Riley Solomon
In the Pewaukee area we have 4 out of the 380 Kwik Trips in Wisconsin alone. That is crazy to me that in one city there is basically a Kwik Trip on every street. This is forcing other gas stations to file for bankruptcy or to just accept that Kwik Trip is dominating the gas station industry and let them buy out their station. Kwik Trip took ownership of 34 PDQs in the last month and is starting to remodel them.
Donald P. Zietlow is the President and CEO of Kwik Trip and employs 12,000 people in the Wisconsin. One reason why Kwik Trip is favored over other gas stations is because they have a high standard for their customer service. Every time you enter the door you will get a enthusiastic “hello welcome to Kwik Trip” and every time you leave you get a “Thanks for coming see you next time”. Comments like that make the customers what to come back and associate Kwik Trip with positivity and are more inclined to return. Not only is the Kwik Trip atmosphere pleasing to the guests but to the workers too. Past employees have left comments on the Indeed site saying, “KwikTrip Inc. values their co-workers as much as they do their guests. Which if you've ever visited your local KwikTrip you would know that it is indeed a great amount” and “working at Kwik Trip was great and it was also busy every day. The people were great and I was sad to leave! The guests are usually friendly and like to hang around and chat”. Kwik Trip provided a positive experience to both the customer and worker which makes the gas station more appealing.
Kwik Trip has recently announced that they will be starting projects totaling up to $300 million in La Crosse which is where their headquarters is located. These projects will create 300 new jobs if they meet the goal of 40 to 50 new stores annually. The money will be used for the “construction of a $113 million 200,000-square-foot bread and bun production facility and the renovation of its existing bakery for sweet goods production. Other projects include improvements to the dairy manufacturing facility, kitchen operations and transportation fleet” (Wisconsin State Journal). Governor Scott Walker stands by the construction saying “Kwik Trip has already shown a strong commitment to our state, and that commitment is being solidified with this expansion” (Wisconsin State Journal). Kwik Trip is trying to rise above the normal standard of gas stations and give the consumers a better experience.
The take over of Kwik Trip will benefit Wisconsin because it is creating more job opportunities and it is bettering our gas station experiences by supplying better quality items and good service. Also because the more Kwik trips that pop up the less the other gas stations will be able to survive will reduce competition.
Works Cited
Adams, Barry, and Wisconsin State Journal. “Kwik Trip Announces $300 Million Worth of Projects in La Crosse.” Madison.com, 23 Nov. 2017. N.p. 26 Mar. 2018.
Indeed. “Kwik Trip.” N.d. N.p. 26 Mar. 2018.
“Johnson Outdoors : Casey's, Kwik Trip, Apartments among New Developments | 4-Traders.” 4-Traders.com | Stock Exchange Quotes| Company News, 6 Jan. 2018. N.p. 26 Mar. 2018.
Mac, Allison, et al. “Top Rated Gas Station Convenience Store in Each U.S. State. N.p. 26 Mar. 2018
It is no surprise to me that kwik trip is taking over the way it is. It is a very successful gas station company that offers more the other gas stations. It is interesting how much of the competition they have bought out such as PDQ. It seems like they are trying to be a large monopoly of gas stations
ReplyDeleteBefore the Kwik Trip in Pewaukee was built, people went to whatever gas station they were closest to and filled up gas and went on with their day, but now with the Kwik Trip placed in the ideal spot of town, people will go their even if it is not closest to their home, just because of how convenient the place is. I know there are gas stations closer to my house, but I still go to Kwik Trip because the people who work there are nice, and also they have the best food too.
ReplyDeleteIt’s amazing how one gas company can pretty much take over the gas company in a matter of a couple years. It’s logical because of how the stations operate. In addition to gas, they provide a great variety of foods and drinks for people. This acts as an incentive for customers to come back again and possibly refer others to come to the station. Besides food, the workers are always pleasant. There hasn’t been a time where I went there and someone was short or rude to me. Although it might not be that big of a deal since most are pumping gas, it’s still nice to have workers who don’t act like they want to be anywhere else.
