Wawa Food Markets
Encyclopedia
Wawa Inc. is a chain of convenience store
/gas stations located in the Mid-Atlantic region
of the United States. It operates in Pennsylvania
, New Jersey
, Delaware
, Maryland
, Virginia
, and Florida
. The company's corporate headquarters is located in Chester Heights, Pennsylvania
, near the community of Wawa
.
. It was here that he started to operate the Wawa Dairy Farm. During the 1920s, when the demand for dairy products grew rapidly, so did the company. Wawa Dairy Farms later used the slogan "Buy Health by the Bottle" and with that the farm was reaching customers in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey. However, in the 1960s demand for home delivery of milk products declined, leading to the development of the Wawa Food Market.
under the guidance of Grahame Wood. This location is still open, and many Wood family members are still active within the company as of July 2009. Although Wawa is a family-run business
, the employees of Wawa also hold a relatively large percentage of stock. Most Wawas are open 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. The chain's name comes from the site of the company's first milk plant and corporate headquarters in Wawa, Pennsylvania
. The name of the town is in turn derived from the Ojibwe word for the Canada Goose
(taken from "The Song of Hiawatha
"). An image of a goose in flight serves as the Wawa corporate logo.
Wawa sells over 195 million cups of coffee a year. Wawa was among the first convenience stores to implement self-serve computer touch-screen menus for food orders, in an attempt to improve accuracy. It can potentially be used as gateways to up-selling
, as well.
The current president and CEO of Wawa is Howard Stoeckel. Eleuthère (Thère) du Pont
has served as both the CFO and president, but is no longer associated with the company. Richard D. (Dick) Wood, Jr. is chairman of the board of directors
.
In 2006, Wawa ranked 63rd on the Forbes Magazine list of the largest private companies but dropped to 64th on the 2007 list. As of July 2009, Wawa employs 16,000 in 570 stores (210 offering gasoline) and had total revenues of $4.67 billion in 2007. In recent years, many Wawa Markets have been expanded to "Super Wawas," with 12-20 gasoline pumps, and all new Wawas constructed are of the "Super Wawa" variety (though not all feature gas stations). Wawa, for the most part, covers the parts of Pennsylvania not already covered by fast-growing in-state rivals Sheetz
and Turkey Hill Mini Marts.
In the late 1980s and through the 1990s, Wawa engaged in a scholarship
sponsorship program that involved Irish students (mainly from UCC
in Cork, Ireland
) running a considerable number of stores on the Pennsylvania Main Line
. This was a successful program that allowed the students to study for their MBAs from Saint Joseph's University
in Philadelphia.
Wawa is headquartered in Wawa, Pennsylvania, a neighborhood that includes parts of Middletown Township
and Chester Heights Borough in Delaware County
. The corporate headquarters, known as Red Roof, is on Baltimore Pike
in Chester Heights. The nearby dairy farm, across from the former Franklin Mint
is in Middletown.
In 2005, Wawa partnered with JPMorgan Chase to offer a Visa credit card
branded with the Wawa name. It ceased issuing new cards in December 2007, and as of November 2010 the program has been canceled.
In the spring of 2007, Wawa began offering its own line
of soda
in its stores.
In the summer of 2008, Wawa introduced a special on their hoagie line called "Hoagiefest", which offered a price reduction on four selected varieties of their "Shorti" size hoagies, each variety on sale for a two-week period in an eight-week rotation. The Hoagiefest ad campaign relied on a style very reminiscent of The Beatles
, using 1960s psychedelic
imagery and songs. "Hoagiefest" has been revived in the summers of 2009, 2010, and 2011, and was expanded in 2010 by both length of time and that two styles of hoagies are available at any particular time. The John Lennon
-esque character's name is Kotter Doppelgänger
.
On February 12, 2010, KYW-TV
announced on their 4:00 pm broadcast that Wawa would become the primary sponsor of the Welcome America series of Independence Day
celebrations in Philadelphia, starting on July 4, 2010. The previous sponsor was Sunoco
.
On June 30, 2010, 20 Wawa locations in Pennsylvania
started selling Pennsylvania Lottery
tickets from automated kiosks as a trial to explore whether to expand the service to all Pennsylvania stores. On December 6, 2010, it was announced that all 210 Pennsylvania Wawa locations would sell lottery tickets from kiosks by Spring 2011.
On October 21, 2010, Wawa began testing the sale of diesel fuel at 12 of its New Jersey locations because of the increase in use among cars. If the test runs well, all locations with fuel may have diesel fuel within two years.
with touch-screen ordering of sandwiches, hot sides, and deli meats. The "Super Wawa" sites, in addition to being larger stores, also provide gasoline. Wawa also advertises its state minimum-priced cigarettes. Wawa sells beer in Maryland and Virginia.
