Standing Out With EZ-Mart CEO Sonja Yates Hubbard

Editor’s note: This article appears in the latest magazine edition of Talk Business Arkansas, which you can read here.

Sonja Yates Hubbard is the Chief Executive Officer of Texarkana-based E-Z Mart Stores, Inc. The first E-Z Mart opened in 1970 in Nashville, Ark. by Hubbard’s parents. She took over as CEO in 1998 after her father’s death. E-Z Mart now owns approximately 300 stores in Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas and Oklahoma. 

In her tenure, she’s made diversity a top priority for the company.  Earlier this spring, she was a keynote speaker at the inaugural “Women Can!” conference in Little Rock. She told the crowd of more than 500 professional women, “Diversity of thought leads to better decisions.” 

Hubbard spoke with Talk Business Arkansas about being a woman in the male dominated field of convenience store owners. 

She told the story of being asked to join a national board for a trade organization because “they needed a woman. So I told them if that’s the only reason you want me, then no.”  The board was startled by her answer, then went on to innumerate the professional reasons they wanted her voice.  She accepted. 

Q: What’s the best part and worst part of being a woman in your industry? 

Hubbard: The best part is that I stand out. I get noticed. When I speak up, people listen. The worst part is that I stand out. I get noticed. And there are still some stereotypical ideas of what a woman’s place is. I’m still told I’m too pretty to be in my position.  It is intended as a compliment, but implies that intelligence and attractiveness are mutually exclusive traits. Really? And does that just apply to women or men too?

Q: Best business advice you’ve ever received?

Hubbard: My dad told me, “Make your words your bond. If you say you’re going to do something, do it. It doesn’t matter what’s written on paper. You always do everything you said you would.”

Q: What do you see happening in the economy presently, especially as it relates to your convenience store business?  

Hubbard: It’s a really competitive business. We are constantly evaluating where the growth is and making adjustments to keep on top of our game.  Certainly the stagnant economic conditions impact our business and all businesses, especially as it relates to higher unemployment levels. When consumers don’t have dollars to spend, all retailers are impacted.

Q: Can you draw any conclusions about consumer behavior? 

Hubbard: Customers vote with their dollars. They are usually a lot less worried about fat and salt in their diet than policy makers. 

Q: Is there one or two specific changes that you’d like to see that could jump start the economy or strengthen it?  

Hubbard: Encouragement to create jobs is needed to get the economy going and improve the quality of life for our country’s citizens.  Instead, we’re seeing waves of regulation that increase overall costs so much that businesses instead are looking at options to reduce employment.  That isn’t good for anyone in the long run. 

Additionally, there’s a lot of regulatory pressure that is especially onerous for small, rural businesses. There are many policy changes meant to protect consumers, but don’t take into account the unintended consequences.

For instance, we had to fight back a bill related to food stamps or SNAP benefits that would not allow people to use those at convenience stores. Some of our more rural stores are the only source of fresh milk and produce for miles around. Our whole check-out process is computerized, so there’s no way to spend those dollars for anything other than what they’re intended. 

We have to always be on alert for something that has good intentions, but limits access.