ReplyDeleteIt's crazy to think how much people demand Kwik Trip over other gas stations. Kwik Trip is in an oligopoly, that is, there are a few firms that have some control over price but sell generally the same goods with some variety. Consumer tastes have allowed the demand for Kwik Trip to rise, amongst the many other gas stations such as BP and PQ. More and more Kwik Trips will be popping up. In Wales, there are two Kwik Trips on an intersection corner, within a quarter mile of one another.
ReplyDeleteI still wonder what else draws so many people to Kwik Trip. As you said, they are very friendly and their service is good, but surely there are other gas stations that do the same. One may think the popularity is caused by cheaper gas prices, but their prices can’t be that much lower, otherwise their business costs would not align with their profits. Perhaps it’s because Kwik Trip is so readily available in our city?
ReplyDeleteKwik Trip offers many things other than gas, which isn't normally done by other stations. The inside of each building has basically a mini supermarket giving lots of convenience to a person stopping there. Gas stations usually don't have much on the inside, so people will of course come to a place where they can fill up on gas, and be able to get ready made food.
DeleteThis is a very good article and it is crazy to me especially how a gas company can come in and simply take over several industries so quick. Ever since they put a Kwick Trip up by where I live, it has become a staple of my life when it comes to getting gas and food, and it is simply crazy how much I go there for food rather than other specialized food stores. The affordable prices and the ease in purchasing everything, makes it very appealing to customers like me and it has been amazing seeing how they have transformed the gas station and food industry over the past few years.
ReplyDeleteYour blog really interested me especially because of all the new Kwik Trips here in Pewaukee. I personally am a big fan of Kwik Trip because it is conveniently close to our school and they have really good coffee. I hope that they take over the BP my house so I can come even more! In down town Pewaukee, there is a gas station across the street that is struggling to compete with Kwik Trip. I wonder how much longer the little gas station will be able to keep up with Kwik Trip's remodeled store and unique products. Also, by my house in Oconomowac, there are two Kwik Trips directly across the street from each other! I think that is totally crazy because I feel like they would have a higher demand being in separate locations.
ReplyDeleteIs a business like this still bound to grow in the future? Or will another company take its' place as a major source of goodwill across Wisconsin? But what I'm most curious about is if Kwik Trip will eventually become a sort of pseudo monopoly in Wisconsin and maybe the midwest
ReplyDeleteI think that this raises an interesting point, given that eventually, Kwik trips will be competing with each other if they are located so close together. Additionally, consumers will see rising gas prices and such given the fact that Kwik Trip could eventually dominate the gas industry, making it possible to raise their prices.
ReplyDeleteI loved reading this article because over the past couple years, I myself have become a huge Kwik Trip fan. I do believe they draw attention because of their friendly customer service and wide availability, but Kwik Trip also provides a nice car wash, hot food inside, and many other items that you wouldn’t find at any plain gas station. Kwik Trip has definitely found a way to please the current consumer tastes, and I have no doubt that their business will continue to increase and help the employment in Wisconsin for many years to come.
ReplyDeleteI actually noticed this in Pewaukee, like the Kwik Trip that will likely drive the BP out of business in downtown Pewaukee and the PDQ that is being currently remodeled by Springdale Estates. I think that this is because people tend to favor Kwik Trip due to their amenities such as more variety of food, drinks and also a car wash. This is a good example of oligopoly turned to acquisition.
ReplyDeleteI was just thinking about how there are so many Kwik Trips in Pewaukee the other day. There are very few other gas stations around that we can go to, it seems to me like Kwik Trip is trying to monopolize the gas industry in this area. I'm surprised that the BP right next to Kwik Trip has been able to survive this long, but I would not be surprised if it were to go out of business in the coming years.I agree that one of the reasons Kwik Trip is so successful is because of its customer service, every time you go in to Kwik Tip you feel welcomed. Good job!
