October 01, 2024
Thom Carroll/for PhillyVoice
Wawa was crowned the best convenience store chain in the United States in a new survey conducted by the American Customer Satisfaction Index. The chain came out ahead of Pennsylvania rival Sheetz and other brands like QuikTrip, Buc-ee's and 7-Eleven.
Loyalty to convenience stores is being tracked by a national survey that asks consumers to rank the top players in an industry that's become increasingly intertwined with daily life in the United States.
As if there was any doubt, Wawa came out rated best in the country over the likes of Sheetz, QuikTrip, Buc-ee's and 7-Eleven. The Delaware County-based chain's cult following in the Philly area is more than just local pride in a brand built on nostalgia and morning coffee stops.
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The survey by the American Customer Satisfaction Index, an agency that looks at economic indicators for various U.S. industries, was completed via email by 5,710 people who were randomly selected to participate between March and September. The survey asked consumers to rate their satisfaction with different convenience store chains in areas such as food and coffee quality, reliability of store apps, speed to checkout, and layout and cleanliness.
On an index scale of 0-100, Wawa led the pack with a score of 82, followed by QuikTrip (81), Buc-ee's (80), Murphy USA (80), Casey's General Stores (79) and Sheetz (79). The national average score across the industry was 76. Shell gas station convenience stores (74) and 7-Eleven (75) were rated the lowest.
“Convenience stores are no longer just a quick stop for gas and snacks – they are becoming serious competitors in the food service industry,” said Forrest Morgeson, director of research emeritus at ACSI and a marketing professor at Michigan State University. “The top-performing convenience store brands are now on par with fast food chains in terms of food quality and variety."
Although Sheetz ranked sixth overall in the national survey, it came in second behind Wawa in the Northeast breakdown of the survey with a regional index score of 81 compared with Wawa's 83.
The two Pennsylvania-based rivals — Wawa in the Philly region and Sheetz most everywhere else — have long been pitted against one another in a playful competition dividing customers from different parts of the state. Wawa customers were credited with inspiring the wardrobes from HBO's "Mare of Easttown." Sheetz has long been championed by Sen. John Fetterman, who poked fun at President Joe Biden's allegiance to Wawa in the spring.
Wawa's cultural impact in the Philly area is becoming better-known nationally as the company's territory expands into new states, including several in the Midwest and South. The chain is nearing 1,100 locations and aims to have about 1,800 in the United States by 2030. Sheetz now has about 750 locations in seven states.
The most significant development in the Wawa-Sheetz rivalry is that the companies are beginning to enter each other's territories. In September, Wawa opened its first central Pennsylvania store in Harrisburg, just a stone's throw away from a Sheetz. And in Phoenixville, Chester County, both companies are looking to build stores at the same intersection. If the Sheetz project is approved, it would be the company's first in Southeastern Pennsylvania.
"My gut is telling me there's a shift in what used to be kind of a boundary that no one was going to cross for whatever reason — and now that's non-existent anymore," said Matthew Fridg, a filmmaker who's been developing a documentary exploring the rivalry between Wawa and Sheetz.
Frigd started doing research for the project in 2018 and raised money through a Kickstarter campaign. He said he put it on hold during the pandemic while he started a marketing agency, but he and his film crew attended Wawa's opening in Harrisburg last month.
"The great story comes from conflict. And not that they're slinging mud or anything, but there's proximity now," Fridg said. "When we were in Harrisburg, we were a parking lot away from Sheetz. A lot of the shots we took of the Wawa grand opening, Sheetz was in the background. The story has ripened. I think the hiatus was the best thing that happened to the film."
Frigd said his documentary will look broadly at how the convenience store landscape has changed in the United States.
"This competition for the hearts and minds and dollars of the consumer is only making all of them better," he said. "For consumers, I think it's a great thing. This survey shows that there are other players coming after Sheetz and Wawa."
Pennsylvania also has a number of smaller convenience store chains like Turkey Hill and Rutter's, which is expected to expand closer to the Philly and Pittsburgh areas in the years to come. Meanwhile, Maryland-based chain Royal Farms is expanding its footprint further into Pennsylvania.
Fridg said there has been a notable shift in the way people think about convenience stores over the last several decades.
"When people think of buying food at a gas station, there was a time when people were like, 'Are you kidding me? Why would you do that? That's gross.' But now you have people who love Speedway pizza, Sheetz, Wawa, GetGo, Buc-ee's," Fridg said. "When you walk in there, you can trust the bathroom is going to be a certain quality. There's going to be food you can trust. There's just a level of safety you feel, whether it's real or perceived."
The ACSI survey found that the convenience store industry received an average index score of 80 for quality of cooked food, compared with an average score of 84 for the fast-food industry. Chains like Wawa, Sheetz and Buc-ee's met or exceeded scores of 84 for cooked food quality.
The survey also observed a measurable difference in customer satisfaction with convenience stores on the East Coast — where they're abundant and highly rated — and on the West Coast — where the market is more fragmented and there are fewer dominant brands.
"There's definitely a different style on the West Coast when it comes to gas stations versus around here," Fridg said. "I think the eastern United States is lucky to have these convenience stores that offer incredible quality, delicious food, beautiful buildings. I think the West Coast is going to eventually be jealous and it'll be interesting to see what happens out there."
The Sheetz vs. Wawa documentary still has a long road ahead to be developed, but Fridg said the project is getting back to full swing.
"We're going to make it as long as it's compelling," he said. "Ideally, we're going to make a film that is feature length and make it as attractive as possible to a potential buyer so the most amount of people can see it — whether that's a streaming platform or some type of investment to get it out there widely."
