As Wawa continues its rapid expansion into new states, one of the company’s earliest stores in South Jersey will be closing next month. Wawa has confirmed that its Cherry Hill store on westbound Route 70 near Chelten Avenue will be shutting its doors on October 8 after serving the community for 51 years. This store, which opened in 1973, is part of a dwindling group of older, smaller Wawas that helped establish the company as a convenience staple in the region.
“While this was a very difficult decision to make, we have determined that this store cannot deliver the experience customers deserve or continue to meet performance expectations,” a Wawa spokesperson said in a statement to the Courier-Post.
The closure of this store follows the shuttering of another one of Wawa’s oldest locations in South Jersey last November and the recent closure of a store in Philadelphia. The company has cited the inability of its newer operations and products to adapt to many of its older store designs as a reason for these closures.
Wawa often remodels and replaces its older stores in communities that lose them. However, a proposed Super Wawa with a gas station on the other side of Route 70 was scrapped due to objections from Cherry Hill residents. The company’s emphasis on gas stations in its development plans has faced scrutiny from communities concerned about traffic and safety near residential areas.
Wawa’s original store in Folsom, Delaware County, opened in 1964 and closed in 2016, with a newer, larger store replacing it. Despite the closure, the original store held a special place in the hearts of many customers.
Wawa now operates over 1,060 locations in the United States, primarily in the Mid-Atlantic region and Florida. The company is currently expanding into new states such as Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky. Ranked 20th on Forbes’ list of the largest private companies in the country last year, Wawa continues to grow and evolve to meet the needs of its customers across the nation.