuals (10,000 per month), they have also established a Gleaning Program and a Community Meals Program. The Gleaning Program volunteers gather excess produce from local Marin farmers and residents who grow more than they can consume, ensuring that no produce goes to waste.

The Community Meals Program repurposes the donated, excess food and prepares 2,400 (per month) warm meals for after-school programs and the elderly. Our Marin stores are fortunate to have Extra Food as a premier partner and look forward to expanding our relationship as their long-range plan is to expand their services to the east, Sonoma County and beyond.

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Giving Marin

Inspiring Philanthropy

Giving Marin is a partnership that offers community-minded businesses a platform to underwrite advertising and cause-based promotions for 501(c)(3) nonprofits in Marin County. Together with eight fellow business partners and four sponsors, Nugget Markets and the Marin IJ support the work of hundreds of nonprofits among Marin’s 1,700 charity organizations through this initiative annually. Most importantly, no less than 15% of revenues generated through Giving Marin are set aside for an annual grant program.

In the past five years, the Giving Marin Grant has awarded $270,000 to 35 nonprofits.

Giving Marin partners strive to foster volunteerism and community engagement. The Giving Marin website (givingmarin.com) and social media channels keep a running list of volunteer opportunities and events that benefit 501(c)(3)s. Additionally, a page in the print and e-editions of the Marin IJ where photos and listings of nonprofit events and volunteer opportunities are adds another component of exposure for nonprofits every Thursday. Nugget Markets has been a proud Giving Marin partner since its inception in January of 2018. We thank the Marin IJ for spearheading this program that supports all nonprofit organizations in Marin County!

Improve Your Tomorrow’s College Success Center Campaign

Empowering Future Generations & Fortifying our Neighborhoods

Driven by their mission to increase the number of young men of color (YMOC) to attend and graduate from colleges and universities, Nugget Markets has been a consistent contributor and long-term partner to Improve Your Tomorrow (IYT). Most recently, we were the first to contribute ($20,000) to IYT’s College Success Center campaign, which will provide funds to build a 15,000 square foot youth center, wellness space and a community pop-up location in Del Paso Heights (Sacramento), providing an inclusive place for IYT Brothers to connect, learn, build relationships and imagine a world in which every Brother works toward and earns a degree.

The Center will serve as a multipurpose hub for tutoring and educational opportunities, a technology nexus, recording studio, wellness center, food pantry, lounge and a professional dress closet. The Center will be a place to feel at home, while serving as an incredible space for a fun, inclusive, vibrant and healthy community of IYT Brothers. Over 3,000 Brothers are involved in IYT programs from middle school to college, having grown from 17 since their inception in 2013.

Despite IYT’s growth and active involvement with young men of color and their families, the IYT community has no place it can call the heart of our community of Brothers. IYT’s College Success Center will provide that “home away from home.”

Big Day of Giving Inspiring Philanthropy

Mark your calendar for Big Day of Giving on May 4, 2023! As you probably know, Nugget Market, Inc. is a consistent sponsor and promoter of the Big Day of Giving and has been for several years. This year, a new program for BDOG2023 called Cultivate creates space for collaboration, connection and collective learning among Big Day of Giving participants who are BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) and/or represent BIPOC-led nonprofits who seek to become even more effective in their work in the Sacramento Region. Data from past Big Days of Giving reflect that BIPOC-led nonprofits typically receive less funding than other organizations, despite their high-quality outcomes and strong relationships in the communities they serve. Fostering the success of BIPOC fundraisers in our region’s nonprofit sector is necessary to advance equity in our community and support lasting solutions to large, systemic challenges. A project of the Sacramento Region Community Foundation’s Big Day of Giving, Cultivate advances the Foundation’s initiative to strengthen the capitol area by strengthening our nonprofit sector. To learn more about Cultivate, check out bigdayofgiving.org/ giving-events/bdog23/cultivate.

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Caring for Our Community

Some community-minded associates spent an af ternoon in September assisting the Yolo Food Bank in preparing boxes of produce for their “Flipping the Food System” distribution.

135 farmworker households were served produce boxes and shelf-stable products!

Congratulations to Sharon P. and Store 11 on a successful Toy Drive!

