Wawa launches 'Free Shortis for A Year' contest to counter coin shortage

Pennsylvania's beloved convenience store chain launched a new initiative to combat their shortage of coins resulting from the pandemic.

Wawa's new "Free Shortis for A Year" sweepstakes began Aug. 31 and will last until Oct. 1., as a method of increasing available coins at their stores. The winner of the sweepstakes will receive a year's supply of free miniature Wawa hoagies, called "Shortis."

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To enter, players only need to trade a minimum of $5 of rolled coins for dollar bills at any of Wawa's stores located in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida, and Washington, D.C. between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. 

Players will then be given a raffle ticket with a unique number. The number should then be entered onto Wawa's website along with a player's personal information to enter the raffle contest.

A winner will then be drawn from the raffle and contacted by phone, after which they will receive a gift card which grants them the ability to get free Shortis throughout the following year at any time.

Prior to the "Free Shortis for A Year" sweepstakes Wawa implemented other initiatives to attempt to resolve the coin shortage. Customers who brought in $5 of rolled coins to exchange previously received a coupon for a free coffee, fountain beverage or ICEE, and customers who exchanged $50 or more received a coupon for a free Shorti.

“Wawa is grateful to its customers who have participated in the coin exchange efforts to date," said Senior Director of Store Operations Dave Simonetti. "From our round up for charity programs to earning free products as a reward for exchanging their coin for bills, all of these efforts immensely helped reduce the challenges we have experienced as a result of the national coin shortage."

The national coin shortage has impacted Wawa and prompted the company to request exact change at some of their stores since July.

The shortage is both a result of lack of economic activity caused by the pandemic and production slowdowns in the U.S. Mints due to COVID-19 mitigation efforts for mint employees.

Customers are still able to use credit cards, debit cards, or the Wawa mobile app if not paying with cash.