PONTIAC, Ill., Nov. 10, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wally’s, a new luxury travel center and Home of the Great American Road Trip, recently conducted its 2020 Holiday Travel Survey to better understand travel trends, snacking favorites and gifting habits among Midwesterners. The survey found 76% of people plan to drive home for the holidays, almost a quarter (23%) increase compared to the previous year. And while 86% of travelers say their reason for hitting the road is to spend time with family, a third (34%) are also using it as an opportunity to take time to de-stress.

With safety concerns top of mind for everyone, planning your route home ahead of time reduces day-of worries and ensures you have safe, socially-distant, clean stops along the way. Wally’s 30,000 square foot indoor space located in Pontiac, IL, is open and inviting, providing ample space for holiday travelers in a contactless environment. It features self-checkout stations, state-of-the-art restrooms, in-store Wi-Fi, retail shopping and plenty of fresh food options. Outdoors, Wally’s expansive property located just off the I-55 highway has 76 fueling locations, multiple electric vehicle charging stations and tons of parking.

Holiday travel also means holiday shopping. This year, 89% of people are planning to buy gifts for family members with 61% buying for a significant other or spouse, 40% buying for friends, 32% getting a gift for pets and 23% planning to also treat themselves. With over 1,000 different products, Wally’s retail department has something for everyone, from custom-made t-shirts designed in-house to Capri Blue candles to Solo Stoves. Locally-sourced, unique products at Wally’s round out a one-of-a-kind travel center experience, also featuring an extensive camping selection, gifts for pet lovers, children’s toys, luxury home goods, books, vintage-inspired tees and much, much more.

“When we were brainstorming the concept for Wally’s, we knew we wanted it to be something unlike anything else in the Midwest,” said Michael Rubenstein, president and CEO. “To do that, we needed to completely reimagine what people associate with travel centers. For Wally’s that meant bigger and cleaner bathrooms, better food, and more shopping ranging from newborn onesies to RovR coolers.”

In addition to road trip essentials like fueling stations and crystal-clean restrooms serviced throughout the day, guests can relish in Wally’s countless food and drink options. According to the 2020 Holiday Travel Survey, the top two road trip snacks according to Midwesterners are popcorn/chips (25%) and jerky/meat sticks (24%), followed by candy (19%), sandwiches (18%), protein bars (8%) and fruits and veggies (7%). To satisfy those cravings, road warriors are in luck: Wally’s has a popcorn station with a range of classic and fun flavors, like pizza, a beef jerky counter with tons of options, a BBQ sandwich carving station, a gourmet coffee and beverage bar, and a beer cave, on top of plenty of convenience store staples.

In the survey, Wally’s also found the day before Thanksgiving to be one of the most popular days for Midwesterners to begin their Thanksgiving travel. To kick off the road trip season, Wally’s will be offering discounts on gas and other in-store promotions on Wednesday, November 25. Stay tuned to Wally’s Instagram and website for more information on these promotions and more.

2020 Holiday Travel Survey Methodology
Wally’s conducted the survey in October 2020 via an online survey form to 600 respondents living in the Midwest (in Illinois, Missouri, Iowa and Indiana).

About Wally’s
Established in 2020, Wally’s is a luxury travel center proud to serve as the Home of the Great American Road Trip. Specializing in great service, delicious food, clean restrooms, and retail souvenirs for everyone, Wally’s is a traveler’s one-stop dream destination. Wally’s old fashioned courtesy meets high tech service to provide 30,000 sq. ft. of indoor space in addition to ample parking, 76 pumping stations, electric vehicle charging stations, in-store Wi-Fi, and more. Open 24/7, you can find Wally’s on 1 Holiday Road, Pontiac, IL 61764 and at www.Wallys.com and Instagram.

Contact:

Wally's
wallys@praytellagency.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5bb0b6f8-90bf-494d-a098-9ed567788611