Wawa and Sheetz tied at No. 2 for customer satisfaction in national survey
The results add fuel to the intrastate rivalry of the convenience-store giants, each of which is looking to encroach on the other’s long-held territory.
Wawa and Sheetz are tied for second place in a national customer satisfaction survey, further stoking the intrastate rivalry between Pennsylvania’s convenience-store giants.
Sheetz, which is based in Altoona, improved this year to catch up with Delaware County’s own Wawa, according to the second-annual American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) Convenience Store Study, released Tuesday.
Wisconsin-based Kwik Trip rose in the ranks to claim this year’s No. 1 spot, two points above Wawa and Sheetz.
“The brands rising to the top are doing more than just selling coffee and snacks,” Forrest Morgeson, Michigan State University marketing professor and director of research emeritus at the ACSI, said in a statement. “They’re building communities inside their stores.”
Nick Ruffner, public affairs manager for Sheetz, said in a statement that the company was “incredibly proud” of this achievement, which it attributed to its employees.
“As Sheetz grows its presence in new markets, we’re excited to raise the bar and redefine the convenience experience,” Ruffner said. Sheetz’s domain has traditionally been the western and central parts of the state, though the chain has recently expressed interest in bringing stores into Wawa territory in Montgomery and Chester Counties.
Added Ruffner: “We remain committed to delivering our customers a flavor-packed, restaurant-quality dining experience, drive-thrus, indoor and outdoor seating, robust grocery offerings, spotless touch-free restrooms, free Wi-Fi and air, and a menu of award-winning food — all under one roof.”
Wawa, which has a loyal following in the Philly region, has already expanded west into Sheetz’s stomping grounds. Last year, Wawa opened its first central Pennsylvania store near Harrisburg, and it has unveiled plans to soon open locations in the State College area, near Penn State’s campus.
Wawa also has extended its footprint into the South, where it ranked No. 1 in the ACSI survey, one point above Texas-based Buc-ee’s and Sheetz.
A Wawa spokesperson did not immediately return a request for comment Wednesday morning.
The ACSI convenience store study was based on 8,601 email surveys completed by a random selection of customers between October 2024 and September 2025. Recipients were asked to evaluate their recent store experiences, as well as their perceptions of quality and value.
This year’s survey showed that customers increasingly value mobile apps and online ordering.
“Useful mobile apps are now an essential tool for convenience stores, providing notifications about exclusive sales, limited-time promotions, and personalized offers tailored to individual shopping habits,” wrote the study’s authors. “American consumers have come to expect a mobile app accompanying nearly all of their favorite products and services.”
The survey found that 34% of respondents had used a convenience store’s mobile app. Loyalty rewards members were more likely to be on the app, with about 60% of them saying they had used it.
Wawa and Sheetz both have mobile apps on which users can order ahead for in-store or curbside pickup, redeem rewards, and find nearby stores.
Since Wawa launched mobile-ordering in 2017, its popularity has grown 20-fold, spokesperson Lori Bruce told The Inquirer earlier this year.
The survey also found that customers continue to value fresh, made-to-order food and loyalty rewards programs.