GasBuddy Ranks Top C-Stores for First-Quarter 2019
By Brett Dworski on Apr. 15, 2019BOSTON – Casey’s General Stores and Buc-ee’s dominated GasBuddy’s fuel and convenience-store quality rankings in this year’s first quarter, finishing on top in all categories for stores with more than 1,000 locations and 30 to 49 locations, respectively, according to the mobile app provider's recent first-quarter Fuel and C-Store Report Card.
- Click here to read GasBuddy's top 10 U.S. gas station brands in 2018.
GasBuddy examined 2 million c-store ratings from Jan. 1 to March 31 in six categories—cleanliness, coffee, customer service, outdoor lighting, restrooms and overall experience—and ranked the top five c-store chains in each. The Boston-based company then split these rankings into four divisions based on total store count, including 1,000 locations or more, 250 to 999 locations, 50 to 249 locations and 30 to 49 locations.
“While national gas station brands may be top of mind for consumers, many of the brands that received the highest ratings in the first quarter are regional brands with c-store amenities that bring in an enthusiastic consumer base,” said Frank Beard, convenience-store and retail trends analyst for GasBuddy. “GasBuddy’s ratings and reviews prove that brands of any size can create a long-lasting, positive experience for consumers by having a well-lit forecourt, clean restrooms and a great cup of coffee.”
In addition to the category rankings, GasBuddy also debuted its Top 101 Fuel and Convenience Brands in its first-quarter report card. This list was compiled using ratings and reviews data submitted during the quarter, focusing on the experience category.
Here were the top c-store chains by category in this year’s first quarter, according to GasBuddy …
Top stores
Buc-ee’s was named the top convenience store in GasBuddy’s Top 101 list, finishing with a consumer rating of 4.81 stars out of 5. Buc-ee’s was followed by Kwik Trip (4.67), QuikTrip (4.62), Twice Daily (4.62) and Wawa (4.60), for the top five.
Cleanliness
1,000 or more locations: Casey’s General Stores
250 to 999 locations: Kwik Trip
50 to 249 locations: Hy-Vee Gas
30 to 49 locations: Buc’ee’s
While Casey’s, Kwik Trip and Hy-Vee all repeated their top cleanliness victories, Buc’ee’s overtook NOCO Express in the division of 30 to 49 stores. NOCO fell to fourth place, and Parker’s and J&J Family Stores finished second and third, respectively.
Coffee
1,000 or more locations: Casey’s General Stores
250 to 99 locations: Wawa
50 to 249 locations:Weigel’s Farm Stores
30 to 49 locations: Buc’ee’s
Casey’s dethroned Cenex Zip Trip as the king of coffee in the category of 1,000 locations or more during this year’s first quarter. Cenex fell to third place, while Speedway took second place away from Chevron. Circle K and Marathon finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
Wiegel’s repeated as the coffee winner in the 50-249 division for the second-straight quarter, while Wawa and Buc-ee’s, in their respective divisions, took the top spot for the first time, outpacing former winners Kwik Trip and Kelley’s Market, respectively.
Customer service
1,000 or more locations: Casey’s General Stores
250 to 999 locations: Kwik Trip
50 to 249 locations: Hy-Vee Gas
30 to 49 locations: Buc’ee’s
Buc-ee’s was the only first-time winner for customer service in its respective division. Casey’s overthrew Sinclair Oil Corp. for its second first-place finish in three years, Hy-Vee repeated its top finish from last year, and Kwik Trip retained its customer service crown for the third year in a row.
Outdoor lighting
1,000 or more locations: Casey’s General Stores
250 to 999 locations: Kwik Trip
50 to 249 locations: Hy-Vee Gas
30 to 49 locations: Buc’ee’s
The battle for the best outdoor lighting was split between repeat and new winners. Casey’s and Kwik Trip repeated their victories in the 1,000 or more and 250-999 divisions, respectively, while Hy-Vee and Buc-ee’s dethroned Weigel’s and NOCO Express in the 50-249 and 30-49 divisions, respectively.
Restrooms
1,000 or more locations: Casey’s General Stores
250 to 999 locations: Kwik Trip
50 to 249 locations: Hy-Vee Gas
30 to 49 locations: Buc’ee’s
Like outdoor lighting, the fight for the best c-store restrooms was split between repeat and new winners. Casey’s outpaced former winner Cenex in the 1,000 or more division, while Buc-ee’s beat Parker’s in the 30-49 sector. Hy-Vee and Kwik Trip repeated their wins for best c-store restrooms for the second-straight quarter.
Overall experience
1,000 or more locations: Casey’s General Stores
250 to 999 locations: Kwik Trip
50 to 249 locations: Hy-Vee Gas
30 to 49 locations: Buc’ee’s
Casey’s, Kwik Trip and Hy-Vee all repeated in their victories for top overall experience in their respective divisions; however, Buc-ee’s overthrew NOCO Express as the chain with the best overall experience in the 30-49 division.