Wawa Named America’s Favorite Convenience Store

[Dougtone]

It's like anything else that relies on fan voting. If fans of a certain chain/American Idol singer/MLB player stuff the ballot box, that's who wins.

Vote often, they said.

[jakeroot]

Let me back up. My original issue was with the poll. However, upon further inspection, Uwishunu is the one I have a problem with. Here's the title and first sentence of their article:

Wawa Named America's Favorite Convenience Store

A new report has declared Wawa America's favorite convenience store

Nowhere in the poll does it say "American". There's a big difference between polled consumers and Americans as a whole. The original press release uses proper wording "consumers" instead of "Americans" since a poll amounting to .00005% of households is not in any way conclusive enough to label the poll as a national opinion.

Of course, Uwishunu used the article title because they wanted people to read the article. However, that in and of itself does not permit them to mis-represent the press release.  At least in my opinion.

[jeffandnicole]

http://mobile.philly.com/news/?wss=/philly/news&id=318504011&

A Q&A with Wawa's lead goose. Expect a lot of remodels, and enjoy the friendliness among associates, customers, cops & stoners.

[Roadrunner75]

Exactly the reason not to believe the poll. An east coast chain cannot be the entire country's favorite.

I suspect there's some jealousy here in not being able to grab a Wawa meatball classic out on the west coast.

[jakeroot]

Exactly the reason not to believe the poll. An east coast chain cannot be the entire country's favorite.

I suspect there's some jealousy here in not being able to grab a Wawa meatball classic out on the west coast.

[Road Hog]

Down here we have 7-Eleven, RaceTrac and QuikTrip and that's about it. A little farther west there is Allsup's which are known for their chimichangas, but their stores seem cluttered and dirty to me.

I've heard of Wawa and Sheetz and their "grinders." We don't have an equivalent here, unless there happens to be a Subway attached. I think I found a Cumberland Farms in Burleson a few years ago.

[Crazy Volvo Guy]

Almost any topping is available on any item, and there's ridiculously large number of odd combinations you could create.

Where other than Sheetz can I get a burger with pepperoni, bacon, egg and ranch?  Yeah baby.

Well, I can get that all at Rutter's, which has even better food than Sheetz, but is pretty much limited to York County PA.  There are a couple with truck parking that I always stop at when passing by.

[cpzilliacus]

Almost any topping is available on any item, and there's ridiculously large number of odd combinations you could create.

Where other than Sheetz can I get a burger with pepperoni, bacon, egg and ranch?  Yeah baby.

Well, I can get that all at Rutter's, which has even better food than Sheetz, but is pretty much limited to York County PA.  There are a couple with truck parking that I always stop at when passing by.

But that probably means you are driving on the Pennsylvania section of I-83, a freeway only slightly better than I-70 between Washington, Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Turnpike entrance at New Stanton. 

Those being the worst and next-to-worst sections of freeway in the United States (IMO, even the Cross-Bronx Expressway is better).

[PHLBOS]

What's a Wawa? (LOL)

I always thought that was what my little brother called the bottle when he first started to talk circa 1976.

I thought similarly (a toddler trying to say "water") when I moved to the Delaware Valley from New England 25 years ago.

I live about 3 miles from the original Folsom, Delaware County, PA Wawa store; that one's slated to be replaced by a larger store w/a gas station at the intersection of MacDade Blvd. & PA 420.

Wawa's Corporate "University" Headquarters are located along US 1 in Lima (Delaware County).

There's even (long range) plans for SEPTA to revive a portion of its long-closed West Chester Regional Rail line (old R3) from Elwyn (its current terminus) to a station near US 1 and the Wawa headquarters that is indeed called Wawa.  When that happens; the line will be referred to as (no joke) the Media-Wawa line.

[roadman65]

Wawa  was named for a small unicorporated town in Delaware County, PA.

Anyway, if you have been to one you will see how many people patronize the place.  Since they marketed here in Florida several dozen stores opened in Orlando, Kissimmee, Tampa-St. Pete, For Myers, and now on the I-95 corridor in Brevard and Indian River Counties because of the demand for it.

It may not be nationwide, but its customer count is probably higher than other food chains nationwide which is why it gets the crown.  I must buy from in there once a day as their soups, sandwiches, coffee, pretzels, and even the new Peanut Butter Shake are all awesome!

[Mr_Northside]

Sheetz to offer new line of specialty coffee in hope to outcompete Wawa

I don't drink coffee, so I don't care that much personally.  Since the stores don't directly compete much at all location wise, it seems to be all about the rankings.

[Takumi]

Overall I prefer Sheetz and will try their new coffee, but for the most part I'll stick with Wawa because there's a Wawa on my way to work and not Sheetz.

[TravelingBethelite]

There's a Casey's General Store (actually, 3) in this little town in Missouri (pop. 3,021) me and my family visit from time to time. It's nicer than any other convenience store I've visited in my travels on either side of the Mississippi (especially Connecticut-only chain? 7-11. Eww).

[Pete from Boston]

There's a Casey's General Store (actually, 3) in this little town in Missouri (pop. 3,021) me and my family visit from time to time. It's nicer than any other convenience store I've visited in my travels on either side of the Mississippi (especially Connecticut-only chain? 7-11. Eww).

7-11 is a national convenience store chain, the most widespread one I know.

I never found Casey's to be very good.  Firmly average.

I think an average Sheetz or Wawa would make one forget Casey's quickly. My favorite Sheetz that I've been to would make you ask why these were called the same kind of store.

[PHLBOS]

Well, I can get that all at Rutter's, which has even better food than Sheetz, but is pretty much limited to York County PA.  There are a couple with truck parking that I always stop at when passing by.

