In a new customer satisfaction survey ranking top US convenience store chains, Delaware County-headquartered Wawa finished as the No. 1 convenience store brand in the Northeast.
The chain also tied for second nationally in the 2026 American Customer Satisfaction Index convenience store study, trailing only Michigan-based Meijer. Qwik Trip, Sheetz and Wawa tied for second nationally with scores of 80, ranking ahead of competitors including Buc-ee's and 7-Eleven.
The result for Wawa in the Northeast is no surprise. The chain has a massive footprint in Pennsylvania as well as New Jersey and Delaware. But Wawa was also the only convenience store brand to rank No. 1 in two regions, leading both the Northeast and South in customer satisfaction. Wawa has its
most locations in Florida, according to ScrapeHero.
Convenience stores constantly handle a variety of issues to enhance the customer experience, said Forrest Morgeson, ASCI's director of research emeritus and an associate professor of marketing at Michigan State University, in a news release.
“Convenience stores are asking customers to do more inside the store and more on the app than ever before. Order ahead, scan loyalty cards, redeem offers, pick up food. Customers are willing to engage with all of it,” Morgeson said. “But every new capability is a new expectation. When the app is clunky, the bathroom is neglected, or the store feels disorganized, that shapes how customers judge the entire visit."
Overall, customer satisfaction with convenience stores fell 1% to 75, but food sales increased to account for more than 28% of convenience stores' inside sales. The report found that 15% of prepared-food visits involve consumers choosing a convenience store instead of a quick-service restaurant. "Retailers such as Sheetz, Wawa, Casey's, Kwik Trip, and others have invested heavily in food quality and menu expansion, which continues to reshape customer perceptions of the category," said David Ham, vice president of communications and corporate strategy at the CFI Group, a founding partner of the ACSI
Affordability may be elevating convenience stores as a place to grab a quick meal. "Consumers are looking more carefully at value and may see convenience store food as an alternative to some restaurant occasions," Ham said. "But the bigger long-term story is that convenience stores have successfully expanded their role in consumers' lives. The opportunity now is ensuring that the customer experience keeps pace with those broader offerings."
Mike Snider of USA Today contributed to this story.
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: This Southeast PA venue ranked top convenience store in the Northeast
