The state with the most Wawa locations in the United States is New Jersey. The convenience store retailer recently announced its plans to expand its presence in the Florida Panhandle and adjacent markets in South Alabama, marking the beginning of a new period of aggressive expansion with the aim of doubling the number of stores in the chain. Wawa plans to nearly double its number of stores by 2030 to approximately 1,800 locations, CEO Chris Gheysens also told the Philadelphia Business Journal. The chain will fill the Virginia-Florida market along the I-95 corridor throughout the decade, according to Gheysens.
Wawa has been featured on ABC's The Goldbergs and became a topic of conversation around HBO's Mare of Easttown, whose costume designs were partly inspired by Wawa shoppers. Three years ago, Wawa celebrated the launch of its 800th location. It now has nearly 950 stores in six states and Washington DC. New Jersey has the most outposts, followed by its home state, but Florida is catching up quickly.
All three have more than 200 Wawas each. In 2024, Wawa will expand to its seventh state, North Carolina. Sheetz, Wawa's rival based in central Pennsylvania, already has more than 100 locations in North Carolina. In Forbes' annual ranking of the nation's largest private companies, Wawa rose to first place in Pennsylvania and 29th in the United States last year.
Wawa currently operates around 900 stores in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida and Washington D. C., with one location per 88,752 people accounting for approximately 24% of the total number of Wawa locations. One location per 32,298 people accounts for approximately 28% of the total number of Wawa locations. There are 49 states and territories in the U.
S. without any Wawa location. New Wawa stores feature 5,547 square feet of retail space and an additional gas facility, as well as new graphics, colors, bathroom design and in-store merchandising features. One location per 52,040 people accounts for approximately 25% of the total number of Wawa locations.
In the not-too-distant future, Wawa has plans to expand to its seventh state and beyond. It's not hard to imagine that Wawa encompasses an ever-growing territory in the U. S., with potential for even opening novel outposts in places like London or Hong Kong. With its private ownership and cult following among Philadelphia-area shoppers preaching about their morning Sizzlis, lemon iced tea and soft pretzels, it's no surprise that Wawa is on track for success.