Just north of Carlisle, PA there is both a Sheetz and a Rutters along US 11, just south of the PA Turnpike (I-76) interchange within close proximity to each other.  Both of those attract many travelers heading to/from the various events at the fairgrounds.

There used to be a Turkey Hill (a Lancaster County-PA-based convenient store/gas station chain) along that stretch as well but this particular location closed several years ago.

In Lancaster County, PA; one encounters Wawa, Sheetz and Turkey Hill.

7-11 is a national convenience store chain, the most widespread one I know.

In the 5 southeastern PA counties (Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery & Philadelphia); most 7-Elevens are pretty much gone due to fierce competition from the locally-based Wawa.

Warning! The below is not politically correct.

For decades, 7-Elevens and other stores like them have gotten the (negative) stigma/stereotype of always being run/employed by those whose English-speaking/comprehension skills weren't/aren't always the greatest (one old joke was that one needed an interpreter when going to a 7-Eleven). 

In contrast & FWIW, one does not encounter such at any Wawa, Sheetz, Rutters and/or Quick Chek; at least the ones I visited.  Not dealing with language-barriers while shopping is probably one unofficial/unpublished reason why the above-mentioned stores get higher marks than ones like 7-Eleven.

[roadman65]

I have only been to Sheetz in 1984 when I visited Altoona as they were the store around then.  I cannot remember much except the youngster who worked the cashier did not even know that the street I was asking him to help me find was the side street next to his store.

Also a bartender I once knew at a bar I frequent, who is from Winchester, VA, told me that Sheetz is all around that part of VA and says they are good.

I will take the word of those who like them, but I am still not going to rule out Wawa.

[TravelingBethelite]

There's a Casey's General Store (actually, 3) in this little town in Missouri (pop. 3,021) me and my family visit from time to time. It's nicer than any other convenience store I've visited in my travels on either side of the Mississippi (especially Connecticut-only chain? 7-11. Eww).

7-11 is a national convenience store chain, the most widespread one I know.

I never found Casey's to be very good.  Firmly average.

I think an average Sheetz or Wawa would make one forget Casey's quickly. My favorite Sheetz that I've been to would make you ask why these were called the same kind of store.

I meant that 7-11 is the only 'big' chain (7-11, Sheetz, Wawa, etc.) in our area.

[cpzilliacus]

Also a bartender I once knew at a bar I frequent, who is from Winchester, VA, told me that Sheetz is all around that part of VA and says they are good.

There are several Sheetz stores in metropolitan Winchester, Va.  I can name two immediately - one on the east side of town, on Va. 7 (right side when going west) a few blocks east of I-81.  That one is especially nice.

There's also one on U.S. 50/U.S. 522/U.S. 17 (Millwood Avenue) south of downtown, some blocks west of I-81.

[Brandon]

Exactly the reason not to believe the poll. An east coast chain cannot be the entire country's favorite.

I suspect there's some jealousy here in not being able to grab a Wawa meatball classic out on the west coast.

Never had one, so I've no clue what's even being talked about.  I went to one Wawa once, and it merely reminded me of the now-former Gas City convenience stores we had here (until they were bought by Circle K & Speedway).  However, I can't imagine a convenience store sandwich being the equal of anything from an actual sandwich shop such as Potbelly's, Subway, Jimmy John's, Mr. Submarine, etc.

[roadman65]

Actually the Wawa's in Florida actually have a big kitchen unlike 7 Eleven, Circle K, Speedway, and Racetrac, so yes they are as good if not better,

Yes you cannot say that Wawa is number one outside of their markets, but if they have more customers than any other regional chain, considering all regions counted, than you could claim that fact.

However, how do the Nieson's on TV work without surveying every household in America?   They take specific counts from certain areas that are strategically picked out and claim that they could be accurate with those they do not count.  Apparently, even marketing strategies for nationwide chains are that way too.  The corporations pick certain areas to try out a new product, and if it goes well or not determines how the rest of America will buy.

Does not make sense to me, but to a Harvard Grad it does as someone with a PHD came out with that way of distributing and research and it is accepted in the marketing community, especially on TV.

[jeffandnicole]

In what seems to be regular Q&A articles in the Philly Inquirer regarding Wawa, this week's column talks with Wawa's Chief Executive about, among other things, surprising competitors when it comes to one aspect of the business (hint: it's not other convenience stores), and Wawas where you will often find Sheetz' CEO grabbing something to eat and drink.

http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20160522_Chris_Gheysens.html

[74/171FAN]

Well Wawa has grown on me since I have been in eastern PA quite a bit (I think their subs are slightly better), but Sheetz seems to have better prices.  (so I guess it is a toss-up for me at this point)

[RoadWarrior56]

I have been in both Wawa and Sheetz when traveling.  I was impressed by both.  In the Atlanta area, I would vote QuikTrip as the best with RaceTrac a close second.  Both chains have been upgrading their stores at a furious pace in recent months.  They are becoming more like Wawa and Sheetz.

[jakeroot]

As I said earlier in the thread, I have been to neither Wawa nor Sheetz. Hell, most of those east-coast brands, I have never heard of.

That said, a new chain, called Tahoma, is popping up in the Tacoma, WA area, courtesy of the Puyallup Tribe of Indians. They have two brands: Tahoma Market, and Tahoma Express. The former has a much larger building and selection, though it still retains the gas-station feel.

Currently, these are my favorite convenience stores. They have a nice color palette, are very clean, and have a nice deli:

Tahoma Market:


Tahoma Express:

[Takumi]

I still prefer Sheetz overall, but I like Wawa's coffee better and there's a Wawa on my commute.