Former Thomson sales and marketing boss Miles Morgan is to buy 10 travel agencies from his previous employer for an undisclosed sum.
The move comes two and half months after Miles Morgan’s departure from TUI UK in a management shake-up.
Morgan has funded the deal himself after setting up an independent agency business, Miles Morgan Travel.
Under the deal, Thomson agencies in Kenilworth, Warwick, Shipston-on-stour, Cheltenham, Monmouth, Ross-on-Wye, Nailsworth, Malmesbury, Portishead and Shire Hampton will be sold to Miles Morgan Travel in mid-December.
Around 45-50 Thomson staff are in consultation and are due to transfer to the Miles Morgan Travel branches, which have leases averaging five to six years.
Morgan hopes to create upmarket independent agencies with “memorable customer service”, to include delivering tickets to clients’ homes.
He said: “My business is going to be about the lifetime value of the customer and selling the right holiday to them. I will achieve overrides through volumes because customers will come back. These shops are in upmarket towns where the life of the agent is bright.”
Morgan branded many independents “lemmings”, who directionally-sell to make 1-2% commission.
His shops will be part of Hays Travel’s The Independence Group and will trade under its ATOL.
Thomson retail and commercial director Derek Jones claimed there was no strategy to reduce the multiple’s high-street presence, but said: “These are not shops that fitted our model particularly well .”
Thomson has closed around 40 shops this year. It will end 2006 with about 710 shops.
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