Wawa is closing another Philly store after its new format fell flat
About three years ago, Wawa started piloting a new digital-order-only system at this store. Now it’s closing the location.
Wawa is closing a store on Drexel University’s campus, nearly three years after remodeling to a digital-order-only concept with no products on shelves.
The 3300 Market St. location, which has been open since 2018, is set to close Jan. 21.
It was remodeled in 2023 to test the new store format, which required customers to order all items on a touch screen, with no shelves of product to browse. The pilot was not a success, leading to the store’s planned closure, said a company statement shared by Wawa spokesperson Lori Bruce Tuesday.
Prior to the pandemic, this store saw more food-service than any other Wawa, CEO Chris Gheysens previously told the Philadelphia Business Journal.
“Over the years, we have made several attempts to address business and operational challenges at this location,” said the company statement shared by Bruce, which did not provide details about those challenges.
That effort “includes partnering with property owner, Drexel University, in an attempt to address some of these issues, and most recently making investments in our store design to test a fully digital format. Unfortunately, this test did not adequately improve performance or deliver an enhanced customer experience, which ultimately led to the decision to close the store‚" Wawa’s statement said.
Wawa had informed Drexel about its plans to close the location, university spokesperson Niki Gianakaris confirmed Tuesday in a statement from the university. Drexel did not respond to a question about what will occupy the space going forward.
Employees will be offered positions at other nearby Wawas. Nearby stores include those at 36th and Chestnut Streets, and 38th and Spruce Streets.
Wawa has closed a number of stores in the city in recent years.
» READ MORE: A history of Wawa’s on-again, off-again relationship with Center City
Wawa closed two locations in the Northeast last year.
In 2024, the company closed a Port Richmond store that was one of its oldest, a Cherry Hill location that had been operating for 51 years, and a store near the Philadelphia Art Museum, as well as a Center City location at 16th and Ranstead Streets that had been testing a small-store concept.
Meanwhile, Wawa competitor Sheetz recently announced it will open its first Philadelphia-area outpost, in Montgomery County, next month.