When you pull into a Wally’s location, you know right away that this is different from your typical waystation. Based in the Midwest and growing fast, the chain takes every stereotype about convenience stores and gas stations and turns them on their head.
Each Wally’s location features extensive food and drink offerings, well-maintained restrooms, well-lit service stations, and fun retail goods (often branded with their adorable Wally Bear mascot). Their motto calls them the “Home of the Great American Road Trip” — and the visual branding of their stores helps ensure that personality comes across. It’s one of the clearest examples today of a maxim many organizations are tuning into: branding drives real loyalty.
Creating an Experience From Entry to Exit
“From the highway signage and exterior architecture to the moment someone enters the building, we’re communicating pretty quickly that this isn’t going to be a typical convenience store stop,” says Nate Hale, Director of Construction & Facilities at Wally’s. “We don’t look at graphics as decoration that gets applied to a finished building. The best results happen when graphics, architecture, merchandising and guest circulation are considered together.”
That cooperative, integrated philosophy carries through every aspect of a Wally’s experience. Graphics have a real role to play in building the customer journey and in conveying that distinction to every single guest.
“We want the building to be intuitive enough that guests can easily find what they came in for, but we also want to encourage them to explore,” says Hale. “Our internal creative team has done a great job developing and protecting a recognizable Wally’s identity. The construction side works with our architects, contractors and partners like Priority to figure out how that creative vision becomes part of an actual 50,000-plus-square-foot building.”
When customers enter a retail location today, they’re seeking an experience to remember. That physical experience then enters the digital ecosystem, with user-generated content that can build authenticity and community. Photo-worthy areas in every store encourage guests to be active participants rather than passive passers-by.
“When somebody takes a picture at Wally’s, sends it to a friend or posts it online, the physical building itself has become part of our brand,” Hale says.
We’re not trying to make a better gas station. We’re just trying to create a place where people want to stop.
— Nate Hale, Director of Construction & Facilities, Wally’s
Recognizable Touchpoints With a Local Flavor
“Wally’s has a very distinct personality, and our physical environment needs to reinforce that everywhere you look,” explains Hale. “Guests don’t necessarily need to understand why the space feels different. They just need to remember that it did.”
It’s an approach that today’s smartest growing brands are embracing in an age that demands increased reach along with increased personalization. “We’re fortunate to have a relatively small group of people at Wally’s who genuinely work together and care about getting it right. Everyone brings a different piece of the puzzle, and all of those pieces have to come together when we open the doors,” Hale says.
As Wally’s continues to grow, they’re choosing new locations with one core question: “Does this location make sense as part of somebody’s road trip?” It’s less about finding spots where people need gas and snacks — because that’s everywhere — and more about putting down roots in a place where they can become a trusted community spot and a happy chapter of memorable trips.
“We want people to be excited that Wally’s is coming to town, but we also recognize that it’s our responsibility to be a good neighbor and contribute something positive once we’re there,” says Hale. “As we grow, we’re taking everything we’ve learned from our existing locations and applying it to the next. Each project gives us an opportunity to refine the building, the site, guest circulation, operations, signage, graphics and overall experience.”
Each project gives us an opportunity to refine the building, the site, guest circulation, operations, signage, graphics and overall experience.
— Nate Hale, Director of Construction & Facilities, Wally’s
Wally’s is living proof of the power of environmental branding. From the photogenic interior branding to the themed merch, coordinating signage, and open, welcoming layout, this multi-dimensional approach transforms a utilitarian stop into a memorable experience that people associate with fun, not just fuel.
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