Wawa opened its 1,000th convenience store on April 27 in Oaklyn, New Jersey.
- Wawa Inc. is No. 9 on CSP’s 2023 Top 40 update to the 2022 Top 202 ranking of convenience store chains by store count. Watch for the full 2023 Top 202 in June.
The store is equipped with a built-to-order, fresh food kitchen featuring its hoagies; Wawa coffee; the Sizzli, Wawa’s hot breakfast sandwich; Wawa’s new line of specialty hot, cold, iced and frozen beverages; the Wawa Bakery; and Wawa’s beverage line of dairy products, juices and teas, plus packaged goods and fuel services, among other amenities.
Jennifer Low will serve as general manager of the new Oaklyn Wawa store, leading a team of approximately 50 associates, all of which are new positions brought to the area through the development of the store.
The store will be equipped with a custom 1,000th store sign affixed to its storefront to mark the milestone.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony and pep rally on Thursday will feature customers, Wawa associates, state and local officials, charity partners, Wawa’s mascot Wally Goose, Eagles cheerleaders, pep band, drumline and mascot Swoop, confetti, fanfare and more. Wawa is offering free coffee to customers all day at the store, and the first 1,000 customers will receive a free t-shirt.
The company is also donating $1 million in gift cards to Wawa’s seven national partners: American Red Cross, Check Out Hunger, Children’s Miracle Network, JDRF, LLS, Special Olympics and USO, plus local partners including Meals on Wheels and Eagles Autism Foundation.
Wawa is hosting its Hoagies for Heroes hoagie-building competition between local police and fire departments. Local first responders from the Oaklyn Police Department and the Oaklyn Fire Department will compete to see who can build the most hoagies in three minutes. Wawa will conclude the Hoagies for Heroes competitions by presenting checks for $1,000 to each department’s charity of choice.
The company is celebrating 59 years in retail. In April 1964, Wawa entered the retail business by opening its first store in Folsom, Pennsylvania.
“Since well before we opened our first store more than 59 years ago, Wawa has always been closely connected to the communities we serve—constantly ensuring we’re a good neighbor who provides much more than products and service. It’s so appropriate that we are reaching our 1,000th-store milestone in New Jersey, where we have such a deep history with our origins as a family business and roots dating back more than 200 years,” said Chris Gheysens, CEO of Wawa. “As we mark our sustained growth, we want to thank all our amazing customers and associates for getting us to where we are today. None of this would be possible without you. Here’s to 1,000 and beyond!”
So far this year, Wawa has entered Indiana and Ohio with plans to move west. The retailer also announced in February that its plan to open 40 stores throughout its Mid-Atlantic operating area of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C., in 2023. The chain also has stores in Florida.
By 2030, Wawa aims to have approximately 1,800 locations, Gheysens of the Wawa, Pennsylvania-based company has said.
Click here to view a video of the 1,000th store opening celebration.
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