Unlike many other convenience stores, most Wawas do not sell lottery tickets, although 20 stores in Pennsylvania started selling tickets on June 30, 2010 (see above). About 90% of all of Wawa's products are delivered by the McLane Distribution Center (or NJDC) in Carney's Point, NJ.
As of April 2010, Wawa has 570 locations across Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
Wawa's territory once stretched into North Jersey
, New York and Connecticut
, but in the late 1990s, the decision was made to abandon the New York metropolitan area
and New England
, as it was too competitive. The abandoned stores were re-branded when they were sold to Krauszer's (in Connecticut) and a variety of other convenience retailers, but most are still recognizable as they retain their distinctive "Wawa" design. The company continued to operate numerous stores in Central and South Jersey, and re-entered North Jersey in 2010, when Wawa opened a new store in Parsippany
.
In 2010, Wawa announced it would be expanding into Central Florida. The company plans to open 15 stores in the Orlando and Tampa Bay areas over the period of two years.
Convenience store
A convenience store, corner store, corner shop, commonly called a bodega in Spanish-speaking areas of the United States, is a small store or shop in a built up area that stocks a range of everyday items such as groceries, toiletries, alcoholic and soft drinks, and may also offer money order and...
/gas stations located in the Mid-Atlantic region
Mid-Atlantic States
The Mid-Atlantic states, also called middle Atlantic states or simply the mid Atlantic, form a region of the United States generally located between New England and the South...
of the United States. It operates in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, and Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. The company's corporate headquarters is located in Chester Heights, Pennsylvania
Chester Heights, Pennsylvania
Chester Heights is a borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,481 at the 2000 census. Most of the borough lies south of U.S...
, near the community of Wawa
Wawa, Pennsylvania
Wawa is an unincorporated community located in Middletown Township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Named for the Ojibwe word for "goose" ,Wawa was originally known as Grubb's Bridge...
.
History
In the early 19th century Richard D. Wood ran a store in Greenwich, New Jersey selling items grown on his farm. It was 1803 when David Wood became a part owner of a furnace that sold stove plates through the firm of Smith and Wood. About a century later George Wood moved to Delaware County, PennsylvaniaDelaware County, Pennsylvania
Delaware County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 558,979, making it Pennsylvania's fifth most populous county, behind Philadelphia, Allegheny, Montgomery, and Bucks counties....
. It was here that he started to operate the Wawa Dairy Farm. During the 1920s, when the demand for dairy products grew rapidly, so did the company. Wawa Dairy Farms later used the slogan "Buy Health by the Bottle" and with that the farm was reaching customers in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey. However, in the 1960s demand for home delivery of milk products declined, leading to the development of the Wawa Food Market.
Company
On April 16, 1964, Wawa Food Markets opened their first store in Folsom, PennsylvaniaFolsom, Pennsylvania
Folsom is a census-designated place in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of Ridley Township, Pennsylvania. The population was 8,072 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Folsom is located at ....
under the guidance of Grahame Wood. This location is still open, and many Wood family members are still active within the company as of July 2009. Although Wawa is a family-run business
Family business
A family business is a business in which one or more members of one or more families have a significant ownership interest and significant commitments toward the business’ overall well-being....
, the employees of Wawa also hold a relatively large percentage of stock. Most Wawas are open 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. The chain's name comes from the site of the company's first milk plant and corporate headquarters in Wawa, Pennsylvania
Wawa, Pennsylvania
Wawa is an unincorporated community located in Middletown Township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Named for the Ojibwe word for "goose" ,Wawa was originally known as Grubb's Bridge...
. The name of the town is in turn derived from the Ojibwe word for the Canada Goose
Canada Goose
The Canada Goose is a wild goose belonging to the genus Branta, which is native to arctic and temperate regions of North America, having a black head and neck, white patches on the face, and a brownish-gray body....
(taken from "The Song of Hiawatha
The Song of Hiawatha
The Song of Hiawatha is an 1855 epic poem, in trochaic tetrameter, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, featuring an Indian hero and loosely based on legends and ethnography of the Ojibwe and other Native American peoples contained in Algic Researches and additional writings of Henry Rowe Schoolcraft...
"). An image of a goose in flight serves as the Wawa corporate logo.
Up-selling
Upselling is a sales technique whereby a seller induces the customer to purchase more expensive items, upgrades, or other add-ons in an attempt to make a more profitable sale. Upselling usually involves marketing more profitable services or products but can also be simply exposing the customer to...
, as well.
The current president and CEO of Wawa is Howard Stoeckel. Eleuthère (Thère) du Pont
Du Pont family
The Du Pont family is an American family descended from Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours . The son of a Paris watchmaker and a member of a Burgundian noble family, he and his sons, Victor Marie du Pont and Eleuthère Irénée du Pont, emigrated to the United States in 1800 and used the resources of...
has served as both the CFO and president, but is no longer associated with the company. Richard D. (Dick) Wood, Jr. is chairman of the board of directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
.
