January 12, 2026
John Kopp/PhillyVoice
Wawa's store at 3300 Market St. in University City will close Jan. 21. The building is owned by Drexel University. In 2023, Wawa removed the store's shelves and switched to an all-digital format with customers placing orders using in-store screens or the Wawa app.
Wawa's Drexel University store that experimented with virtual shopping — removing all items from shelves in favor of app and in-store kiosk orders — will close in University City on Wednesday, Jan. 21, the company said.
The store at 3300 Market St., located on the ground floor of a Drexel-owned parking garage, opened in September 2018 and transitioned to the shelfless format after a temporary closure in 2023. The store had faced longstanding problems with shoplifting and panhandling, factors that have led Wawa to close numerous stores in Center City and surrounding neighborhoods over the past several years.
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At the time Wawa made the change, the company said it hoped the model would lead to faster and more efficient operations at the store. Since the switch, staff have prepared all orders and left them at a customer pick-up counter. The store has also partnered with food delivery services.
In a statement Monday, Wawa spokesperson Lori Bruce said the store's pending closure is "purely a business decision."
“Over the years, we have made several attempts to address business and operational challenges at this location,” Bruce said. “This includes partnering with property owner, Drexel University, in an attempt to address some of these issues, and most recently making investments in our store design to test a fully digital format. Unfortunately, this test did not adequately improve performance or deliver an enhanced customer experience."
A Drexel spokesperson said Wawa informed the university of its decision to leave, but the university declined to comment on potential plans for the space. The 8,760-square-foot storefront was briefly Wawa's largest location in the city. The company opened its 11,500-square-foot store at Sixth and Chestnut streets, near Independence Mall in Old City, in December 2018.
After making a significant push to open new stores in Philadelphia, Wawa has closed about a dozen locations in the city in recent years. The former flagship store at Broad and Walnut streets shut down in 2020 — less than five years after it opened — amid declines in foot traffic during the COVID-19 pandemic. Other Center City closures includes stores at 12th and Market, 19th and Market, 13th and Chestnut, and 16th and Ranstead streets.
In addition to operational issues, Wawa has cited problems with crime and security challenges for the closures and reduced hours at some of its city stores.
In University City, Wawa will continue to operate its stores at 36th and Chestnut streets and 38th and Spruce streets. Bruce said employees at the Drexel store will be offered positions at other Wawa locations.
Wawa is in the midst of a major U.S. expansion, growing its footprint to more than 1,100 stores across 14 states and Washington, D.C. Most of the company's newer stores are in suburban areas that have space to build gas stations.
"Our commitment to the greater Philadelphia region remains strong, and we hope to continue serving the University City community at our other nearby stores,” Bruce said.
