There was a time when touchscreens were suspiciously eyed by Wawa customers. Now they are all part of the Wawa experience.  The trick now is making them work in a coronavirus world, writes Christian Hetrick for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

“There is this underlying emotional, physical reaction now to touching stuff,” said Munir Mandviwalla, a Temple professor of management information systems. “The longer this goes on, the more I think people will be afraid of touching things.”

Wawa is adapting. There are wipe dispensers near touchscreens for customers and the screens are wiped down every hour.

Customers are encouraged to place orders on mobile apps and Wawa has seen mobile ordering double since the pandemic, according to spokesperson Lori Bruce.

The convenience store is also trying out curbside ordering.

Shoppers are increasingly paying without touching terminals, cash, or credit cards. In April, Mastercard said it saw a 40% jump in contactless payments during the first quarter of this year.

“In a post-COVID world, the need for touchless technology, even in self-service, is increasing,” said Brian Whitney, vice president of sales at Appetize, a point-of-sale software developer.

Read more about how businesses and shoppers are adapting to a coronavirus world here.

You Might Also Like                            

From Wawa to Wegman’s to Trader Joe’s, Here’s Why We Have Our Favorite Grocery Stores

Wawa Receives Accolades From Food and Wine Magazine For Best Fast Food in Pennsylvania

These Wawa ‘Cronies’ Love Hanging Out Together, Just Sharing Their Thoughts