Wawa tops c-store customer satisfaction survey, followed by...
A Pennsylvania-based chain tops a ranking of consumers' favorite convenience stores.
Wawa had an industry-leading score of 82 (out of 100) in the inaugural American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) Convenience Store Study. QuikTrip was a close second (81), followed by Buc-ee’s (80) and Murphy USA (80).
ACSI’s report, which included surveys of more than 5,700 American consumers, found that nearly all reported chains have scores exceeding the industry average of 76. The smaller group of convenience stores, which accounts for a sizeable portion of the industry, dragged down the overall mark with a satisfaction score of 75, tying the nation’s largest convenience store chain 7-Eleven. Both are ahead of Shell, which scores 74.
Despite an eight-point difference between first and last place in the study, ACSI says most convenience stores are investing in enhancements to the customer experience by adding more customized food offerings, larger merchandise selections, enticing rewards programs and mobile ordering services.
Prepared food was a big draw to convenience chains, with Wawa, Buc-ee’s, Casey’s (79) and Sheetz (79) all being known for hot offerings. While the convenience store average score of 80 for cooked food quality trails the fast food industry (84), the aforementioned chains meet or exceed fast food chains on this metric. Overall, convenience stores (80) trail the fast food industry by two points when it comes to food variety, but Buc-ee’s, Wawa, Sheet, and Kwik Trip outperform fast food chains here as well.
Convenience of hours and store location receive the highest ratings (83) in the study. Among the 34% of respondents who report using a store’s mobile app for ordering, strong ratings for app quality (81) and app reliability (80) and the effectiveness of mobile order pickups (80) show that apps are a valuable channel for convenience stores.
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Convenience store satisfaction was perhaps unsurprisingly broken down by region. Wawa performs well in both of its primary markets, taking first place for customer satisfaction in the Northeast and second in the South, while Buc-ee’s wins the South region and Sheetz takes second in the Northeast.
QuikTrip and Kwik Trip take the top two spots in the Midwest, while satisfaction levels in the West trail other regions by a sizeable margin. A fragmented Western market led to fewer individual brands attaining enough data to report regional-level results. 7-Eleven and Circle K, both with large footprints, tie for the top spot at 72.
“Convenience stores are no longer just a quick stop for gas and snacks, they are becoming serious competitors in the food service industry," said 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.”
