America has a new favorite convenience store

America has a new favorite convenience store – and no, it's not Buc-ee's , according to new data.

In fact, the Texas -based beaver-themed chain with a massive fanbase has fallen behind several competitors in this year's customer satisfaction rankings. Buc-ee's earned a score of 77 out of 100 in the American Customer Satisfaction Index's 2026 Convenience Store Study, tying for 4th place alongside Maverik, Pilot, RaceTrac, and Shell.

So, which chain took the top spot? It was Meijer.

The Midwest retailer, better known for its sprawling grocery stores than its convenience stores, jumped five points to 82, earning the highest customer satisfaction score among the more than two dozen convenience store brands evaluated by the index.

Meijer operates about 500 stores across Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and Kentucky, with around 230 Meijer Express locations offering gas, coffee, grab-and-go food and everyday essentials.

QuikTrip, Sheetz and Wawa tied for 2nd place, each scoring 80.

Kwik Trip, which topped last year's rankings with a score of 84, fell six points to 79 and tied for 3rd place with Murphy USA.

Buc-ee's tied for 4th place with Maverik, Pilot, RaceTrac and Shell, with each chain scoring 77.

The rankings are based on 9,475 customer surveys collected between October 2025 and September 2026. The index evaluated convenience stores on factors including food quality, cleanliness and store layout, merchandise variety, employee courtesy, checkout speed, store hours and coffee quality.

Overall satisfaction with convenience stores slipped 1 percent this year to a score of 75. Customers gave lower marks to mobile apps, store cleanliness and employee interactions. Mobile order pickup, which was measured for the first time this year, received a score of 82.

Buc-ee's still performed well in the South, where Wawa took the top spot with a score of 82, just one point ahead of Buc-ee's. Sheetz led the Midwest with an 83, while Wawa also topped the Northeast. Maverik and QuikTrip tied for first in the West.

The results mark a notable shift for Buc-ee's, which has built a cult following around its enormous stores, extensive food selection and famously clean restrooms. But the chain has also faced backlash in recent months over the aggressive enforcement of its cartoon beaver trademark.

In July, Buc-ee's sued Beaver's Mini Mart in Beavercreek, Ohio, alleging the convenience store's cartoon beaver logo was too similar to its own mascot.

Last month, Buc-ee's also settled a separate lawsuit with Mickey's, an Ohio gas station chain, after accusing its cartoon moose mascot, Mickey, of infringing on Buc-ee's trademark. Mickey's had countersued, arguing that customers could easily tell the difference between a moose and a beaver.