In 2006, Wawa ranked 63rd on the Forbes Magazine list of the largest private companies but dropped to 64th on the 2007 list. As of July 2009, Wawa employs 16,000 in 570 stores (210 offering gasoline) and had total revenues of $4.67 billion in 2007. In recent years, many Wawa Markets have been expanded to "Super Wawas," with 12-20 gasoline pumps, and all new Wawas constructed are of the "Super Wawa" variety (though not all feature gas stations). Wawa, for the most part, covers the parts of Pennsylvania not already covered by fast-growing in-state rivals Sheetz
Sheetz
Sheetz, Inc. is a chain of gas stations/convenience stores owned by the Sheetz family. Stores are located in Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia....
and Turkey Hill Mini Marts.
In the late 1980s and through the 1990s, Wawa engaged in a scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
sponsorship program that involved Irish students (mainly from UCC
University College Cork - National University of Ireland, Cork
University College Cork is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland. The university is located in Cork....
in Cork, Ireland
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
) running a considerable number of stores on the Pennsylvania Main Line
Pennsylvania Main Line
The Main Line is an unofficial historical and socio-cultural region of suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, comprising a collection of affluent towns built along the old Main Line of the Pennsylvania Railroad which ran northwest from downtown Philadelphia parallel to Lancaster Avenue , a road...
. This was a successful program that allowed the students to study for their MBAs from Saint Joseph's University
Saint Joseph's University
Saint Joseph's University is a private, coeducational Roman Catholic Jesuit university located partially in the Wynnefield section of Philadelphia and partially in Lower Merion Township and located in the Pennsylvania Main Line, Pennsylvania, United States.The school was founded in 1851 as Saint...
in Philadelphia.
Wawa is headquartered in Wawa, Pennsylvania, a neighborhood that includes parts of Middletown Township
Middletown Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania
Middletown Township is a township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 16,064 at the 2000 census. The Pennsylvania State University has an undergraduate satellite campus located in the north-central portion of the township, while Neumann College, a private...
and Chester Heights Borough in Delaware County
Delaware County, Pennsylvania
Delaware County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 558,979, making it Pennsylvania's fifth most populous county, behind Philadelphia, Allegheny, Montgomery, and Bucks counties....
. The corporate headquarters, known as Red Roof, is on Baltimore Pike
Baltimore Pike
thumb|[[SEPTA]]'s [[SEPTA Route 34|Route 34]] streetcar line runs through the 4500 block of Baltimore Avenue in [[West Philadelphia]]The Baltimore Pike was an auto trail in the United States, connecting Baltimore, Maryland with Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
in Chester Heights. The nearby dairy farm, across from the former Franklin Mint
Franklin Mint
The Franklin Mint is a private corporation founded by Joseph Segel in 1964. The private mint operated from Wawa, Pennsylvania but that operation has now closed...
is in Middletown.
In 2005, Wawa partnered with JPMorgan Chase to offer a Visa credit card
Credit card
A credit card is a small plastic card issued to users as a system of payment. It allows its holder to buy goods and services based on the holder's promise to pay for these goods and services...
branded with the Wawa name. It ceased issuing new cards in December 2007, and as of November 2010 the program has been canceled.
In the spring of 2007, Wawa began offering its own line
Private label
Private label products or services are typically those manufactured or provided by one company for offer under another company's brand. Private label goods and services are available in a wide range of industries from food to cosmetics to web hosting...
of soda
Soft drink
A soft drink is a non-alcoholic beverage that typically contains water , a sweetener, and a flavoring agent...
in its stores.
In the summer of 2008, Wawa introduced a special on their hoagie line called "Hoagiefest", which offered a price reduction on four selected varieties of their "Shorti" size hoagies, each variety on sale for a two-week period in an eight-week rotation. The Hoagiefest ad campaign relied on a style very reminiscent of The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, using 1960s psychedelic
Psychedelic
The term psychedelic is derived from the Greek words ψυχή and δηλοῦν , translating to "soul-manifesting". A psychedelic experience is characterized by the striking perception of aspects of one's mind previously unknown, or by the creative exuberance of the mind liberated from its ostensibly...
imagery and songs. "Hoagiefest" has been revived in the summers of 2009, 2010, and 2011, and was expanded in 2010 by both length of time and that two styles of hoagies are available at any particular time. The John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
-esque character's name is Kotter Doppelgänger
Doppelgänger
In fiction and folklore, a doppelgänger is a paranormal double of a living person, typically representing evil or misfortune...
.
