Wawa Food Markets

Infobox Company
company_name = Wawa, Inc.
company_
company_type = Private, owned by Wild Goose Holding Co.
foundation = 1964
slogan = "gottahava Wawa"
founder = Grahame Wood
location_city = Wawa, Pennsylvania
location_country = USA
key_people = Howard Stoeckel, CEO
industry = Convenience store
products = Hoagies, Coffee, Sizzli, Gasoline, Iced Tea, Milk, Stuffed Pretzels
revenue = profit US$ 4.5 billion (2007)
num_employees = 16,000
homepage = [http://www.wawa.com Wawa.com]

Wawa is a chain of convenience store/gas stations located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is often associated with the Philadelphia area and the Delaware Valley, but the stores are also common throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia.

Company

On April 16, 1964, Wawa Food Markets opened their first store in Folsom, Pennsylvania under the guidance of Grahame Wood.cite web |url=http://www.wawa.com/WawaWeb/Timeline.aspx |title=Wawa - About Wawa - Milestones |accessdate=2008-10-07 |format=.swf, .html ] To this day, many Wood family members are active within the company. Although Wawa is a family-run business, the employees of Wawa also hold a relatively large percentage of stock. Most Wawas are open 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. The chain's name comes from the site of the company's first milk plant and corporate headquarters in Wawa, Pennsylvania. The name of the town is in turn derived from the Ojibwe word for the Canada Goose (taken from "The Song of Hiawatha"). [cite web|url= http://www.native-languages.org/hiawatha.htm |title= Native American Words in Longfellow's Hiawatha |accessdate= 2006-08-09] An image of a goose in flight serves as the Wawa corporate logo. [It is said that the goose was chosen because the company employs the principles of teamwork, group consensus and encouragement which is found among the geese community. Note that the Wawa Corporate webpage correctly says "Wawa" means "goose," but incorrectly claims it is a Lenape word. cite web|url= http://www.wawa.com/wawaprofile/pro-home.asp|title= Wawa > Wawa Profile > Company Profile |accessdate= 2006-08-09]

Wawa sells over 165 million cups of coffee a year. [ [http://www.wawa.com/foodchoices/food-coffee.asp Wawa > Food Choices > Coffee ] ] The Wawa deli counter was among the first convenience food-marts to implement self-serve computer touch-screen menus for food orders, in an attempt to improve accuracy. It can potentially be used as gateways to up-selling, as well.

The current CEO of Wawa is Howard Stoeckel. Eleuthère (Thère) du Pont has served as both the CFO and President, but is no longer associated with the company. Richard D. (Dick) Wood, Jr. is chairman of the board of directors.

In 2006, Wawa ranked 63rd on the Forbes Magazine list of the largest private companies [ [http://www.forbes.com/lists/2006/21/biz_06privates_Wawa_ZHC5.html Wawa ranks 63 on The Largest Private Companies 2006.] Accessed 2008-08-08] but dropped to 64th on the 2007 list [ [http://www.forbes.com/lists/2007/21/biz_privates07_Wawa_ZHC5.html Wawa ranks 64 on The Largest Private Companies 2007.] Accessed 2008-08-08] . Wawa currently has 16,000 employees, 570 stores (210 offering gasoline) and had total revenues of $4.67 billion dollars in 2007. [ [http://www.forbes.com/lists/2007/21/biz_privates07_Wawa_ZHC5.html The Largest Private Companies - Forbes.com ] ] In recent years, many Wawa Markets have been expanded to "Super Wawas," with 12-20 gas pumps, and all new Wawas constructed are of the "Super Wawa" variety (though not all feature gas stations). Wawa, for the most part, covers the parts of the Keystone State not already covered by fast-growing in-state rivals Sheetz and Turkey Hill Mini Marts.

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Wawa is headquartered in Wawa, Pennsylvania, a neighborhood that includes parts of Middletown Township and Chester Heights Borough in Delaware County. The corporate headquarters, known as Red Roof, is on Baltimore Pike in Chester Heights. The nearby dairy farm, across from the former Franklin Mint is in Middletown.

Wawa has recently partnered with JPMorgan Chase to offer a credit card branded with the Wawa name.

In the spring of 2007, Wawa began offering its own line of soda in its stores.

