New Jersey: Are there Too Many Wawas?

I wrote a story late last week about a particular Wawa convenience store.

It got me thinking this morning. Are there too many Wawa stores?

My short answer is no. Regardless of how many Wawas you have in your community, they remain viable and productive.

Wawa does it the right way. They offer clean restrooms, quality food products, and even discounted gasoline.

As you know, it’s not unusual to have multiple Wawa convenience stores in one city.

They very well know what they’re doing. If 2, 3, or more Wawa stores are located in your city, it’s because the overall business warrants it.

My research has yielded that at last count, there are presently 261 Wawa convenience stores in New Jersey.

Here’s a fun fact if you have ever wondered, where did the name “Wawa” come from?

In 1902, the first “Wawa” of sorts opened. It opened In Wawa, Pennsylvania. Now you know where the name came from.

It was nothing like what you think of when compared to the modern Wawa convenience store of today.

The very first Wawa from 120 years ago, was nothing more than a roadside dairy stop. A milk store.

Fast forward to today and Wawa is a giant enterprise, with annual sales totaling more than $12 billion.

There are now nearly 900 store locations in multiple states throughout the mid-Atlantic and Florida.

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Some people take the position that Wawa hurts the small boutique family store model of “yesterday.”

I understand that rationale, however, Wawa is very good at what they do. They give the customer what they want, convenience, a multitude of products to choose from, and a fair value for the dollars spent.

Wawa stores are also typically very philanthropic. They participate in their communities in many ways; including helping not-for-profits and other worthy endeavors.

I remain a big Wawa fan.