Wawa (company): Difference between revisions
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==Competition== |
==Competition== |
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Wawa competes with many other convenience store chains like itself, such as 7-Eleven. In Pennsylvania, Wawa competes with Sheetz, Turkey Hill, and Rutter's. Wawa also competes with Sheetz in portions of Maryland and Virginia. In New Jersey, Wawa competes with Heritage's, QuickChek, Krauser's, Cumberland Farms and On The Run. In Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia, Wawa competes with Royal Farms. |
Wawa competes with many other convenience store chains like itself, such as 7-Eleven. In Pennsylvania, Wawa competes with Sheetz, Turkey Hill, and Rutter's. Wawa also competes with Sheetz in portions of Maryland and Virginia. In New Jersey, Wawa competes with Heritage's, QuickChek, Krauser's, Cumberland Farms and On The Run. In Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia, Wawa competes with Royal Farms. Wawa was voted as the gas station that is most inferior to Sheetz in recent national poll. |
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==References== |
==References== |
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Revision as of 01:28, 2 December 2010
| File:Wawa-logo.jpg | |
| Company type | Private, owned by Wild Goose Holding Co. |
|---|---|
| Industry | Convenience store Gas station |
| Founded | 1964 |
| Founder | Grahame Wood |
| Headquarters | , U.S. |
Key people | Howard Stoeckel, CEO |
| Products | Coffee, Sandwiches, Prepared foods, Gasoline, Beverages, Dairy products |
| Revenue |  US$ 4.5 billion (2007) |
Number of employees | 16,000 |
| Website | Wawa.com |
Wawa is a chain of convenience store/gas stations located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It operates in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. The company's corporate headquarters is located in Wawa, Pennsylvania.
History
In the early 19th century Richard D. Wood ran a store in Greenwich, New Jersey selling items from his farming. It was 1803 when David Wood became a part owner of a furnace that sold stove plates through the firm of Smith and Wood. About a century later George Wood moved to Delaware County, Pennsylvania. It is here that he started to operate the Wawa Dairy Farm. In the 1920s, when the demand for dairy products grew rapidly, so did the company. Wawa Dairy Farms later used the slogan "Buy Health by the Bottle" and with that the farm was reaching customers in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey. However, in the 1960s demand for home delivery of milk products had dropped leading to the development of the Wawa Food Market.
Company
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On April 16, 1964, Wawa Food Markets opened their first store in Folsom, Pennsylvania under the guidance of Grahame Wood.[1] This location is still open, and many Wood family members are still active within the company as of July 2009. Although Wawa is a family-run business, the employees of Wawa also hold a relatively large percentage of stock. Most Wawas are open 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. The chain's name comes from the site of the company's first milk plant and corporate headquarters in Wawa, Pennsylvania. The name of the town is in turn derived from the Ojibwe word for the Canada Goose (taken from "The Song of Hiawatha").[2] An image of a goose in flight serves as the Wawa corporate logo.[3]
Wawa sells over 195 million cups of coffee a year.[4] The Wawa deli counter was among the first convenience stores to implement self-serve computer touch-screen menus for food orders, in an attempt to improve accuracy. It can potentially be used as gateways to up-selling, as well.
The current president and CEO of Wawa is Howard Stoeckel.[5] Eleuthère (Thère) du Pont has served as both the CFO and president, but is no longer associated with the company. Richard D. (Dick) Wood, Jr. is chairman of the board of directors.
In 2006, Wawa ranked 63rd on the Forbes Magazine list of the largest private companies[6] but dropped to 64th on the 2007 list.[7] As of July 2009, Wawa employs 16,000 in 570 stores (210 offering gasoline) and had total revenues of $4.67 billion in 2007.[8] In recent years, many Wawa Markets have been expanded to "Super Wawas," with 12-20 gasoline pumps, and all new Wawas constructed are of the "Super Wawa" variety (though not all feature gas stations). Wawa, for the most part, covers the parts of Pennsylvania not already covered by fast-growing in-state rivals Sheetz and Turkey Hill Mini Marts.
In the late 1980s and through the 1990s, Wawa engaged in a scholarship sponsorship program that involved Irish students (mainly from UCC in Cork, Ireland) running a considerable number of stores on the Pennsylvania Main Line. This was a successful program that allowed the students to study for their MBA's from Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia.[9]
Wawa is headquartered in Wawa, Pennsylvania, a neighborhood that includes parts of Middletown Township and Chester Heights Borough in Delaware County. The corporate headquarters, known as Red Roof, is on Baltimore Pike in Chester Heights. The nearby dairy farm, across from the former Franklin Mint is in Middletown.
In 2005, Wawa partnered with JPMorgan Chase to offer a Visa credit card branded with the Wawa name. It ceased issuing new cards in December 2007, and as of November 2010 the program has been canceled.[10]
In the spring of 2007, Wawa began offering its own line of soda in its stores.
In the summer of 2008, Wawa introduced a special on their hoagie line called "Hoagiefest", which offered a price reduction on four selected varieties of their "Shorti" size hoagies, each variety on sale for a two-week period in an eight-week rotation. The Hoagiefest ad campaign relied on a style very reminiscent of The Beatles, using 1960s psychedelic imagery and songs. "Hoagiefest" has been revived in the summers of 2009 and 2010, and was expanded in 2010 by both length of time and that two styles of hoagies are available at any particular time.[11] The John Lennon-esque character's name is Kotter Doppelgänger.
