A report earlier this year from Placer.ai found that Wawa, one of Placer’s “10 Top Retail Brands to Watch in 2023,” can attribute much of its success to its ability to shift priorities and strategies in the face of rising prices and shifting post-Covid work routines. The report also mentioned that Forbes ranked Wawa number 12 on its list of the nation’s most beloved brands across all industries.
According to Placer, pivoting to a QSR format has served Wawa well, with reported store visits up year over year from 2021 to 2022 almost every week of the fourth quarter. In addition, the average number of visits per venue increased by 41.4% between Q4 2019 and Q4 2022.
Placer also reported that prior to the pandemic, foot traffic at the convenience store chain peaked during the morning and afternoon. Although the majority of visits still occur during those times, the past three years have seen a slight shift toward evening and night visits.
Wawa currently operates about 1,000 stores across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida and Washington, D.C. Expansion plans include Georgia, the Florida Panhandle, Alabama, Tennessee, Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky.