Jshanebutt/Depositphotos.com
October 7, 2025
Why Are Kwik Trip, Wawa, and Sheetz Leading the C-Store Segment?
Convenience store customers appear to be playing favorites when it comes to their brands of choice, according to the most recent data gleaned from the American Customer Satisfaction Index’s (ACSI) 2025 Convenience Store Study.
Leading the pack: Kwik Trip, Wawa, and Sheetz, with QuikTrip, Love’s, and Buc-ee’s not too far behind. Kwik Trip took down the No. 1 position with a score of 84 (a significant improvement of 8 percentage points over 2024’s result), while Wawa and Sheetz shared the second-place spot with scores of 82.
And as Chain Store Age editor Zachary Russell outlined, the 11-point gap separating Kwik Trip from the lowest score on the table — belonging to ampm (owned by BP) at 73 — came down to differentiation.
“ACSI noted that the 11-point gap between the highest and lowest ratings reveals a high degree of variability in the customer experience, with stores providing a ‘broad range of quality food and beverage options in a clean and convenient setting’ faring well and those offering a more ‘basic experience’ on the lower end,” Russell wrote.
Other findings of note:
- While just over one-third of all respondents indicated they had used a convenience store mobile app, more than half (60%) of those who belong to at least one c-store loyalty program said as much.
- More broadly, satisfaction tied to mobile app quality (84), reliability (82), and order pickup effectiveness (82) all improved by between 3%-4% YoY, signaling a maturation of these tools.
- A five percentage point spread existed concerning opinions tied to the overall store experience, with rewards members (79) being notably happier in this regard versus non-members (74).
Authenticity, Loyalty Driving Success for Wawa, Kwik Trip, Sheetz, But Is There More to the Equation?
According to Forrest Morgeson, associate professor of marketing at Michigan State University and director of research emeritus at the ACSI, the difference-maker between the most successful c-store brands and those who are tumbling down the rankings boils down to authenticity, loyalty, and moving beyond the bare minimum service standard and product inventory.
“This striking gap in satisfaction should serve as a wake-up call for brands to rethink what truly drives loyalty today,” Morgeson said.
“The brands rising to the top are doing more than just selling coffee and snacks. They’re building communities inside their stores. As in-store sales outpace fuel and digital tools become table stakes, the brands that will win are those that double down on quality, innovation, and authentic connection,” he added.
Morgeson pivoted to zero in on the difficulties in differentiation when it comes to c-store sales, with similar offerings being all-too-common among competitors looking to stand out.
“Many convenience stores offer the same or similar items, so brands must look for ways to distinguish themselves. Those that lean into the successful aspect of their rewards programs can drive customer satisfaction and keep their loyal customers happy,” Morgeson concluded.
Discussion Questions
Do you agree with the notion that product variety, loyalty, and innovation are the primary differentiators setting Wawa, Sheetz, and Kwik Trip apart from competitors? Why or why not? What other factors are at play?
Is the importance of an authentic connection overstated in relation to consumer attitudes and appetites surrounding c-store spend? If so, why?
How can the leading c-store brands further solidify their reputational lead? How can struggling brands best play catch-up?
Poll
Loading …BrainTrust
Mohamed Amer, PhD
CEO & Strategic Board Advisor, Strategy Doctor
Neil Saunders
Managing Director, GlobalData
Gene Detroyer
Professor, International Business, Guizhou University of Finance & Economics and University of Sanya, China.
Recent Discussions
More Discussions
Will Target and ChatGPT’s Team-Up Actually Improve the Retailer’s Fortunes?
The Target app is hitting ChatGPT soon. Will it move the needle in Target’s favor?Are Second Screens Good or Bad for Engaging Consumers?
Conventional wisdom paints second screens as a marketing dead end. Is this accurate nowadays?Should Under Armour Have Broken Up With Steph Curry?
Under Armour is terminating its relationship with NBA star Steph Curry. Is this a smart move?
Convenience is often about ease. Some retailers (drugstores, for example) take advantage of this by offering a substandard proposition and higher prices because they know the customer will trade off those things against saving time. Retailers like Wawa do not do this. They create brilliant propositions that also happen to be convenient. And that generates loyalty. They have also pivoted strongly into foodservice, which is a fast-growing segment for convenience that drives foot traffic and spend.
Wawa is something of a cult in its home territory, so it enjoys the First Ammendment benefits that accrue to all religious sects…well, OK, I exaggerate – a little – but my recollection is that it has an oversized presence in the Northeast. The secret, if it can be called that, is giving people what they want: clean, modern stores and the merchandise they are looking for; that may seem unremarkable, but too many retailers don’t do it consistently, or long enough, to develop a fan base.
These brands—Kwik Trip, Wawa, and Sheetz—have successfully married QSR-level food quality with hospitality-grade operational excellence. The 11-point satisfaction gap isn’t about warm fuzzy feelings; it’s about operational rigor. They’ve cracked a code that traditional c-stores still fumble: borrowing the playbook from Chick-fil-A and In-N-Out, not 7-Eleven. Clean stores, fresh food, empowered frontline staff—they’re executing fundamentals exceptionally well, consistently. Once you nail the basics, then you can layer on technology and daypart-optimized menus to create genuine differentiation and cult-like loyalty. The magic is in the mundane, done right, every time.
If only Speedway and 7-Eleven US could adopt the practices of 7-Eleven in Japan…
They almost seem to be totally unrelated entities!
I am unsure what “authenticity” means in the context of convenience stores. Do customers look for authenticity or convenience?
In short, these companies do convenience better – better quality of food and food service, better cleanliness, and better ambiance.
It really is all about the customer experience and nothing else. That experience includes efficient and friendly service, desired product selection, ease of transaction, clean and available restrooms, and the ability to get in and out quickly. In my personal experience, Wawa and Buc-ee’s have solved this equation, in very different ways, and continue to push their own innovation and offerings to stay in the lead. Editorial Note: The Buc-ee’s in Mebane NC can’t open fast enough!