Flight Centre is to open at least three hyperstores
by next summer and revamp all its branches across the country.
The first hyperstore will open in Victoria, London, in November, with two more planned to open in Bristol and Leeds by June next year.
Speaking to Travel Weekly, Siobhan McGarvey, head of marketing, said the new openings would generate revenue and increase the brand’s exposure.
“The bigger locations mean we can have more teams who can run longer trading hours – that can be a challenge for the smaller stores,” she said.
“This also allows us to have a real presence in the local areas we are opening stores in.
“Our approach isn’t about people coming in for a wander and a look before leaving; it is about how our staff encourage people to book with us. It’s all about generating business.
“The hyperstores will give us more space to have bigger teams, with up to 24 members of staff working in each. It will also give us more space for training.”
She said Flight Centre also plans to refurbish all its stores, although the layout of branches is likely to remain the same.
Operating in 87 locations across the country, the Australian-owned agency chain currently has four hyperstores – two in London, one in Oxford and another in Manchester. Each store has two teams of general travel advisers, a team of specialists in corporate travel and a team dedicated to business and first-class travel.
The stores will open from 7.30am until 10pm, but McGarvey said a trial was under way to establish whether they should stay open until 11pm.
McGarvey said she wouldn’t rule out further hyperstores opening before June, when the Australian financial year ends.