University season is approaching and for a lot of people this means travelling across the country to move. In 2021 there were 2.7 million students enrolled at UK higher education institutes. This year, with the rise of university applications we can expect more people will be on the roads travelling with family members to their chosen place of study.

On average a university student in the UK moves 91 miles from home, meaning an annual migration of parents and family members set off mid-September with cars fully loaded. We know that the typical journey time prompting people to stop at an MSA is 90 minutes. MSAs are a vital hub when travelling on long journeys and people leave in a relaxed and calm mindset.

28% of students move over 100 miles! These long journeys are likely to involve at least one break. MSAs offer parents who may be becoming empty nesters, the opportunity to buy any last minute essentials whilst they have stopped on a break. Data tells us that 70% of students who went to university in the last 12 months are from an ABC1 household, indicating a more desirable audience for advertisers.

We can expect the peak travelling period to be between 12^th – 25^th September 2022 giving brands the opportunity to target various categories relevant to students such as study essentials, household goods and student finance/bank accounts.

Guardian, BBC TV licensing, Transport Focus, YouGov