Three Cheers For Wawa!

Philadelphia has a long-standing love affair with Wawa. And why not? The stores are bright and clean, the coffee is fresh and delicious, and the Wawa subs… say no more. Wawa is very much a local institution, even though they have spread around the country. That’s why it’s a matter of local pride that Wawa was recently determined to be America’s favorite convenience store. Wawa, based in Media, Pennsylvania, beat out last year’s winner, Tulsa, Oklahoma-based QuikTrip.

Wawa earned high marks across the board.

Wawa earned a “composite loyalty score” of 68 percent, as opposed to QuikTrip’s 62 percent this year. Last year QuikTrip beat out Wawat with scores of 79 percent to 74 percent. This year, third place went to Sheetz of Altoona, Pennsylvania, which earned a score of 59 percent. Speedway and Phillips 66 tied for fourth place with 54 percent. And Arco rounded out the top five with 49 percent.

Wawa also earned top honors in the fresh foods category, thanks to its delicious and widely-known sub sandwiches, breakfast sandwiches, and other menu items. It tied with Sheetz for the best coffee. Wawa earned top marks for brand reputation. Clearly Wawa is doing well for itself in establishing a good reputation among its consumer base.

The survey that determined convenience store honors was conducted by Market Force in the month of June. Over 7,000 respondents participated. Respondents’ ages ranged from 18 to over 65. About 64 percent were women and 36 percent were men. Over 52 percent of respondents reported a household income of over $50,000 a year.