Eastern Pennsylvania-based convenience chain Wawa has scored the latest point in the battle against Western PA-based Sheetz.
And, it wasn’t just Altoona-based Sheetz that Wawa beat out. According to the American Customer Satisfaction Index, the Philadelphia-area chain was ranked first in the entire nation in the inaugural convenience store study.
Wawa received an 82 out of 100 score on the seven-month-long survey.
Wawa was followed by QuikTrip (81 score) and Buc-ee’s and Murphy USA (80).
Sheetz was tied for 4th place with Casey’s General Stores, both with a score of 79.
The national average score from 0 to 100 was 76.
The study shows that Wawa was ranked 1st in the Northeast and 2nd in the South, Sheetz was ranked 2nd in the Northeast.
“Convenience stores are no longer just a quick stop for gas and snacks — they are becoming serious competitors in the food service industry,” says Forrest Morgeson, Associate Professor of Marketing at Michigan State University and Director of Research Emeritus at the ACSI. “The top-performing convenience store brands are now on par with fast food chains in terms of food quality and variety, offering customers a wide range of fresh, gourmet options. By focusing on the in-store dining experience, while maintaining the speedy service that customers have grown accustomed to, convenience stores may have found the perfect recipe for success.”
The wide-variety of food options (in the case of Wawa, it’s hoagies) are among the big reasons the top chains ranked so high.
The ACSI shows that chains like Sheetz, Buc-ee’s and Wawa, met or outperformed fast food chains for cooked food quality.
While Wawa may have won this round, the competition is tight at the top and Sheetz is among the top chains in the nation.