On February 12, 2010, KYW-TV announced on their 4:00 pm broadcast that Wawa would become the primary sponsor of the Welcome America series of Independence Day celebrations in Philadelphia, starting on July 4, 2010. The previous sponsor was Sunoco.
On June 30, 2010, 20 Wawa locations in Pennsylvania started selling Pennsylvania Lottery tickets from automated kiosks as a trial to explore whether to expand the service to all Pennsylvania stores.
Wawa Dairy Farms
Wawa Dairy is a dairy processor that produces its own line of milk, ice cream, iced teas, juices, and fruit drinks. George Wood started Wawa Dairy Farms in 1902 with a small herd of cows and a processing and bottling plant in Wawa, Pennsylvania. This early dairy operation was famous for its "Doctor Approved" pasteurized milk. In the early 20th century, Wawa's milkmen were so well trusted by their clients that many of them were given the keys to the households that they delivered to, so that they could simply let themselves in and place the milk in the ice box. In the summer of 2002, Wawa Dairy celebrated its 100th anniversary by having a week-long "thirst aid tour" where it delivered over 100,000 cold beverages to those who needed them the most. Wawa partnered with local food banks in an attempt to raise awareness of the ongoing need for support.
Products
Wawa offers products found at most convenience chain marts such as chips, drinks and soda. Wawa also sells their own branded water, iced tea, soda, orange juice, and milk. Key products include its variety of coffee and cappuccino flavors and sizes, and its made-to-order hoagies. Wawa also offers a brand of hot breakfast products, most famous of which is the "Sizzli". Wawa sells a variety of brand-name cold beverages and offers similar alternatives such as the Red Bull alternative, "Mach W". Wawa also offers a full deli with touch-screen ordering of sandwiches, hot sides, and deli meats. The "Super Wawa" sites, in addition to being larger stores, also provide gasoline.[12] Wawa also advertises its state minimum-priced cigarettes.
Unlike many other convenience stores, most Wawas do not sell lottery tickets, although 20 stores in Pennsylvania started selling tickets on June 30, 2010 (see above). About 90% of all of Wawa's products are delivered by the McLane Distribution Center (or NJDC) in Carney's Point, NJ.
Advertising slogans
- 1970s: "Fast, fresh shopping night and day."
- 1972: "People on the go — go to Wawa Food Markets"[1]
- 1980s: "We Do It Just a little bit better: Wawa."
- 1990s: "One great taste after another." "Mornin, Noon And Nite, Wawa Does It Right"
- Late 1990s: "Go to Wawa when you're hot, hot, hot."
- 2002-2005: "My choice. My Wawa."
- 2005–Present: "Gottahava Wawa."
Store locations by state
As of April 2010, Wawa has 570 locations across Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.[13]
Wawa's territory once stretched into North Jersey, New York and Connecticut, but in the late 1990s, the decision was made to abandon the New York metropolitan area and New England, as it was too competitive. The company still operates numerous stores in Central and South Jersey. The abandoned stores were re-branded when they were sold to Krauszer's (in Connecticut) and a variety of other convenience retailers, but most are still recognizable as they retain their distinctive "Wawa" design.
In 2010, Wawa announced it would be expanding into Central Florida. The company plans to open 15 stores in the Orlando and Tampa Bay areas over the period of two years.[14]
Competition
Wawa competes with many other convenience store chains like itself, such as 7-Eleven. In Pennsylvania, Wawa competes with Sheetz, Turkey Hill, and Rutter's. Wawa also competes with Sheetz in portions of Maryland and Virginia. In New Jersey, Wawa competes with Heritage's, QuickChek, Krauser's, Cumberland Farms and On The Run. In Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia, Wawa competes with Royal Farms. Wawa was voted as the gas station that is most inferior to Sheetz in recent national poll.
References
- ^ a b "Wawa — About Wawa — Milestones" (.swf, .html). Retrieved October 7, 2008.
- ^ "Native American Words in Longfellow's Hiawatha". Retrieved August 9, 2006.
- ^ It is said that the goose was chosen because the company employs the principles of teamwork, group consensus and encouragement which is found among the geese community. Note that the Wawa Corporate webpage correctly says "Wawa" means "goose," but incorrectly claims it is a Lenape word. "Wawa > Wawa Profile > Company Profile". Retrieved August 9, 2006.
- ^ Wawa > Food Choices > Coffee
- ^ "Howard B. Stoeckel Profile". Retrieved October 16, 2008.
- ^ Wawa ranks 63 on The Largest Private Companies 2006. Accessed August 8, 2008
- ^ Wawa ranks 64 on The Largest Private Companies 2007. Accessed August 8, 2008
- ^ The Largest Private Companies - Forbes.com
- ^ The program has now been changed to Northern Ireland http://www.sju.edu/ucomm/archives/2003/december/hawkeye_12082003.html
- ^ Wawa's credit cards canceled Retrieved November 24, 2010.
- ^ Official Hoagiefest website Retrieved July 2, 2010
- ^ Wawa > Food Choices
- ^ "Press Release: 2010 Environmental Community Service Award" (PDF). Retrieved November 16, 2009.
- ^ "WaWa gas stations are coming to Central Florida, Tampa Bay". St. Petersburg Times. August 31, 2010.
External links
- Wawa's official site
- Hoagiefest website
- Dairy 100th Exhibit
- Wood, Anthony R. (April 16, 2009). "How Wawa became a success". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved April 17, 2009. [dead link]