The rapid expansion of Buc-ee’s across the country may be hitting a speed bump as the allure of massive, fluorescently lit convenience stores is tested.

The Texas-based chain saw its share of convenience store trips dip by half a percentage point in the year ending in July, the equivalent of roughly 30 million visits, while competitors Wawa and Sheetz picked up 70 basis points' worth of store visits, according to data from research firm Numerator. 

The shift in foot traffic comes as Buc-ee’s continues to push its large-format stores and gas stations outside its home state, where it has at least a dozen locations. Buc-ee’s has more than 50 stores in 14 states and said in May it was planning a push into 18 states by the end of the year. 

Buc-ee’s has been a viral sensation since at least 2022 — the year it opened its then-largest store, a 75K SF location in Luling, Texas — with travelers drawn to its giant stores that offer a gigantic selection of packaged and prepared foods, ultraclean restrooms and a friendly beaver mascot. 

The brand's household penetration has increased every year since 2019 before stalling in 2026, slipping from 35.5% to 33.5% year-over-year, according to Numerator.

Wawa, a slimmed-down version of Buc-ee’s known for its sandwiches, also began an aggressive expansion campaign in the last five years, pushing out of the Pennsylvania-based company’s home territory in the Northeast. 

Sheetz, another Pennsylvania staple, has more recently begun opening more stores as industry stalwarts like 7-Eleven shutter locations amid growing competition, rising prices and shrinking consumer confidence. In the face of the new chains, 7-Eleven announced plans to remodel and modernize 7,000 stores in April.

Buc-ee’s, which opened its first store outside Texas in 2019, has locations in Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. Stores in Wisconsin, Louisiana and Kansas are slated to open in 2027.

While the brand has relied on its positive reputation to bolster its expansion, it made an enemy out of John Oliver, the host of HBO’s Last Week Tonight, who has lambasted the company for its penchant for suing smaller stores with mascots or names that bear some resemblance to its own.  

Still, visitors to its store leave satisfied. Customers give the chain a net satisfaction score of 90, six points ahead of the convenience store average, with two-thirds describing the atmosphere as pleasant and half saying it’s a good value, C-Store Dive reported.