‹ INSIGHTS | PRESS RELEASE
GSP Rebrands 2 Pilot Stores for Dash In, 24 More Set for '25
Value engineering reduces costs in décor, maintains brand experience
Clearwater, Fla., July 30, 2025 – GSP announced today that it has completed a series of store remodeling projects for Dash In, the innovative convenience store chain serving customers in the Mid-Atlantic states. Dash In is the flagship c-store chain for The Wills Group, based in La Plata, MD.
As c-stores seek supplier partnerships to navigate industry changes, The Wills Group also seeks to go beyond the shoppers’ needs and provide a rewarding experience on every visit. They chose GSP’s Retail Environments team to develop a plan for executing their brand evolution, providing customers with:
- Enhanced Shopping Experience: Creating a more intuitive and enjoyable shopping environment.
- Refined Brand Aesthetics: Implementing a contemporary design language, with meticulous attention to placement of décor, fixtures, materials, colors, and other branding elements to create a cohesive and engaging brand experience.
- Brand Consistency: Shoppers need to have the same brand experience throughout the chain of 50-plus stores. GSP developed a strategy to tailor the brand to the specific needs of each store, ensuring consistent customer experiences from one store to the next.
The project kicked off with two successful pilot store conversions in Maryland, near the Wills Group headquarters. These initial conversions provided valuable insights and allowed for crucial refinement before a wider implementation. Now that the initial development is complete, GSP will complete an ambitious rollout of 24 additional stores in 2025.
GSP Brings Branding Expertise
GSP, with its nationwide footprint in retail marketing and branding solutions, facilitates the transition in each store. With many years of experience and rebranding projects under their belt, GSP prepares their teams with a plan and deploys them on-site. An assortment of factors affects how each store will be rebranded. This includes footprint, store traffic, categories, assortment and level of food service offered. Consequently, each store will have unique factors that affect the installation process and materials required. Prior to each store’s rebrand, GSP’s team used 3D scans of each store to provide a visual record of assets, strengths and challenges in each store. These scans provide an accurate record which reduces planning trips to each store, allowing key decisions to be made in the office. Leveraging these 3D scans, GSP value engineered the décor package to bridge the brands between New to Industry and legacy stores for the same customer experience at a 70% cost savings, on a store-by-store basis.
Overcoming Challenges
One challenge was the complete debranding of the older stores, which featured complex, dated, and oftentimes, 3D branding elements. The removal of these decor elements was meticulously handled by the general contractor, ensuring a clean slate for the new design.
To minimize the challenge of shopper disruptions, all store conversions were conducted while remaining open, with the majority of work completed overnight.
Pilot Program Success
The two pilot stores proved essential in identifying and addressing potential issues before the full rollout. For example, the initial freezer wayfinding was deemed insufficient, leading to the development and installation of a more impactful 3D model. This iterative process ensures a refined and consistent brand experience across all converted stores.
“The challenges, as they stack up, include evolving the brand and doing it at an investment that makes sense,” said Margaret Sotrop, Executive Vice President of Design Services at GSP. “Bridging the brand between NTI and legacy is key for a successful customer journey.”
“We want our Dash In customers to enjoy an enhanced shopping experience that supports the investment in our menu offerings, and GSP gets it done,” said Ryan Wilkins, Brand & Content Manager for the Wills Group. “The consistent and detailed brand application across our stores supports our mission to transform everyday errands into something more delicious, delightful and rewarding.”
Looking Ahead
GSP and Dash In are confident that this project, called “Neighborhood 2.2,” will resonate with customers, providing a modern and convenient shopping experience. Both companies commit to continuous improvement and will leverage the insights gained from the pilot program to ensure a successful rollout across all 24 planned stores in 2025.
About GSP
GSP provides industry leading retail solutions that drive traffic, reduce costs, and enhance customer experience. GSP delivers 100% store-specific in-store marketing programs to more than 60,000 retail locations from its three G7 print and fulfillment facilities throughout the U.S. GSP also offers turnkey design, manufacturing and installation for full-scale store remodels and décor refreshes. GSP’s award-winning design team supports retail environments, visual merchandising, and graphics. Additionally, GSP’s AccuStore® store intelligence technology maintains a single source of accurate site data to help retailers target their growth initiatives to the specific needs of each store. Founded in 1978, GSP’s companies include Great Big Pictures and Custom Color, which supply graphics, visual merchandising, and retail execution to leading consumer and retail brands throughout the United States. For more information, visit gspretail.com.
About Dash In
At Dash In, we’re on a mission to transform everyday errands to be engaging guest experiences. We currently serve guests at more than 55 locations throughout Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. Dash In is a growing chain that is passionate about quality, innovation, cleanliness, and our communities.
About the Wills Group, Inc.
Headquartered in La Plata, Maryland, the Wills Group is Great Place to Work Certified™ and has nearly 300 retail locations across the Mid-Atlantic region, including Dash In, Splash In ECO Car Wash, and SMO Motor Fuels. A family-owned company since 1926 with expertise in convenience retailing, fuels marketing, and commercial real estate, the Wills Group prides itself on keeping guests’, team members’ and communities’ Lives in Motion. For more information about the Wills Group, visit willsgroup.com.
