As part of its long-term goal to essentially double its store count, Wawa in early February shared details on its plans for 40 convenience stores in the Florida Panhandle and Alabama Gulf Coast markets. The retailer also is planning to open 40 stores throughout its Mid-Atlantic operating area of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C., in 2023, it said.
In April 2022, CEO Chris Gheysens told the Philadelphia Business Journal that he plans to take the Wawa, Pennsylvania-based chain from its current total of more than 950 stores to approximately 1,800 locations by 2030.
Beginning mid-2023, Wawa will officially break ground on the first eight stores in the Florida Panhandle and Alabama Gulf Coast markets—two in Pensacola, Florida, and two each in Mobile, and Fairhope, Alabama, and one each in Daphne and Robertsdale, Alabama, in Mobile and Baldwin counties—with some of the locations projected to open in early 2024.
Wawa will invest approximately $6.5 million on each store. Once open, each location will employ, on average, 35 associates, with Wawa expecting to create more than 1,400 new jobs as a result of its expansion, according to the company.
Wawa is actively looking into potential sites for new stores in these markets, it said.
To kick off Wawa’s expansion in the Florida Panhandle and Alabama, Wawa hosted three preview events, which it calls Community Partnership Days, to introduced Wawa to the community and allow it to connect with new customers, local officials and charity partners.
“Our three Community Partnership Day events gave us the opportunity to meet new faces and share with our new markets a little bit about our history and what makes Wawa such an ideal fit for communities in the Florida Panhandle and Gulf Coast Alabama,” said Robert Yeatts, senior director of store operations for Wawa. “We can’t wait to begin putting shovels into the ground later this year.”
Previously the company also announced that it plans to extend its footprint into the Nashville, Tennessee, market in 2025. Wawa also said it plans to launch its first convenience stores in Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky, also in 2025. Wawa revealed that Noblesville is the location of its first Indiana store. The state of Ohio is also gaining its first Wawa store, on the south border of Liberty Township.
- Wawa is No. 9 on CSP’s 2022 Top 202 ranking of convenience store chains by store count.
Wawa, Pennsylvania-based Wawa has more than 950 c-stores in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida and Washington, D.C.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.