ReplyDeleteI was noticing how many kwik trips there are in Wisconsin and I don't think its a bad thing they are changing the way gas stations are. The people there are always nice and friendly and even at some of the ones I go to often the employees remember my name making it a more welcoming environment and make chose those over any other gas station. The people are also very nice I’ve had conversations in kwik trip with people I don’t know.
ReplyDeleteI have noticed a lot more Kwik Trips recently and personally, it is my prefered place to get gas. I always find that the prices are cheaper than other places and it doesn’t feel so run down like other stations. Everyone is always nice and friendly and that is also part of the reason I go back. It is surprising that there are 380 of them in the state of Wisconsin alone. They are always busy and I have found that more and more people prefer to go there than anywhere else. I wouldn’t be surprised if in 10 years, there were only Kwik Trips. Hopefully for them (and me too) that they can continue with this growth and not fall off of the map like many of the other competitors have so far.
ReplyDeleteI think that this raises an interesting point, given that eventually, Kwik trips will be competing with each other if they are located so close together. The affordable prices and the ease in purchasing everything, makes it very appealing to customers like the boys in Insight and it has been amazing seeing how they have transformed the gas station and food industry over the past few years. Consumer tastes have allowed the demand for Kwik Trip to rise, amongst the many other gas stations such as BP and PQ.
ReplyDeleteThe company Kwik Trip is greatly known all over Wisconsin. In the post it said that or city has four out of the 380 Kwik Trips in Wisconsin. What this tells me is that Kwik Trip is becoming a bigger company that wants more customers. The demand for Kwik Trip is large because they have some of the better gas prices and they are more convenient than other gas stations. It does not surprise me that we have this many Kwik Trips in our areas because they are becoming easier to go to and take less work to fill up. Not only is it easy but there are also many benefits that come with going to Kwik Trip such as using your “Fresh Perks” card from Pick N Save to save money on gas. In conclusion the demand for the Kwik Trip gas stations is high because of the convenience and benefits that come with it.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the growth of this company shows that there is a healthy economy in Wisconsin. It's good to see that a Wisconsin business is taking off and opening 40 to 50 locations every year. Also, it's surprising to see how simple the customer service needs to be to leave a positive and lasting impression that continues to bring customers back. In addition, Kwik Trip has a good reputation for their food, especially their bakery. This makes getting food and gas very convenient since they are from one store.
ReplyDeleteWith Kwik Trip gaining so many new locations it is taking over the market for gas. There are more suppliers now with Kwik Trip having 4 locations in Pewaukee. This makes more competition between the different gas companies. The prices get lowered because they want more customers. This helps the customers because they will get a lower price for the gas. It mainly helps the customers.
ReplyDeletePreviously, I would've expected gas stations to be in a perfectly competitive market; everybody's gas is essentially the same price, everybody sells the same kind of gas station food, etc. However, it seems that there is some significant brand association that gives the market a monopolisticly competitive facet.
ReplyDeleteI have really noticed myself gravitating towards Kwik Trip in the past few years more than any other gas provider. The easy accessibility to a Kwik trip location, the large variety of food options, and the great customer service has all led to that. Kwik trip has really nailed down that needs and wants of their customers and I think their business will only continue to grow in the future.
ReplyDeleteIt is very interesting that Kwik Trip has an annual goal of adding 40-50 stores annually. That is a crazy amount of stores, but Kwik Trip does offer a lot compared to other grocery stores. Also, they pay their employees really well, so that is also an incentive to shop there, because you know that they are treating their employees well.
ReplyDeleteThe reason why Kwik Trip easily takes over the market is because they sell a lot of products other than gas. The reason why all gas stations sell stuff other than gas is because they barely make a profit off of gas. Gas sales alone aren’t enough to keep any gas station in business. That's why Woodmans, Costco, and Mills Fleet Farm have a huge store to keep their gas stations in business. Since Kwik Trip has such a large assortment of food & other products to buy, they make enough money to take over the market. Thus, running smaller gas stations out of business.
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