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Forget Buc-ee's, this is the US's favorite convenience store, new report shows. by: Addy Bink Posted: Oct 6, 2026 / 09:42 AM MDT Updated: Oct 6, 2026 / 09:45 AM MDT (NEXSTAR) - If you had to guess America's favorite convenience store, the first brand that comes to mind may be Buc-ee's, especially based on its fandom and regardless of whether you've been to one yourself. You would be wrong, according to a new report. The latest data from the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) shows that an entirely different retailer, known primarily for serving an entirely different industry, is the top convenience store brand in the U.S. More than two dozen brands were considered this year by the ACSI, and then ranked based on their scores across surveyed customers. Benchmarks analyzed included store hours and locations, food quality, store layout and cleanliness, merchandise variety, and even the quality and freshness of coffee. Topping the list last year was Kwik Trip, the Wisconsin-based fuel chain that has spread throughout the Midwest. The brand slipped slightly this year, ranking third overall on ACSI's rankings. Plowing to the top is another Midwest-based brand: Meijer. You may better recognize the name for the hundreds of grocery stores it operates across six states: its home state of Michigan, as well as Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Kentucky. Many of those locations also offer fueling stations, which scored the highest customer satisfaction rates among those surveyed this year. Meijer improved five points to a score of 82 out of 100 on this year's report. The ACSI noted that customers appreciate the retailer's rewards program, which reportedly saved customers $200 million over the previous year. Meijer did not, however, rank as the top-rated brand in the Midwest, according to the ACSI. That spot was claimed by Sheetz, which edged out Meijer by a single point when broken down by region. Wawa was the top spot in the Northeast and the South. In the latter, Wawa edged out Buc-ee's by a single point. In the West, Maverik and QuikTrip tied. You can view the top convenience store chains and their scores (out of 100), according to ACSI's customer satisfaction rankings below, and its full study here. * Meijer: 82 * QuikTrip, Sheetz, Wawa: 80 * Kwik Trip and Murphy USA: 79 * Buc-ee's, Maverik, Pilot, RaceTrac, and Shell: 77 No convenience store chain fell as much in the rankings as Kwik Trip, which lost six points off last year's score, ACSI's data shows. Three chains - Love's, Cumberland Farms, and Sunoco - dropped five points. Curiously missing from the list? Costco and Sam's Club. However, unlike the brands above, you would have to navigate your way into a warehouse to pick up a hot dog and a coffee, rather than walking a few steps from the fuel pump to the convenience store counter.

Wawa ranks among America's most loved c-stores. Meijer tops the ACSI 2026 American Customer Satisfaction Index study The basics: * Wawa ties Sheetz for No. 3 in ACSI's 2026 most-loved convenience store ranking * Wawa leads customer satisfaction in the Northeast and South * Wawa's score falls to 80 points, from 82 in 2025 * Meijer tops national c-store satisfaction ranking Wawa remains one of America's most-loved convenience store chains, according to a new ranking released Oct. 6. In the 2026 American Customer Satisfaction Index c-store study, the Pennsylvania-headquartered banner tied with rival Sheetz for the No. 3 spot. Meijer topped the ranking, followed by QuikTrip. Conducted over a 12-month period ending September 2026, the email survey asked 9,465 consumers to score chains from zero to 100 on metrics including store hours, locations, coffee freshness, bathroom cleanliness, food quality, wait times, mobile app usability, mobile order pickups, loyalty programs and speed of checkout. For 2026, ACSI's regional rankings reveal that Wawa leads in the South (82 points) and Northeast (79 points). The study noted Wawa is the only chain to win two regions this year. In the Midwest, Sheetz (83 points) is king. Out West, Maverick (78 points) had the highest customer satisfaction score. Who's down? The ACSI's Top 10 scoring c-store chains with points scored in 2026 vs. in 2025 * Meijer - 82 points up from 78 * QuikTrip - 80 points no change * Sheetz - 80 points down from 82 * Wawa - 80 points down from 82 * Kwik Trip - 79 points down from 84 * Murphy USA - 79 points down from 78 * Buc-ee's - 77 points down from 79 * Maverick - 77 points down from 78 * Pilot - 77 points N/A * RaceTrac - 77 points down from 78 Besides sharing third place, Sheetz and Wawa each