THOMAS Cook will step up its efforts to develop the Worldchoice brand after group chief executive John Donaldson admitted there is work to be done before its alliance with ARTAC starts working.
He said talks are taking place with ARTAC management over plans to increase marketing support for the consortium.
“I recognise that we have not got it right yet,” he said during an interview at the ABTA Convention.
“There is a lot more we can do. We want to build a Worldchoice brand and realise we could be more supportive in areas such as marketing.
“Andrew Windsor [Thomas Cook retail managing director] is currently speaking to ARTAC to take the alliance forward.”
He said independents have a vital role to play as they have the ability to develop closer relationships with their customers over that of multiples.
Donaldson revealed Thomas Cook is aiming to increase its market share from 14% to 20% by retaining its full network of shops and developing its call centres.
He also admitted he had misjudged the effectiveness of hypermarkets, of which Thomas Cook now has five.
“I have been cynical about hypermarkets but there is no question they deliver a pleasurable experience. I am beginning to change my view of them,” he said.
Turning to JMC, Donaldson said he was delighted at its first three months of operation with summer 2000 sales up 10%.
The focus is now on customer service with over 1,000 earmarked areas of improvement, Donaldson added.
“Many of these are very small details but they all add value for the customer,” he said.
Areas of improvement include late check-out for families and reducing queues at airports.
Earlier, Donaldson said he was surprised by the European Commission’s decision to block Airtours’ bid for First Choice and insisted the industry was extremely competitive.
“Even three players would have continued to slug it out,” he said.
He predicted German operator Neckerman could make an entry into the UK market and revealed talks are taking place to utilise some of Thomas Cook’s aircraft in South Africa.