Embracing a Cutting-Edge Digital Trend
There was a time when the convenience channel was a bit stuck in the past. If it ain't broke, why fix it, right? But this is not your grandfather's convenience channel anymore. New generations of consumers demand new things, and they center around retailers meeting their needs where and when they want — think mobile, drive-thru, and curbside pickup.
The new generations of consumers also want to feel a connection to the retailers they support. Why should they spend their money with someone who doesn't "get them" or understand their interests?
Wawa Inc. is rising to the occasion by embracing a cutting-edge digital trend: non-fungible tokens (NFTs). At a basic level, NFTs can be considered modern-day collectibles, and Wawa is offering one-of-a-kind digital collectible artwork NFTs as part of its 2022 Hoagiefest.
The Pennsylvania-based convenience store retailer's annual Hoagiefest generates enough buzz on its own to draw in even the most casual Wawa customer. This year, however, Wawa kicked its summer foodservice promotion up a notch by offering customers the chance to win rare, animated Wawa NFTs inspired by past or present Hoagiefest campaigns.
NFTs may be lost on me. I'll admit to still being baffled by bitcoin. Then again, I have a couple of decades on the "it generation" of convenience store shoppers. But that doesn't mean I don't get excited when retailers think beyond my grandfather's convenience store, or even mine.
