New study ranks convenience stores nationally; how did Wichita’s favorites do?

Convenience store customers have long seemed to swear by their favorites, arguing over items like the tea at QuikTrip , hoagies at Wawa and barbecue at Buc-ee’s .

Now, an inaugural study, the American Customer Satisfaction Index Convenience Store Study 2024 , has ranked which stores are best and why.

The perhaps surprising thing about the study isn’t what chain won — Wawa — but that it did so by the thinnest of margins.

Wawa scored 82 out of 100, but QuikTrip was behind by only one point at 81.

Buc-ee’s and Murphy USA each scored 80.

In fact, there are only eight points that separate first place from last.

Among other chains that operate in Wichita, Casey’s General Stores scored 79, BP scored 77, Circle K scored 76 and 7-11 scored 75.

KwikShop , which has numerous stores in and around Wichita, didn’t appear in the study.

Food is a big part of what draws customers to certain chains, the study said.

“Convenience stores are no longer just a quick stop for gas and snacks — they are becoming serious competitors in the food service industry,” said Forrest Morgeson, an associate professor of marketing at Michigan State University and the Index’s emeritus director of research, in a news release.

“The top-performing convenience store brands are now on par with fast food chains in terms of food quality and variety, offering customers a wide range of fresh, gourmet options. By focusing on the in-store dining experience, while maintaining the speedy service that customers have grown accustomed to, convenience stores may have found the perfect recipe for success.”

In addition to food, the study — which had 5,710 completed surveys via random customer e-mails between March and September — examined store hours and locations, staff interactions and use of mobile apps.

Tulsa-based QuikTrip, a favorite in Wichita, just quit using a past rewards system in favor of new mobile-app savings. That debuted in Wichita this week .

The system, which was met with some grumbling here, already is in place at some QuikTrip stores nationally and still is being rolled out at others.

It’ll be interesting to see if the new app has an effect on QuikTrip’s ranking next year.