Mop the Floor.  Brew the Coffee. Clean the Counters.  Those were the tasks on my to-do list last week, and just a few of the many jobs our associates perform every day to create the level of quality and service Wawa customers have come to expect. 

Every year I get a first-hand reminder of just how hard our store associates work to create the Wawa experience as I work side by side with them as part of Flounder’s Day -- a tradition that began at Wawa decades ago and continues every year in the Spring and Fall.

During Flounder’s Day, Wawa’s senior management team spends several days working in stores across our region doing everything from pumping gas to making coffee. It really helps keep us in touch with the daily working of our stores and the needs of our store teams and customers.  

This year, I got to spend time working in the Folsom Pennsylvania store, one that is about to celebrate its 45th anniversary.  It’s the very first store we ever opened in our chain.  I was lucky enough to spend time working with Greta.  She’s a wonderful coffee hostess who always manages to remain one step ahead of the constant coffee brewing needs of our customers.  I did my best to keep up with Greta. That’s no easy task when it comes to brewing coffee or delighting customers. But I sure tried.  After all that’s what Flounder’s Day is all about. It’s about seeing Greta’s passion. And it’s about interacting with our loyal customers, and talking to them about their thoughts and needs.   Customers like Dan, who shops the Folsom store several times every day to see his friends and to get a fresh cup of coffee.

It’s people like Dan and Greta who make Wawa special, and it’s practices like Flounder’s Day that help us remain relevant and constantly evolve to meet the needs of our associates and our customers. 

Staying close to the stores and to the customers is a Wawa tradition.  And, this year, as we celebrate our 45th anniversary in the convenience retailing business, it’s a fitting time to reflect on traditions and customs that have shaped our culture.  Flounder’s Day has roots that go back to the1960s when our founder, Grahame Wood, started the tradition of visiting and working in stores and, later the process expanded to include store tours and follow-up meetings to address any issues that were identified during those tours. Some say the original name was “Founder’s Day” but was changed to reflect the level of skill exercised by management…. Or lack thereof.  

The practice became pivotal in our quest for continuous improvement, and more than anything, it helps us listen.  It’s a source for hearing hundreds of ideas that have come from our store teams and customers.  That tradition is one of the factors that made Wawa successful and keeps us convenient.

For those of us who work at Red Roof (our corporate office), our most important job is to simplify the lives of our store associates – so they, in turn, are able to simplify the lives of their customers.  Flounder’s Day helps us understand the impact our decisions have on customers and stores.  It’s a very humbling experience, as we realize how fast paced the store environment is and how unique our customers/associates relationship has become. 

We have always held the belief that “retail is detail.” Flounder’s Day keeps us grounded on the detail – the “blocking and tackling” needed to improve our level of convenience and provide you with highest level of convenience possible.  This was our pledge 45 years ago and this is our pledge today.

‘Til next time…