In December, Sharon partnered with the Vacaville Neighborhood Boys & Girls Club and her team collected more than 60 toys. Recognized as the premier youth development organization in Vacaville, this amazing nonprofit creates a safe place for kids to spend time outside of school, offering programs for children and teens ages 4–17.

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Congratulations to Tracy C. and Store 17 on their SOS Food Drive! Associates donated nonperishable food and hygiene items. SOS’ mission is to shelter the homeless and feed the hungry in Sonoma and Sonoma Valley. In addition to providing temporary emergency shelter at The Haven, SOS has a robust meal program that serves 4,500 meals per month— more than 54,000 meals annually—as well as other wrap-around services.

We’re Online!

Our online donation and sponsorship application platform (Grants Connect) has been a huge success!

Thank you to our administrative assistants and store directors for their patience and determination to get this program up and running smoothly.

SacPride Festival In 2022, we sponsored the SacPride Festival and nearly 150 associates signed up to join the march in the Sacramento Pride Parade and show their support!

Nugget Markets’ Golf Tournament A big part of our Nugget Markets community includes the vendors. For more than 30 years, we’ve hosted our annual Nugget Markets Golf Tournament as a way to foster open and thriving business relationships. Every year we bring associates and vendors together to enjoy a friendly game of golf, delicious food and drinks, plenty of swag and great raffle prizes. Fore!

Applying for a donation or sponsorship is relatively simple, but quite often our guests have questions on the process. Please note that all stores’ GSDs should now have step-by-step instructions to assist guests when applying.

Please take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with this brochure and share them with your guests when appropriate.

Now that all schools are running at full capacity following the pandemic, donations and sponsorships requests have drastically increased. The below statement has been added to the online application to better clarify where an educational donation and sponsorship application should be directed (local Nugget Markets vs. community team at the corporate office).

Please note, if you represent…

An Organization Affiliated with Educational Institutions: Due to the tremendous number of requests we receive from schools, school clubs and PTOs/PTAs, all requests other than those made on behalf of Educational Foundations and Offices of Education must be directed to the Nugget Markets store closest to your location.

Only requests for in-kind product valued at less than $250 will be considered.

An Education Foundation or Office of Education: Please direct your donation and sponsorship requests to Nugget Markets’ corporate office.

Both in-kind and financial contributions will be considered.

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H

ere at Nugget Markets, we’re committed to working towards a greener, more sustainable future every day, in every store.

With the help of our Sustainability Coordinator and Green Guru team, we’re constantly improving our environmental impact through eco-friendly actions like reducing water and energy usage, recycling, diverting food waste, donating to local nonprofits and more. It’s not always easy being green, but it sure is worth it!

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How we SEE sustainability: • Social Responsibility • Environmental Stewardship • Economic Vitality

Danielle Millar educating our guests about sustainability!

Clean, Green Energy Cultivating Environmental Change

We’re so committed to sustainability, we equipped eight of our stores with Bloom Energy fuel cells! These state-of-the-art fuel cells provide Stores 1, 2, 6, 9, 11, 12, 17 and 30 with certified clean energy 24/7, even when the power grid suffers interruption. From June through November of 2022, seven of these stores experienced a total of ten different power outages and would have been powerless for 841 minutes (just over 14 hours!) without Bloom Energy keeping them running. During most of the outages, we were the only grocer in the area with power, helping us continue to serve our community, reduce shrink from lost perishables and keep our guests and associates safe. Let’s hear it for these lean, green power machines!

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BINGO! To help make going green fun, our Sustainability Coordinator, Danielle M., challenged the whole company to a few rounds eco-friendly BINGO! Last year, May’s BINGO board featured ways to support mental health with sustainable activities like spending time outside, supporting local business and even hugging a tree! This year, Litter Bug Bingo kicked off in February, encouraging associates to (safely!) pick up things like discarded water bottles, cardboard or other waste that should be disposed of properly.

Participating associates received a green UMUB card for every square they completed, a whole row earned them a $10 gift card and anyone who completed the whole board was entered into a raffle for a Sustainability Gift Basket!

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The Green Gurus’ Halloween costumes!

Sonoma Market celebrates the Sustainability Jar Winner !

