It’s hard to believe that Labor Day is just around the corner, and the summer is almost over. This past summer has been filled with exciting events and memories.  From our Wawaversaries to new store openings to charitable walks and runs to our Hoagiefest events, it seemed like every week brought new celebrations and excitement. 

Something we are always excited about is the passion and loyalty of Wawa customers. It’s more and more evident over the summer, when so many customers who are already taking long trips to the beach will go out of their way to make a stop at Wawa…even if they have to drive a few miles out of their way to get to us. 

This deep customer loyalty and devotion is something that we not only treasure, but that also fascinated Washington Post reporter Hank Stuever, as he expressed in his article last week entitled "Isn't that convenient?".

In his article, Stuever profiles Wawa and Sheetz, doing a fabulous job showing the unique space that each of our companies occupy in the convenience universe.  As I read his article, I was impressed by his ability to convey the true Wawa flavor, the nuances that make our culture tick, the associates that get our customers’ days started, and the thousands of customer personalities who walk though our doors every day and have become part of our extended family. 

During our interview, I got a chance to do something I love--I got to talk about our unique history, about all the fun and memorable ways we were able to celebrate our 45th anniversary this summer, about the incredible customers I’ve met in our stores, and about how we like to think of ourselves as the cheers of convenience stores, where our associates know our customers by name. 

More than anything the interview gave me the chance to reflect on the fact that while we’ve truly had an unforgettable summer at Wawa, every season at Wawa is unforgettable, due to the passion and loyalty our customers and associates have for Wawa throughout winter, spring, summer and fall.  Now that’s something to think about that makes the summer ending not so bittersweet. 

‘Till next time…

If you’ve passed through parts of New Jersey some time since June, you may have seen our advertising campaign alerting customers about credit surcharges, fees that an increasing number of retailers charge when customers purchase fuel with credit cards instead of cash. The purpose of the campaign was to draw attention to the practice of posting competitive fuel prices for cash purchases, then adding several cents per gallon to credit card purchases when the transaction is actually completed. We call this campaign “Prices You Can Trust,” and because this practice is happening more and more, this week we are expanding the campaign throughout the Philadelphia area. 

As leader in convenience we feel it is our responsibility to protect the consumer, and hopefully clear up any confusion around this issue.  Through radio spots, billboards, banners and full-page newspaper ads, we are educating our Philadelphia area customers about a price structure that can be perplexing.  More importantly, we are letting our customers know that at Wawa, we always offer one low price for both cash and credit – and never impose a credit surcharge in any of our 270 stores with gasoline. 

We don’t believe in surcharges, and we don’t believe in letting customers pay them elsewhere because they are confused or unaware that the practice is going on at all.

As I’ve said before, part of our commitment to simplifying our customers’ lives is making concepts as easy to understand as possible.  So as we disclose these important pricing messages to the public, we hope to let customers know that at Wawa we pledge to always provide prices you can trust, and pricing that is always fair and always simple to understand.  This is brand promise you can trust.

 ‘Til next time…

In some places they’re known as subs, heroes, bombers, poor boys, grinders, torpedoes, and rockets.   But in "The City of Brotherly Love," they're only known by one name: hoagies. Today, hoagies have earned a prestigious place alongside cheesesteaks and soft pretzels as one of Philadelphia’s top culinary exports.  They have become synonymous with both Philadelphia and Wawa, so much so that in 1992 then-Mayor Rendell proclaimed the hoagie to be the official sandwich of Philadelphia.

At Wawa we have been proud to serve as chief hoagie ambassador, introducing hoagies to millions of people throughout the mid-Atlantic region over the years. We now sell more than 70 million hoagies each year. But it wasn’t always this way. Before the 1930s, in fact, no one had ever before heard of a hoagie. They simply didn’t exist. Hoagies have come a long way since then and over the years we’ve celebrated a number of noteworthy hoagies milestones. So, in honor of Hoagiefest (read below), here is an abridged hoagie history lesson for you:

According to local legend, during the Depression, out-of-work Philadelphian Al DePalma went to Hog Island near the Naval shipyards in South Philadelphia to find work. When he saw the shipyard workers on a lunch break wolfing down their giant sandwiches, his first thought was, "Those guys are a bunch of hogs!" Instead of applying for a job at the shipyard, DePalma opened a luncheonette that served big, cold cut sandwiches, listed on the menu as "hoggies" after the gentleman who served as his inspiration. Business took off and thus, the hoagie was born. (“Hoggie” later became “hoagie” at some point after World War II.)

Wawa’s built-to-order hoagies came on the scene in the late 1970s and were greeted with great fanfare.  Today our hoagies have helped us become a leader in the convenience retail space by providing our customers with the most convenient, delicious sandwich known to man. Over the years we’ve embraced our hoagie heritage and have found unique ways to celebrate the hoagie. Our associates have built record-breaking hoagies (up to one mile in length!) for community festivals and events. We’ve circled City Hall with a hoagie. We’ve temporarily renamed the street in front of City Hall “Hoagie Blvd.” We’ve served hoagies to everyone from troops on aircraft carriers to politicians at national conventions to athletes weary after a charity race. We’ve taken the hoagie beyond Philadelphia’s borders and brought it acclaim across New Jersey and Delaware, Maryland and Virginia.  We even have a virtual world devoted to the hoagie at our Hoagiefest internet microsite. 

This summer, we’re spreading our hoagie love throughout the region with Hoagiefest, a tribute to the almighty hoagie. Our Peace, Love and Shorti Tour will make four stops in four states to honor the hoagie tradition and say thank you to the wonderful people who welcome us into their communities and visit our stores every day. Each stop will feature eating and hoagie building contests, “kara-hoagie” competitions with original Hoagiefest songs, a hoagie heritage exhibit, and – of course – a quarter mile long hoagie. Click here for details

I hope to see you on the Hoagiefest Tour.  And I hope to see you in our stores, enjoying the hoagies that you have come to know and love.

‘Til next time…