Overall customer satisfaction with convenience stores remains the same — 76 on a scale of 0 to 100 — but there’s been a major shakeup at the top.
Circle K, which has more than 900 stores across Florida, ranked at 76 on the scale for the second straight year.
7-Eleven, which has over a thousand Florida locations, rated a 75 this year and last year.
Buc-ee’s, which has a cult-like following among travelers, slid from a score of 80 to 79 this year. It has two locations in Florida — one store is in Daytona Beach and another in Saint Augustine.
The company’s website states that “Buc-ee’s Travel Center is a family-focused travel center featuring a wide range of freshly prepared foods, including home-crafted BBQ, custom-made sandwiches, fresh salads and fruits, baked goods, and sweets as well as a unique collection of gifts, housewares, clothing, and weekend getaway gear.”
Buc-ee’s locations are open 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. The company claims to have the cleanest restrooms and does not allow 18-wheelers on the property.
Kwik Trip, a Wisconsin-based chain that has no locations in Florida, leads the industry after surging 8 percent to a score of 84.
The convenience store, like many others, focuses on a food-based model to draw in more visitors and cater to a wide range of customer preferences, but it’s the company’s stout commitment to building a positive culture that places a heavy emphasis on the customer experience that is clearly paying off.
Kwik Trip stores are located in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan. The company operates under the Kwik Star banner in Iowa, Illinois and South Dakota.
Meanwhile, Wawa placed second with an 82 percent customer satisfaction rating. Wawa, which was last year’s leader in customer satisfaction, maintained its existing rating and tied with Sheetz, which improved by 4 percent.
QwikTrip came in third place with a score of 80, followed by Buc-ee’s, which fell one point to 79 percent.
Coming in next was ACSI newcomer Love’s, which operates more than 600 travel centers in 42 states, including Florida. Love’s tied with Buc’ee’s by receiving a 79 percent customer satisfaction score.
Near the low end of the industry, Iowa-based Casey’s General Stores saw the largest satisfaction decline, down 5 percent to 75 percent. BP dropped 4 percent to 74 percent, tying QuikStop and just ahead of ampm, which finished last with an ACSI score of 73.
“The brands rising to the top are doing more than just selling coffee and snacks. They’re building communities inside their stores,” he said in a statement. “As in-store sales outpace fuel and digital tools become table stakes, the brands that will win are those that double down on quality, innovation, and authentic connection.”
Learn more about the American Customer Satisfaction Index Convenience Store Study.