Dive Brief:
- Wawa plans to open its first Nashville store on Nov. 19, the company announced last week.
- The location along Highway 100 will be Wawa’s sixth store in the state, joining locations in Clarksville, Dickson, Murfreesboro, Lebanon and Manchester. An additional store in Murfreesboro is also expected to open soon.
- Tennessee is part of a multistate expansion project the retailer announced in 2022 and 2023. Wawa plans to spend at least $375 million opening more than 50 locations in the state over the next 10 years.
Dive Insight:
Wawa debuted in the Volunteer State in June when it opened a store in Clarksville. The retailer is now bringing its popular foodservice program to a city of around 700,000 residents.
Since beginning its massive expansion drive, Wawa has debuted in eight states — Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, West Virginia and North Carolina.
Now that it has a foothold in all those states, the retailer is expanding into new markets within them. This has included a 60-store roadmap for the western part of Virginia and 40 locations planned for the central region of Pennsylvania, the company’s home state.
While many consumers in Wawa’s new markets are familiar with the nationally known brand, the retailer is also leaning into its marketing outreach to introduce its stores into new communities. In Nashville, that will include holding a “Taste of Wawa” preview event, where the retailer will share some peoples’ favorite Wawa memories.
