Agencies eye shop openings and recruitment amid strong peaks

Agencies plan to open more shops and take on homeworkers this year following bumper sales in January, a Travel Weekly webcast revealed.

Seaside Travel is considering two new branches and about 20 more homeworkers, while Ashdown Travel is eyeing two more retail outlets.

Nicola Park, Seaside Travel owner, said she was “over the moon” with a 33% increase in peak sales for her agency, which has 13 shops and 58 homeworkers.

Tricia Lester, head of retail at four-branch Ashdown Travel, hailed a greater focus on luxury as she said: “All our branches in January absolutely smashed their targets…we’ve been blown away.”

Gary Gillespie, managing director at Independent Travel Experts (ITE), part of The Travel Network Group, said momentum had built throughout January and the team of 140 homeworkers had also “absolutely smashed” their target.

“We ended up 27% up on last year, which was already our best sales year ever in January,” he said.

Gillespie added that ITE was “growing rapidly”, with the biggest growth area being new-to-travel, thanks to a 12-week introductory programme launched in 2023.

Park “held off” taking on homeworkers due to peaks but will ramp up recruitment “very shortly”. 

“We’ve got an eye on two shops that we’re currently negotiating,” she added. “We’ve got to have the right fit and the right village.” She said she doesn’t want the agency to get so big that she doesn’t know everybody, but added: “There’s nothing to stop us getting to 100 homeworkers.”

Lester agreed location is key: “We are not rushing it; it’s got to be the right location and the right fit for Ashdown. We’re not gung-ho but we could add another two. 

“We are talking to somebody, but at the moment it’s very early doors.”

John Sullivan, Advantage Travel Partnership commercial director, said the consortium’s members are seeing organic growth and opening more shops. He noted the lines between homeworking and retail agents are beginning to “blur”. 

“Somebody may work in a shop two days a week and from home three days a week…we have a considerable growing number of those people,” he said.