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R

emember when we talked about Bucket Moments back on p. 7? Giving honest praise, showing appreciation and recognizing a job well done are some of the easiest ways to fill someone’s bucket and make them feel good. (A little friendly competition and cash incentive don’t hurt either!) We love filling buckets at Nugget Markets, which is why we go BIG when it comes celebrating our worldclass team. Read on to see some of the many ways we like to award and honor our team, and ways you can acknowledge your fellow associates, too!

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President’s Cup When it comes to company-wide recognition, the greatest honor of all is the highly coveted President’s Cup! This annual award goes to the store with the best execution all year, including meeting sales and labor goals, delivering on our 5 Basics to Increase Sales, maintaining cleanliness and safety, continually raising the standards and giving our guests world-class service. The competition was fierce in 2022, but Store 1 ultimately claimed this prestigious award for the original Woodland Nugget Markets! Way to go, Aces!

The 2022 champions rejoice!

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Spotlight On Service If you or your team have been going above and beyond when it comes to world-class service, you just might be awarded Spotlight on Service! One stand-out associate or whole department from the entire company earns this award each month—it’s quite the honor!

Teamwork makes the dream work!

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These shining stars are ALL IN!

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Düers Associates who earn the title of Düer go out of their way to serve our guests and each other. In short, they’re all in! Weekly Düers get a chance to spin the wheel for cash, while coveted Düer shirts are awarded at store parties, events and even some meetings!

These Düers did it!

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Going above & beyond is the name of the game.

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U Make Us Better and U Rock Everyone can recognize another associate for a job well done—that’s the point of our UMUB and U Rock programs! U Rock service stories are displayed for the entire store to see, while every UMUB card comes with a chance to win up to $100. See how much money we awarded our amazing associates in 2022 on p. 53!

Associate Referral Program Did you know our hiring team receives thousands of applications every month? Referrals from our own associates are extremely valuable in finding the right people to join our team, so we like to encourage them with cold, hard CASH. You can earn up to $500 for each successfully hired applicant, AND every referring associate is also entered to win a giant $1,000 check! Just make sure the person you refer enters your name when they apply!

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Magical Service Wand Every month, the two stores that deliver the best guest satisfaction and cultivate the strongest trust based on quantity and quality of guest feedback are honored with the Magical Service Wand. The winners and all our stores’ scores are announced on the U-Tube, so keep an eye out for how your store is doing!

Establishing guest trust is nothing short of magical!

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Associate of the Year Associate of the Month? Try Associate of the Year! Every December, one stand-out associate from each store and corporate is honored with this title for their dedication to service, cooperation and teamwork all year long. Shout-out to all our 2022 winners for making such a difference at their store and for the company as a whole!

Mack Stille Legacy Award The highest individual honor at Nugget Markets, this extraspecial award is given once a year to one inspiring associate who exemplifies our company philosophies, core values and servant leadership. Let’s hear it for Bill D., our Director of Meat Operations, who recently earned this award on his 40th work anniversary!

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The Warehouse/NMK’s Associates of the Year: Andrea L. and Rod C.!

Safety Award The safety of our associates and guests is always a top priority, so when a store claims this award, you know it’s a big deal! Our stores earn safety grades every quarter, and each year the two stores with the highest safety grades earn the Safety Trophy.

Congratulations to Store 15 and Store 21 for winning the Safety Award in 2022!

Sustainability Wins To celebrate sustainability, our greenest store every quarter is awarded the Sustainability Jar! Within our sustainability team, one Green Guru is also recognized as the Greenest Green Guru (or G3) every quarter for their outstanding earth-friendly efforts!

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CORE VALUES

RAVE FAMILY FUN POSITIVE ATTITUDE TRUST

COMPANY GOALS GUEST SATISFACTION CONSTANT IMPROVEMENT WORLD-CLASS EMPLOYER

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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.

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Congrats! You did it! The reading is done!

But wait, there’s still more—the fun’s just begun.

This booklet you hold now serves as a sample, So you can go forth and lead by example.

See all that love, the warmth, joy and fun?

We want those feelings for everyone!

So our challenge to you is to keep going and going Until all the buckets are past overflowing.

Wherever you go and whatever you do, When it comes to Extraordinary,

it all starts with U!

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NUGGET MARKET, INC. • 2023