On February 12, 2010, KYW-TV
KYW-TV
KYW-TV, virtual channel 3, is an owned and operated television station of the CBS Television Network, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. KYW-TV shares a studio facility with its sister station, CW flagship WPSG just north of Center City Philadelphia...
announced on their 4:00 pm broadcast that Wawa would become the primary sponsor of the Welcome America series of Independence Day
Independence Day (United States)
Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...
celebrations in Philadelphia, starting on July 4, 2010. The previous sponsor was Sunoco
Sunoco
Sunoco Inc. is an American petroleum and petrochemical manufacturer headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, formerly known as Sun Company Inc. and Sun Oil Co. ....
.
On June 30, 2010, 20 Wawa locations in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
started selling Pennsylvania Lottery
Pennsylvania Lottery
The Pennsylvania Lottery is operated by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The lottery was created by the Pennsylvania General Assembly on August 26, 1971; two months later, Henry Kaplan was appointed as its first executive director...
tickets from automated kiosks as a trial to explore whether to expand the service to all Pennsylvania stores. On December 6, 2010, it was announced that all 210 Pennsylvania Wawa locations would sell lottery tickets from kiosks by Spring 2011.
On October 21, 2010, Wawa began testing the sale of diesel fuel at 12 of its New Jersey locations because of the increase in use among cars. If the test runs well, all locations with fuel may have diesel fuel within two years.
Wawa Dairy Farms
Wawa Dairy is a dairy processor that produces its own line of milk, ice cream, iced teas, juices, and fruit drinks. George Wood started Wawa Dairy Farms in 1902 with a small herd of cows and a processing and bottling plant in Wawa, Pennsylvania. This early dairy operation was famous for its "Doctor Approved" pasteurized milk. In the early 20th century, Wawa's milkmen were so well trusted by their clients that many of them were given the keys to the households that they delivered to, so that they could simply let themselves in and place the milk in the ice box. In the summer of 2002, Wawa Dairy celebrated its 100th anniversary by having a week-long "thirst aid tour" where it delivered over 100,000 cold beverages to those who needed them the most. Wawa partnered with local food banks in an attempt to raise awareness of the ongoing need for support.Products
Wawa offers products found at most convenience chain marts such as chips, drinks and soda. Wawa also sells their own branded water, iced tea, soda, orange juice, and milk. Key products include its variety of coffee and cappuccino flavors and sizes, and its made-to-order hoagies. Wawa also offers a brand of hot breakfast products, most famous of which is the "Sizzli", and also a full deliDelicatessen
Delicatessen is a term meaning "delicacies" or "fine foods". The word entered English via German,with the old German spelling , plural of Delikatesse "delicacy", ultimately from Latin delicatus....
with touch-screen ordering of sandwiches, hot sides, and deli meats. The "Super Wawa" sites, in addition to being larger stores, also provide gasoline. Wawa also advertises its state minimum-priced cigarettes. Wawa sells beer in Maryland and Virginia.
Unlike many other convenience stores, most Wawas do not sell lottery tickets, although 20 stores in Pennsylvania started selling tickets on June 30, 2010 (see above). About 90% of all of Wawa's products are delivered by the McLane Distribution Center (or NJDC) in Carney's Point, NJ.
Advertising slogans
- 1970s: "Fast, fresh shopping night and day."
- 1972: "People on the go — go to Wawa Food Markets"
- 1980s: "We Do It Just a little bit better: Wawa."
- 1990s: "One great taste after another." "Mornin, Noon And Nite, Wawa Does It Right"
- Late 1990s: "Go to Wawa when you're hot, hot, hot."
- 2002-2005: "My choice. My Wawa."
- 2005–Present: "Gottahava Wawa."
Store locations by state
Wawa's territory once stretched into North Jersey
North Jersey
North Jersey is a colloquial term, with no precise consensus definition, for the northern portion of the U.S. state of New Jersey. A straightforward, noncolloquial term for the region is northern New Jersey.- Two-portion approaches :...
, New York and Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, but in the late 1990s, the decision was made to abandon the New York metropolitan area
New York metropolitan area
The New York metropolitan area, also known as Greater New York, or the Tri-State area, is the region that composes of New York City and the surrounding region...
and New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
, as it was too competitive. The abandoned stores were re-branded when they were sold to Krauszer's (in Connecticut) and a variety of other convenience retailers, but most are still recognizable as they retain their distinctive "Wawa" design. The company continued to operate numerous stores in Central and South Jersey, and re-entered North Jersey in 2010, when Wawa opened a new store in Parsippany
Parsippany-Troy Hills, New Jersey
Parsippany-Troy Hills Township, commonly called Parsippany, is a township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2000 United States Census, the township population was 50,649. The name Parsippany comes from the Lenape Native American word parsipanong, which means "the place where...
.
In 2010, Wawa announced it would be expanding into Central Florida. The company plans to open 15 stores in the Orlando and Tampa Bay areas over the period of two years.