First
Choice is set to rebrand its 321 travel agencies under one name later this year
in an effort to improve its presence on the high street, Travel Weekly reports exclusively
this week.
The
company currently has stores branded Travel Choice, Holiday Hypermarket and Bakers
Dolphin. All will be called First Choice after the autumn rebranding.
It
will bring to an end more than 40 years of business for southwest chain Bakers
Dolphin, which has become the most well-known and strongest regional brand in
the country. First Choice acquired the business in 1998.
First
Choice managing director for UK and Ireland Dermot Blastland said: “We’ve
got the smallest network of all the major players yet we have three brands.
It’s inefficient on a number of fronts – advertising, communications, radio and
press campaigns. It makes sense to have one brand.“
First Choice refused to officially confirm the move,
which it claims still has to be passed by its board. As a PLC, the news would
first have to be relayed to shareholders.