After Week 12 in the NFL, the Steelers and Eagles sit atop their respective divisions. And as the year comes to a close, two other cross-state rivals are also enjoying success – in the c-store space. They may not be #1 or #2 in Chain Store Guide’s Rankings, but Sheetz and Wawa do possess a rabid fan base in their home markets of Southwestern PA and Philly, as well as a cult following and footprint that extend well beyond the state.
Here, then, is a look at how the chains stack up as we march towards the end of 2017, utilizing data from our Supermarket, Grocery & Convenience Store Chains Database and the corresponding Locations Database.
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Updated: 3/19/2019 This month we are looking back at our most popular articles and reviewing where the companies are now. March 2019 Update: Almost a year and a half later, Sheet and Wawa are still battling it out in key states, including their hometown, PA. Both have made strides towards unit growth with Wawa doubling that of its rival, (+14 units for Sheetz and +37 for Wawa) while the golden goose has slumped back in terms of last reported sales by a quarter of a percentage according to CSG data. This has caused Wawa to slide down two rankings since our last review. Sheetz, on the other hand, has increased sales by nearly 2.4% over the previous period while maintaining its rank amongst similar c-store contenders such as Casey’s General Stores, ExxonMobile, and BP Products NA. The top 5 companies control nearly half (48.6%) of all industry sales for the 25 leading chains; making upward mobility for either company difficult without taking more aggressive marketing tactics to increase sales at the pump. Expansion westward could benefit each company as average gas prices run nearly 20% over their home in Pennsylvania, though no plans are in place for the other coast at this time. While both companies have been holding steady midway in the list of top 25 chains, their fan bases continue to grow and debate over who has the best food and cleanest facilities, which only solidifies their share in the markets they serve and primes their positioning for future growth. Chain Store Guide has over 200 contacts for Sheetz and Wawa combined and can be found in both of our Supermarket, Grocery, & Convenience Stores PLUS database and the Restaurant Franchisees Premier database (by filtering on C-stores with Foodservice). Whether your primary industry is in perishables, CPGs, merchandise, or foodservice, CSG has the data you need to reach the right contacts that are looking for your products & services. |
