Kwik Trip has been dethroned as America's top-ranked convenience store. The La Crosse, Wisconsin-based chain fell from first place in 2025 to fifth (tied with Murphy USA at 79 out of 100) in the American Customer Satisfaction Index's 2026 convenience store study — a six-point drop, the biggest of any chain in the country.
Kwik Trip debuted on the ACSI rankings in seventh place in 2024, took the crown in 2025, and now sits fifth at 79 points. The index surveyed 9,475 consumers between October 2025 and September 2026, asking them to rate recent visits on rewards programs, product variety, store hours and more. Kwik Trip didn't just lose the top spot — it posted the largest satisfaction decline of any chain surveyed.
The 2026 winner is a surprise: Michigan's Meijer, better known for its giant grocery stores, jumped from a tie for seventh all the way to No. 1 with 82 points — the ranking covers its Meijer Express convenience locations, which sell gas, coffee, snacks and quick eats like any other c-store. QuikTrip, Sheetz and Wawa tied for second at 80. Texas sensation Buc-ee's slipped too, falling from 79 to 77 and tying for seventh with Maverik, Pilot, RaceTrac and Shell; Cumberland Farms and Sunoco each dropped five points.
The study found loyalty programs are the clearest differentiator: rewards members gave their primary convenience store a satisfaction score of 77, versus 73 among nonmembers, and 65% of members shop at least weekly compared with 46% of nonmembers. The industry's strongest attributes remained convenience of store hours and convenience of location, both scoring 83.
Kwik Trip's arc — seventh, first, fifth in three years — is a rollercoaster. ACSI didn't single out why it shed points, but the steepest drop in the nation speaks for itself: chains that fall behind on rewards and assortment get punished by customers. Notably, even "destination" stores like Buc-ee's slid this year, suggesting an industry-wide reshuffle rather than one chain's stumble.
Kwik Trip's championship lasted exactly one year. The ACSI data points to the way back: sharper loyalty programs, better product mix, dependable hours. Whether it can fight back into the top three next year will be the Midwest convenience-store battle to watch.