Buche Foods began its journey in 1905 with a simple mission: to provide fresh, affordable groceries to the people of South Dakota. 

Founded by a family deeply rooted in community service, Buche Foods has championed fair pricing and healthful food accessibility for decades. During that time, the company has grown and adapted to meet the needs of its customer base, but it has never forgotten its roots.

Today, Buche Foods is recognized as a leader among independent grocers and an indispensable part of the South Dakota community, but that doesn’t mean the company is immune to challenges felt by the industry.

Economic fluctuations and changing labor dynamics have created hurdles not only for the business but also for its workforce. Hiring and retention are harder than ever for the grocery sector. Meanwhile, current workers are still feeling the effects of inflation and rising costs.

To address these challenges, Buche Foods recently started providing Earned Wage Access (EWA) to hourly employees. EWA allows employees to tap into their earned wages before the usual pay cycle, empowering them to handle unforeseen expenses and giving them greater financial flexibility. 

One of the reasons EWA is gaining traction among retailers is that it has proven benefits for both the employee and employer. 

• For team members, it enhances financial wellness, engagement, satisfaction, and morale. 
• For employers, it becomes a powerful differentiator in the labor market and helps them retain team members for longer, lowering turnover costs.

To implement its own EWA program, Buche Foods partnered with Rain, a leading provider of Earned Wage Access (EWA) solutions. The partnership was facilitated by TimeForge, the workforce management platform that Buche Foods already uses and trusts.

Jody Kotab, Director of Human Resources at Buche Foods, led the charge to make EWA available to hourly employees. She understands the need to support the workforce and to offer an alternative to high-interest credit cards and expensive payday loans.

“Team members often think from paycheck to paycheck,” said Kotab. “They're not always planning for an emergency, or maybe a low tire that will need to get fixed. Things like that are going to be huge. Hopefully having the available funds will help them.”

“Grocery employees play a pivotal role in supporting the communities they serve, yet they bear a significant impact from broader economic challenges,” said Alex Bradford, CEO of Rain. “We appreciate the chance to contribute to their financial well-being by offering earned wage access benefits which we hope provides peace of mind, especially as we approach the bustling holiday season."

“When it comes to technology that will benefit people, Buche Foods has always been an early adopter and willing to lead the industry,” said Audrey Hogan, COO of TimeForge. “I’m thrilled that we could help facilitate this step for Buche’s most valuable asset - their people - and I’m excited to see how much value R.F., Jody, and the team are already getting from EWA.”

To learn more about how Buche Foods implemented its successful EWA program, read the full success story.