Wawa has been slowly evolving over its 60 years from its origins as a dairy farm outlet, changing as the community’s needs changed, writes Greg Petro for Forbes.
The company and its front-line workers maintained a hometown vibe, generating fiercely loyal customers.
In the 1970s, when 24-hour diners began to disappear, Wawa extended its hours 24/7. For the hungry insomniac, it is often the only go-to source for food.
When banks and convenience stores charged fees for a cash withdraw from an ATM machine, Wawa added no-fee ATMs.
The pandemic fueled Wawa’s promise of fresh food convenience and variety on the run, a habit consumers have stuck with.
It has taken on food competitors with handmade offers of burgers, pizza, specialty coffees, shakes, and more.
It was ahead of the game with self-checkout and electric vehicle recharging stations, and free air for tires.
“It is a reminder of what can happen when company ownership is stable and committed, management isn’t afraid to experiment and listen to its customers, employees are treated like they matter, the quality of products and services is consistently high, and the offerings are customer centric,” Petro wrote.
Find out how Wawa has benefited from that approach in Forbes.
