Dive Brief:
- Wawa will hold a grand opening for its first Ohio store on April 16 in Liberty Township, according to a company announcement.
- Its first Indiana store, in Dalesville, will follow on May 15, according to a LinkedIn post from last week.
- These are the latest steps in Wawa’s plans to add hundreds of stores in the next 10 years as the retailer expands into eight states and grows significantly in new areas of two states where it’s already established.
Dive Insight:
Wawa is aiming for a total of 1,800 stores by 2030, a major jump from its current count of around 1,100. Since the start of its big expansion push in 2022, Wawa has debuted in North Carolina, Alabama and Georgia, with grand openings in Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia still to come.
The company also has announced a plan to add dozens more stores in Central Pennsylvania and the western region of Virginia.
As far as growth plans in Ohio and Indiana, Wawa is planning to open 10 new stores this year in both states and up to 60 locations in both states over the next decade.
“These markets are the perfect places for Wawa to expand based on their strong business communities, their family-like atmosphere and the confidence that our unique offer and amazing associates will be welcomed by these communities,” Wawa’s President and CEO Chris Gheysens said when the expansions into Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky were first announced.
Once the first sites in Ohio and Indiana open, Wawa will operate in 11 states — Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, Ohio and Indiana — as well as the District of Columbia.
