Suppliers will no longer be able to choose which Tui stores they can visit after a shift in company policy based on feedback from its frontline agents.
Tui, which has more than 600 UK retail shops, will limit the number of suppliers visiting high‑footfall stores and instead ask them to go to locations struggling to meet sales targets.
Some agents said they wanted fewer visits to free up time with customers, while others said they would prefer more training from suppliers to boost their third-party sales, according to Tui.
A spokeswoman said: “We have [listened to] feedback from our retail agents and suppliers to implement a new system that will make sure that all of our stores are fully supported by our suppliers.
“This new system will ensure that we have full supplier coverage across our whole retail network.”
Tui will now tell suppliers which stores they can visit and when.
Travel Weekly contacted several add-on and cruise suppliers about Tui’s move who said the decision would interfere with how they plan and organise their trade sales team visits.
One supplier, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “If we’re blitzing one area, we can go to Thomas Cook, Hays and any independents in one go; but now, if Tui says we can’t visit a certain store, we have to go another time just for Tui – or not visit them. It’s not really practical.”
Tui has previously made clear its focus on prioritising in-house product, such as own-brand hotels, Marella Cruises, and its own attractions and tickets product.
In its latest trading update, Tui Group chief executive Friedrich Joussen said the operator’s hotel and cruise brands had “further expanded their unique offering this year”.
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