Wawa Dairy Farms

Wawa Dairy is a dairy processor that produces its own line of milk, ice cream, iced teas, juices, and fruit drinks. George Wood started Wawa Dairy Farms in 1902 with a small herd of cows and a processing and bottling plant in Wawa, Pennsylvania. This early dairy operation was famous for its "Doctor Approved" pasteurized milk. In the early 20th century, Wawa's milkmen were so well trusted by their clients that many of them were given the keys to the households that they delivered to, so that they could simply let themselves in and place the milk in the ice box.In the summer of 2002, Wawa Dairy celebrated its 100th anniversary by having a week-long "thirst aid tour" where it delivered over 100,000 cold beverages to those who needed them the most. Wawa partnered with local food banks in an attempt to raise awareness of the ongoing need for support.

Products

Wawa offers products found at most convenience chain marts. Key products include its variety of coffee and cappuccino flavors and sizes, and its made-to-order hoagies. Wawa also offers a brand of hot breakfast products, most famous of which is the "Sizzli". Wawa sells a variety of brand-name cold beverages and offers similar alternatives such as the Red Bull alternative, "Mach W". Wawa also offers a full deli with touch-screen ordering of sandwiches, hot sides, and deli meats. The "Super Wawa" sites, in addition to being larger stores, also provide vehicle fuel. [ [http://www.wawa.com/foodchoices/food-home.asp Wawa > Food Choices ] ]

In popular culture

* Pennsylvania-based music group The Bloodhound Gang refer to the Wawa chain in their songs "Pennsylvania" and "Overheard in a Wawa Parking Lot" on their 2005 album "Hefty Fine". They specifically address the lack of name recognition outside of the Delaware Valley region, with the line "Do you even know what a Wawa is?" Also frontman Jimmy Pop has been known to wear a Wawa hoodie on stage in concert.
*"anticon." rapper Why? referred to the Ardmore, PA Wawa in his song "Six".
* The store has been referenced several times on the FX show It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
* In the "scavenger hunt" episode of MTV's Viva La Bam, a few of the stunts are performed at a Wawa store in Pennsylvania, with the help of The Bloodhound Gang. Wawa also had some references in the Bam Margera films CKY and when Valo (played by Bam) tells Ry (Ryan Dunn) to "Break bottles behind Wawa," after hearing the suggestion from Naked Dave.
* Jackass star Johnny Knoxville has a tattoo of the late 1990s Wawa logo on his left arm.
* Philadelphia group G. Love & Special Sauce reference Wawa in their song "Cold Beverage".
* During a "World of Warcraft"-based machinima video starring Leeroy Jenkins, a character asks "Anyone got a soulstone?" to which the reply from another character is "No, but I could pick one up at Wawa."

Advertising slogans

*1970s: "Fast, fresh shopping night and day."
*1972: "People on the go - go to Wawa Food Markets"
*1980s: "Just a little bit better: Wawa."
*1990s: "One great taste after another." "Mornin, Noon And Nite, Wawa Does It Right"
*Late 1990s: "Go to Wawa when you're hot, hot, hot."
*2002-2005: "My choice. My Wawa."
*2005-Present: "gottahava Wawa."

tore locations by state

*New Jersey: 236
*Pennsylvania: 210
*Delaware/Maryland/Virginia: 124
*Total: 570 stores as of 11/2007. [ [http://www.wawa.com/joinwawa/join-home.asp Join Wawa! ] ] Note: Wawa's territory once stretched into North Jersey, New York and Connecticut, but in the late 1990s, the decision was made to abandon most of the New York metropolitan area and New England, as it was too competitive, though the company still operates numerous stores in the central and south New Jersey area. The abandoned stores were re-branded when they were sold to Krauszer's (in Connecticut) and a variety of other convenience retailers, but most still retain their distinctive design.

Competition

Wawa competes with many other convenience store chains like itself. In Pennsylvania, Wawa competes with Sheetz, Turkey Hill, and Rutter's. In New Jersey, Wawa competes with QuickChek. In Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia, Wawa competes with Royal Farms.

References

External links

* [http://www.wawa.com Wawa's official site]
* [http://www.wawa.com/wawaprofile/pro-dairy100-anewcentury.asp Dairy 100th Exhibit]