Wawa Expands in Wrong Direction: One Man's Perspective

Wawa is Wawa because, years ago, they dared to be different and to this day they are obsessed with quality. It really isn't much more complicated than that.

Any store could build the same fan base if they were willing to be innovative, consistent and customer focused. Of course that's a lot easier to talk about than it is to do which is why George is still praying that Wawa changes its geographic direction and never varies from its strategic direction.

Ryan Mathews, Founder, ceo, Black Monk Consulting

I'll grant you that Wawa has nice, unique C-stores. Having said that, I think the bar is so low in the C-store industry that they look better than they really are. In my area, Jon's Subs, Jon Smith Subs, Quizno's, Carmine's, and Joseph's (the latter two are gourmet markets) would all have nothing to fear from Wawa sandwiches. If c-stores really want to compete on take-out food (not sure they do), they should stop comparing themselves to each other and focus on who really does this best.

Al McClain, CEO, Founder, RetailWire.com

Having been involved in designing and implementing in-store digital media solutions since 1997, I have seen many 'experiments' with this medium come and go. Wawa was an early adopter and a terrific example of a very successful implementation of the use of in-store digital media. They implemented a very useful and clever ordering and transactional customer-facing kiosk at their sandwich counter. The system allowed you to systematically build your own sandwich by selecting the components (photo icons to speed the transaction) while the staff could focus and create your custom sandwich in a very speedy fashion; this being essential for that lunch crowd. I remember telling my colleagues about this years ago but no one seemed too impressed. They missed the point! This implementation was designed and implemented because of, and into the workflow of the business!

In my opinion it still ranks as one of the best implementations of in-store digital media. George, I can't speak for the quality of their sandwiches, but I bet that they make and sell a lot more sandwiches that are correctly made to order than they did before this communication channel. I would bet that it has also increased customer satisfaction and brand loyalty as well!

Adrian Weidmann, Principal, StoreStream Metrics, LLC

I have no real idea what makes Wawa Wawa. Truth is, I can't remember ever being in or knowing where a local Wawa might be; or if there are any close to the South Florida area.

I agree with Al's comment. The bar in the c-store industry is set low, probably not intentionally, but over time, such that any store having a semblance of quality might stand out as different.

Ed Rosenbaum, CEO, The Customer Service Rainmaker, Rainmaker Solutions

Wawa was the first to get rid of provocative magazines. At the time, this was considered a suicidal decision which turned out to be a great idea that brought in whole families together preparing for road trips. With the exception of tobacco, the shelves were rid of any and all socially controversial products. At the same time, Wawa was looking to add product which was new and would expand sales results. It is my observation that Wawa refuses to consider the accepted business practice as a way into the market. They have reinvented every aspect of convenience store marketing from the point of sale systems to same price cash or charge for fuel, plus free air for your tires. Another observation is how they keep tight controls over the amount of inventory items they carry and the market reputation and perception of their vendors. From the beginning, their only goal was and is market share.

'gjarnoldjr'

Wawa treats their business like any great retailer. They innovate and then relentlessly execute. That they are doing it in the c-store space, where companies often go awry on both counts, makes it more impressive, not less impressive.

Given real estate costs closer to New York, expanding in their current direction makes an awful lot of sense.

Jonathan Marek, Senior Vice President, Applied Predictive Technologies

Wawa has the best tuna sub sandwich, next to Jimmy John's (a Midwest based chain). Their staff is friendly, stores are clean, seating area (who ever thought they would sit in a c-store?) is comfortable and prices are not ripoff high vs. the competition.

David Slavick, VP, Retail Consulting, Customer Communications Group

Wawa wins because of its obsessive attention to detail. True, the bar is not very high among its C-store cohort, but this is one operator that has figured out what drives repeat business and taken steps to systematically optimize its master practices.

I wrote a case study about the touch-screen sandwich ordering system (that Adrian referenced) when it was introduced a few years ago. I agree it was quite a brilliant innovation -- in part because it smoothed the customer experience and made order fulfillment accuracy close to perfect.

It also sped up throughput during the all-important morning and lunch rushes, effectively expanding the maximum number of orders that could be taken and filled within a two-hour window. At the same time, it automated cross-selling: ("Want slaw with that?") which upped average order size.

There may be better sandwiches out there, but not better run sandwich shops.

James Tenser, Principal, VSN Strategies

Sorry, George. Your loss is my gain. It's not just the deliciousness, it's also the satisfying store experience, the cleanliness, and the electronic ordering. Hurry to DC, Wawa!

Cathy Hotka, Principal, Cathy Hotka & Associates

Great products, good prices and reliable service and quality. That is Wawa. Add to this a C-store approach and you have a convenient way to enjoy all of these things and more. Go Wawa!

Kai Clarke, President, Miraclebeam Products, Inc.

I remember back in the day when Wawa opened its first store in central New Jersey and everyone wondered what the heck is this?

A key to Wawa's appeal is their full service deli which cranks out fresh made sandwiches, and operates like a well made watch. A market like Long Island, would make more sense than the D.C. area. Yes, costs are high, but the population density makes it a no-brainer. However New York has tough labor laws that might run contrary to some of Wawa's antiquated personnel policies.

Kenneth Allan, FORMER Retail HR Exec, Times-Review