FIRST Choice has hinted it will phase out promotional
“gimmicks” in future Holiday Hypermarkets which will be smaller and
focus more on staff and location.
New outlets will be half the size of original stores –
5,000 sq ft instead of 10,000 sq ft – and openings will be
“opportunity driven” by the right locations.
First Choice mainstream holidays managing director of
distribution John Wimbleton said they would not necessarily have
features such as the American cadillacs, installed in all 38
original hypermarkets, because they do not add to the retail
experience.
The cars, still used in current hypermarkets, give customers a
virtual experience of driving on the right-hand side of the
road.
Already there are suggestions another original feature –
instore mini-cinemas – could disappear.
The areas, kitted out as aircraft cabins to watch resort videos,
are being trialled as children’s play areas in some stores.
Customers can instead watch resort footage on individual instore
computers.
Wimbleton said: “Hypermarkets work because they are where
customers want to shop and are open seven days a week. Location and
the right staff are the most important, not the toys and
gimmicks.”
Some recent gimmicks have already gone. “We’ve learnt a
lot about what works and what doesn’t and over time
we’ll change them,” Wimbleton said.
The cars and cinemas were introduced by hypermarket brainchild
John Donnelly, now MD of Harvey World Travel in the UK. “The
cadillacs drew people in,” he said.
Meanwhile, First Choice’s Cardiff Asda-based hypermarket
is launching a 12-month trial of a True Print photography
processing outlet.