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The more challenging thing for Wegmans will be finding 15 acres of real estate as a late entrant into the market in areas like Ballantyne, South Park, et. There are lots of organizations and companies trying to accumulate smaller parcels or large land hold outs in order to build. Examples being Novant Hospital securing Hall Family Farm (one of the last continuous large land holdings in Ballantyne) and Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools struggling to find a spot for a new high school to relive Ardrey Kell and South Meck. Wegmans may be limited to secondary locations such as a strip mall in Pineville rather than being right in the heart of Ballantyne, et.
When Wegmans first came to NC, they chose a redevelopment site inside Raleigh's Beltline, just 3 miles from the state capitol building. I don't think that Wegmans will be scared of an infill project in Charlotte either. They will go where they want to be and figure it out. I doubt that they'll settle for a far flung location for their first in the area. Subsequent stores in the market will likely radiate to different parts of the overall metro like they did in the Triangle.
I think Wawa would do well if they expanded into the Triangle from Virginia, as with Wegmans there are numerous transplants who are familiar and would support the brand. But they can't come closer to Charlotte because they have a noncompete agreement with QuikTrip, although perhaps they could go as far as the Triad as I don't think QT goes beyond Kannapolis or Salisbury.
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Originally Posted by tylerSC
I think Wawa would do well if they expanded into the Triangle from Virginia, as with Wegmans there are numerous transplants who are familiar and would support the brand. But they can't come closer to Charlotte because they have a noncompete agreement with QuikTrip, although perhaps they could go as far as the Triad as I don't think QT goes beyond Kannapolis or Salisbury.
I'd like to see Wawa show up in Hickory.
Honestly, since WaWa is privately owned I see no reason for them to avoid Quick Trip. It makes no sense at all. I'm more inclined to think that they're avoiding Sheetz. Sheetz is in their way for I 95.
Honestly, since WaWa is privately owned I see no reason for them to avoid Quick Trip. It makes no sense at all. I'm more inclined to think that they're avoiding Sheetz. Sheetz is in their way for I 95.
Supposedly Wawa and QuikTrip share common management or board of directors and they have some sort of noncompete arrangement. And Hickory is considered Charlotte market so I doubt Wawa would venture there. Is there already a QT near Hickory? But Greensboro or the Triad could be a possibility for the Wawa, and they are closer to their current footprint from Virginia.
Supposedly Wawa and QuikTrip share common management or board of directors and they have some sort of noncompete arrangement. And Hickory is considered Charlotte market so I doubt Wawa would venture there. Is there already a QT near Hickory? But Greensboro or the Triad could be a possibility for the Wawa, and they are closer to their current footprint from Virginia.
Dividing territories is illegal under US antitrust law among competitors. Any formal coordination or acknowledgement they've agreed to reduce competition in markets would open each company to a very easy Antitrust lawsuit.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tylerSC
Supposedly Wawa and QuikTrip share common management or board of directors and they have some sort of noncompete arrangement. And Hickory is considered Charlotte market so I doubt Wawa would venture there. Is there already a QT near Hickory? But Greensboro or the Triad could be a possibility for the Wawa, and they are closer to their current footprint from Virginia.
A longterm CEO retired to Florida just before they went there. I suspect that that's more likely why they skipped down to Florida.
In Pennsylvania, Sheetz and Wawa avoid each other, but I don't see any reason to avoid QT. In Philadelphia and South Jersey, decades ago, Wawa beat 7-11 to a bloody pulp.
QT has been my go-to for several years for hot coffee. I thought their drip machines and selections beat most fuel station coffee.
But I may change my preference to Sheetz. I am getting more grounds-contaminated coffee lately at QT... Employees are in a rush and not keeping a close eye on the coffee bar. Also, the "grind your beans in front of you" automated coffee machines at Sheetz are quite good.
They usually go into an area and plant a few stores then move on. What they did in the Triangle is unusual for them, but they've gone into a more spread out area. They planted a handful of stores in the Philadelphia suburbs then moved on, but they kept coming back to add. Heck, they're adding a store in the Wilmington Delaware area that will be the first Wegmans in Delaware.
It would make sense for them to drop a store in Greensboro on their way to Charlotte. On the other hand, they may head straight to Charlotte. It's hard to say. Coming to Charlotte will mean leaving the I95 corridor where they've been planting stores for about 20 years. I sincerely doubt that they'll go south on 95 from Raleigh. Their ultimate aim is to get to Florida, so they'll be headed south on 95, but they'll take the fork in the road for 85 to get to Charlotte. Once they plant stores in the Charlotte market I suspect that they'll go to Wilmington NC then potentially Spartanburg, Greenville, Ashville, Winston-Salem, Myrtle Beach, and Charleston I don't know about other locations in SC. But dropping a store in Savannah gets them almost to Florida, whereas Atlanta would hold them up. With Florida as their goal, I would guess that they'd start planting stores in the Atlanta area after they get into Florida. The Triangle and Charlotte have much better demographics for them.
Who said Florida was their goal, where do you get that from?
Do we think long term they are interested in Florida? I guess because of an abundance of Northeastern and Mid Atlantic vacationers and transplants that makes that an attractive region. Wawa has skipped from Virginia over the Carolinas and Georgia and opened in Florida. But of course they have some sort of noncompete agreement to avoid QuikTrip territory.
But Florida has room for more supermarket competitors. Publix dominates, along with Walmart and the remains of Winn-Dixie. Only one Harris Teeter near Jacksonville. Albertsons and Food Lion pulled out. So could be a good long term move for Wegmans, but that may be a stretch from the Virginia distribution center. We'll see if they get to Charlotte first.
I think Miami/Ft Lauderdale market is super hot to be honest
QT has been my go-to for several years for hot coffee. I thought their drip machines and selections beat most fuel station coffee.
But I may change my preference to Sheetz. I am getting more grounds-contaminated coffee lately at QT... Employees are in a rush and not keeping a close eye on the coffee bar. Also, the "grind your beans in front of you" automated coffee machines at Sheetz are quite good.
Isn't the nearest Sheetz in Salisbury or Statesville somewhere? Not really located in the main Charlotte metro.
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