Wawa: Inside an Upgraded Icon (Slideshow)

Store exterior before

• Many older sites still feature the Wawa logo from the era in which they were built. “That’s out of date compared to what we’re doing with the new stores,” says Michelle Walsh, director of retail implementation.
• Legacy stores featured a stone base, albeit a more dated image than Wawa would like to present.
• Previously, when Wawa would remodel stores, the exteriors remained largely unchanged.

Store exterior after

• Remodeled fuel sites will get a “revitalized” fuel island with updated graphics and designs.
• As a part of the Wawa Remodel Program, store exteriors will receive a facelift that communicates Wawa’s heritage and where the brand is now.
• “The new stone columns speak to our stone lineage in a modern way,” says Mary-Rose Hannum, director of store design and customer experience.
• Once the Remodel Program is complete, all Wawa locations will feature the company’s current logo.
• “We’ve kept the signature ‘Wawa red’ featured prominently in the remodeled design as it’s a recognizable part of our brand,” says Hannum.

Foodservice before

• As a c-store operator that was well ahead of the foodservice trend, fresh prepared food is nothing new for Wawa.
• Believe it or not, Wawa locations have had self-service kiosks for foodservice since 2001. Remodeled stores will receive upgraded kiosks.
• One complaint customers had about Wawa’s otherwise very well-received foodservice program was that it was difficult to determine where to pick up their orders.

Foodservice after

• Unlike some parts of the stores, there will be “actual change” to the square footage of most remodeled foodservice  counters, says Michael Walsh, director of retail implementation.
• In response to customer concerns, remodeled locations will include ample signage directing customers where to order and pick up their made-to-order food.
• “To increase awareness and compel customers to our beverage and foodservice areas, digital signage is being added,” Hannum says. “This also allows us to improve our nimbleness to communicate promotions.”

Coffee before

• Walsh says self-service coffee dispensers will not increase as part of the redesign. Instead, such a decision is based on an individual store’s traffic.
• In the coffee area—and across all parts of the store—Wawa is opting for lower-profile shelves than they currently use to promote a more open-air feeling.

Coffee after

• Full-service beverage areas will include espresso drinks, hand-spun milkshakes and proprietary “flurricanes.” Gheysens describes the cookies-and-cream milkshake as “out of this world amazing!”
• The beverage area is being expanded overall as Wawa looks to dedicate more labor to this part of the store.
• Though not featured in this image, the remodeled beverage areas are where the new Coca-Cola Freestyle machines will live. “It’s really brought a breath of fresh air to that area of the store,” Walsh says.

Checkout before

• Although the square footage will remain the same, the elimination of overhead tobacco–pack feeders frees up a lot of space. Walsh says this “really lightens up the whole area.”
• In a bit of visual magic, Wawa has managed to make the new checkout areas look a lot bigger without actually changing the footprint.
• The round checkout format has worked well for Wawa, so it will remain the same at remodeled locations.

Checkout after

• Though Walsh says “operationally, checkout functions very much the same,” remodeled locations will have new tools such as upgraded cabinets and keypads.
• As with the outside, store interiors will benefit from an upgraded “sleek, modern design.” The checkout area is no exception.
• Center displays will now boast LED lighting from underneath to better highlight various tobacco products.
• To keep the same number of tobacco SKUs without the overhead pack feeders, Wawa is adding shelves under the checkout counters.