Newsweek has partnered with data intelligence platform Statista to release its third annual ranking of America’s Best Retailers, including convenience stores. Statista surveyed more than 7,000 shoppers for their opinions on retailers spanning 40 industry categories, resulting in a ranking that recognizes the 200 best places to make a purchase.
The retailers on Newsweek’s list stand above their unranked competitors for offering an outstanding shopping experience that resonates with customers, it said.
In the convenience-store category, Newsweek ranked these chains (click here to view the full list of retail categories):
- Buc-ee’s, 94.37 (Lake Jackson, Texas-based Buc-ee’s is No. 116 on CSP’s 2024 Top 202 ranking of U.S. convenience-store chains by store count.)
- Wawa, 90.08 (Wawa, Pennsylvania-based Wawa is No. 10 on CSP’s 2024 Top 202).
- QuikTrip, 89.6 (Tulsa, Oklahoma-based QuikTrip is No. 9 on CSP’s 2024 Top 202).
- Sheetz, 88.9 (Altoona, Pennsylvania-based Sheetz is No. 13 on CSP’s 2024 Top 202).
- Love’s Travel Centers & Country Stores, 86.9 (Oklahoma City-based Love’s is No. 16 on CSP’s 2024 Top 202).
In February and March 2024, Newsweek and Statista asked survey participants how likely they are to recommend a retailer and to give their thoughts on prices, selection, atmosphere, customer service and accessibility.
The final assessment and rankings were based on the likelihood of recommendation (50% of the final score) and five evaluation criteria (also 50% of the final score):
1. Products: Measures the quality, price, range and variety of products offered in-store.
2. Customer Service: Measures the friendliness, helpfulness, and availability of employees in-store.
3. Atmosphere: Measures the general atmosphere, lighting/illumination, music and cleanliness of stores.
4. Accessibility: Measures the parking availability, store hours and convenience of store location.
5. Shop Layout: Measures the order that products are displayed, aisle size, product presentation, mannequins and store size.
The top 3-10 retailers based on category size receiving the highest scores in each category were awarded as America's Best Retailers 2024.
Quality products, reasonable prices and excellent customer service are the attributes that allow retailers to succeed, the publication said. The competition is tough, with more than 1 million private retail locations in the United States in third-quarter 2023, according to Newsweek, citing Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
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