Dive Brief:

• Wawa is aiming to expand its c-store concept by opening travel centers in its existing and upcoming markets in the coming years, CEO Chris Gheysens said during the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce’s economic outlook meeting Jan. 13, the Philadelphia Business Journal reported.
• These locations won't have places to stay overnight, but will include amenities that target "light-duty vehicles" carrying individual and family travelers and single-day commercial truckers, according to an interview between Gheysens and the Philadelphia Business Journal.
• Wawa’s announcement of the upcoming travel centers underscores its plans to rapidly accelerate its store growth around the country — an approach that comes with potential rewards as well as risks, experts say.

Dive Insight:

Since the start of 2022, Wawa has announced a flurry of expansion plans that would grow it from seven to 14 states of operation and build on its existing territories within the coming years. Gheysens even told the Philadelphia Business Journal around this time that Wawa was experiencing “the most aggressive growth” in its history, with plans to nearly double its store count to about 1,800 locations by 2030.

Wawa’s newly announced travel centers fit precisely into these ambitious growth plans, which experts say will require the retailer to be careful of overextending itself and keep execution high in areas like foodservice to be successful.

“Think of it as a Wawa on steroids,” Gheysens told the Philadelphia Business Journal of the new travel centers. “A lot bigger of a store, a lot bigger of an offer, a lot bigger of a parking lot, more amenities.”

Gheysens noted the next step in Wawa’s planning process is identifying the best locations for these travel centers, which will be located in "more high-profile locations" on major highways. A Wawa spokesperson told the Journal that an opening of one of these stores is most likely five years away.

This won’t be Wawa’s first foray into travel centers. Gheysens said Wawa already has a few "quasi-travel centers" in its existing markets — such as in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and off I-95 in Virginia — which have performed well for the retailer during their years in operation.

Wawa did not respond by press time to an inquiry for more details on its plans for travel centers.

Wawa operates more than 975 stores in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida and Washington D.C. If its explosive growth plans run their course, Wawa would become the fourth-largest c-store retailer in the country.