saw their ACSI scores slip 2% this year. The study noted both brands continue to expand outside of their current territories in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. With a goal to add 1,800 stores nationwide by 2030, Wawa is busy opening more than 100 new locations this year - including in Tennessee, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Alabama and Georgia. The company's footprint of more than 1,200 stores includes about 300 outposts in New Jersey. Sheetz aims to reach 1,000 locations by 2028. The Western Pennsylvania-headquartered brand currently operates more than 850 stores across Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Maryland and Michigan. Having a dip. Though convenience stores overall are working hard to expand food service and digital offerings, customer satisfaction edged down 1% to 75 points in 2026, according to the study. ACSI pointed out that food service now accounts for 28.5% of inside sales and 38.9% of in-side gross profit. Meanwhile, 15% of prepared-food visits involve consumers who chose the convenience store over a quick-service restaurant. Key scores include: * Mobile order pickup - 82 points not ranked last year * Mobile app quality - 80 points 5% decline * Mobile app reliability - 81 points 1.2% decline * Quality & freshness of coffee - 77 points no change * Store layout & cleanliness - 77 points 3% decline * Bathroom cleanliness - 74 points not ranked last year * Staff courtesy & helpfulness - 78 points 1% decline * Variety of cooked food items available - 79 points no change * Cooked food quality - 80 points no change * Quality of fountain drinks - 80 points no change * Frequency of sales & promotions - 71 points 1.4% decrease On the house. QuickChek is offering free coffee every Monday to first responders and educators through Oct. 26. Get the details here. Forrest Morgeson, associate professor of marketing at Michigan State University and ACSI director of research emeritus, shared, "Convenience stores are asking customers to do more inside the store and more on the app than ever before. Order ahead, scan loyalty cards, redeem offers, pick up food. Customers are willing to engage with all of it." [E]very new capability is a new expectation. When the app is clunky, the bathroom is neglected, or the store feels disorganized, that shapes how customers judge the entire visit. - Forrest Morgeson, associate professor of marketing at Michigan State University and ACSI director of research emeritus "But every new capability is a new expectation. When the app is clunky, the bathroom is neglected, or the store feels disorganized, that shapes how customers judge the entire visit. The industry has figured out what to sell. Now the experience of buying it has to catch up," he said. About the reporter A Bergen County native, Kimberly Redmond began her journalism career after graduating from Marymount Manhattan College in New York City, starting as a reporter for one of North Jersey Media Group's weekly newspapers. Over the past 15 years, she's worked at The Star Ledger, covering breaking news, courts, government and features in northwestern New Jersey, as well as at USA Today-owned The Journal News in New York's Hudson Valley region, where she had an education beat. Along the way, she's earned several awards from the New Jersey Press Association and New Jersey Society of Professional Journalists for deadline reporting, crime & police coverage and features. In October 2022, Kimberly joined the team at NJBIZ, taking on the always-interesting beats of New Jersey's retail, cannabis, hospitality, food and legal industries. Questions? Tips? Email Kimberly at [email protected].

Wawa gas station plans filed in Fort Wayne. Posted: Oct 5, 2026 / 03:51 PM EDT Updated: Oct 5, 2026 / 04:33 PM EDT FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - A national gas station chain, Wawa, has new plans for a location in southwest Fort Wayne. The proposed 6,374-square-foot Wawa location is slated for construction at 3899 Airport Expressway, with an estimated construction cost of $1,350,000. Construction is expected to be completed in December 2027. Wawa offers hot food and drink options alongside its fuel and EV charging services: pizza hoagies, burgers, breakfast sandwiches, and a specialty drink menu. Founded in Philadelphia in 1964, the chain has more than 1,200 stores across the U.S. Wawa announced in 2022 that it would be expanding into the Midwest, including several locations in Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky. To date, the chain has 16 locations in the Hoosier State and plans to continue its growth, with a goal of 70 locations statewide.