WA Shearings has been rebranded Shearings Holidays in a bid to attract younger holidaymakers from outside its established coach-holiday customer-base.
The company, originally formed after a £200 million merger of coach specialists Wallace Arnold and Shearings in January 2005, is also expanding its range of holidays under the helm of new chief executive Denis Wormwell.
The Wallace Arnold initials have been dropped because they were closely associated with coaching and the company wants to highlight the fact it offers holidays including flights, self-drive breaks, cruises and its own hotels.
The company hopes to attract more holidaymakers in their 40s, as opposed to the over-50s, following its research that showed the over-45s are abandoning two weeks on the beach in favour of holidays in Britain, culture and adventure.
Wormwell said: “We still book a big percentage of the coach market but we compete with all tour operatos on selling ‘experience’ holidays. We need to jolt people out of the mindset that we are just a coach business.”
Shearings Holidays has also launched a stand-alone cruise brochure, with ex-UK itineraries provided by partner Fred Olsen.
The Cruise Europe brochure features a service called Port Connect, which picks up customers from their homes and takes them to the port.
Sales and marketing director Karen Gee said: “We know our customers and we think what we have is attractive with the sort of cruises we offer.”
Cruises are offered in the UK, Ireland, Canary Islands, western and eastern Mediterranean, and northern Europe.
Shearings has also launched its new-look UK and Ireland, Europe and Hotel Breaks brochures. New product includes a Cumbrian Steam Trains and Smugglers tour; an Ostend Casino break and singles breaks in Glengarriff, Ireland.