UK motorists reimagine motorway services to add value to staycations

New research reveals new markets for catering, fitness and wellbeing businesses as UK motorists reimagine motorway services to add value to staycations

With UK-based holidays, or ‘staycations’ more popular amid the easing of COVID restrictions, more people are likely to choose driving over rail or coach to travel to holiday destinations. Automotive specialists JCT600 www.jct600.co.uk surveyed more than 1,000 British car-owners for opinions about how motorway services could be reimagined. The new data reflected motorists viewed ideal experiences to be aligned with broader social and environmental concerns about health and wellbeing, sustainability, and green energy. Respondents were looking for something experiential from motorway services, that would offer added value to long-distance journeys.

Healthier food options are a priority for motorway services users of all ages

Research showed that 36% of respondents agreed healthier food would make service stations better. This was the most sought-after improvement for both men and women and was a consistent opinion amongst young adults to those who were in middle age. Salad bars which had been regularly available prior to the COVID pandemic are no longer a feature at motorway services. This suggests an opportunity for independent caterers or catering franchises to meet the need for healthy traditional or plant-based food options.

Increased and regular cleaning is expectation for improved health and safety

Overall, 29% of car-owners surveyed said more regular cleaning would be an improvement. Before 2020, 89% of motorists were happy with the cleanliness of service station toilets, but today hygiene standards are more important than ever. 16-24-year-olds are the least likely age-group to worry about cleanliness, whilst over-55s are the most likely to consider this important.

Motorists see access to health and wellness activities as ideal options

The third most popular idea for improving service stations was quiet or relaxation rooms, with 1 in 4 people surveyed saying these would make the experience better. ‘Sleep pods’ were suggested by 17% of respondents, with the same number voting for child-free areas. A further 12% expressed an interest in introducing botanical gardens to support mental wellbeing with 8% wishing to purchase holistic or beauty therapy treatments. The same number think libraries incorporated into relaxation areas would be ideal. Noisy and high energy activities like Bowling and Laser Quest did not appeal to 95% of people.

Access to electric vehicle charging facilities need to meet increasing demand

Nearly 1 in 4 (24.16%) of car-owners think that service stations need more electric vehicle charging points. In a 2019 poll, the same percentage said they wanted more charging points in general, a figure considerably higher than the percentage of people that currently own a pure electric or plug-in hybrid (PHEV) vehicle, suggesting that if charging infrastructure on UK motorways was improved, more motorists would feel confident moving away from petrol and diesel as a source of fuel and purchase electric vehicles to support the environment.

JCT600 CEO, John Tordoff, says, “The Great British service station is something we all love to hate, but the reality is they’re a place so many of us use on a regular basis. And with more and more people choosing to staycation in the last couple of years, service station operators have really upped their game when it comes to catering for drivers, giving them more choice and better facilities, such as improved electric car charging infrastructure. As EV choice and single-charge range has increased in the last few years, we’ve seen demand for electric vehicles rise massively, and we only see that demand rising further as more drivers adopt green motoring.”

November 2019 data from the Department for Transport confirmed access to at least one rapid charge point at over 95% of all motorway services areas, but motorists would like charging points to be more accessible. A fresh £300m of funding for ultra-rapid charging points across the UK has recently been announced