First Choice trials ‘travel pod’ supermarket desks

FIRST Choice is launching brochure-free ‘travel pods’ in supermarkets – which it claims could be an insight into the future of travel agencies.

First Choice Travel Pods will trade from four Asda stores in Sheffield, Basildon, Milton Keynes and Manchester with a further two pods at Sainsbury’s stores in Torquay and Liverpool. The Sainsbury’s outlets will be branded Travel Centres in conjunction with Sainsbury’s and First Choice.

Due to a lack of space, for both racking and storage, the information desk-style pods will be staffed by three consultants using the Internet and colour printers to print off holiday details for customers.

First Choice Retail managing director Cheryl Powell said the pods could be the future of travel distribution. “It breaks your heart to see all those unused brochures dumped. This way we are creating personalised brochures which is better for the environment.” Powell came up for the idea of the pods after visiting a portable nail bar in Telford Shopping Centre. “I thought ‘why can’t it work for travel?’” she said.

She expects the pods’ turnover to be the same as the agencies’ existing 36 Asda concessions – about 20% less than the average high street shop.

Powell claimed security will not be an issue even though foreign exchange would be available, because supermarket security is so tight with cameras and in-store security guards. First Choice is in talks with other supermarkets and shopping centres about adopting the pods if the trial is successful. However, Powell is “uncomfortable” about introducing them into shopping centres in their current form due to security issues.

Meanwhile, First Choice will also run trials of foreign exchange desks in four other Sainsbury’s supermarkets. It will manage Sainsbury’s Bank exchange bureaux in two stores and sell foreign exchange over the counter in two others.