The Times Dispatch reports that Wawa Inc., the convenience store chain, is embarked on a long-term plan to change customers perceptions of its stores. Howard B. Stoeckel, the president/CEO of the company, tells the paper that “getting more people inside Wawa stores to buy a hoagie, a chicken biscuit, a bowl of roast turkey over mashed potatoes, a milkshake or Wawa-branded candy or water is key to the company's future.”
"The gas certainly brings them to the site and a certain number of people will automatically shop the store, but we need to bring more people into the store. It will happen over time," Stoeckel said. "Some customers don't think of going to a retailer who sells fuel to get great food because in the past you haven't found a retailer that does both extremely well."
"The gas certainly brings them to the site and a certain number of people will automatically shop the store, but we need to bring more people into the store. It will happen over time," Stoeckel said. "Some customers don't think of going to a retailer who sells fuel to get great food because in the past you haven't found a retailer that does both extremely well."
- KC's View:
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This reflects a fundamental change taking place not just in how convenience stores operate, but what convenience means to consumers.
Format is irrelevant. Products and services and situational relevance are what matter.
