STA Travel kicked off its 35-year anniversary celebrations by unveiling its new-look flagship store in London last night, claiming 2013 was its best year for trading in seven years.
Chief executive John Constable said the company had focused on redefining what it was and that globally it was retail that was driving the performance, other than in the US where it closed stores.
Speaking at the launch of the newly refurbished store in Victoria, London, Constable said: “We really have seen our retail stores come to life, which has driven a global redesign of what our retail stores stand for.”
The Victoria store is STA’s largest by square feet and now has a dedicated Travel Clinic attached where customers can get health advice and book appointments for inoculations.
Constable told guests at the launch that the retail strategy STA has adopted is around being truly “omni-channel” which has seen price differentials between online and in-store eradicated.
“The consumer is wanting to come back to the high street and really build on our expertise,” he said. “What we wanted to achieve was a space our customers really wanted to be in.”
The Victoria store has seen all its old desks stripped out, so the agents are more free to move around working on lap tops and tablets.
One area features a large table where customers sit side by side with advisors in a “planning zone” to find inspiration for their trip.
The store will be fully Wi-Fi enabled and features the latest video technology with a large screen in the front window and another inside in front of a terraced seating area.
Jackie Knell, STA Travel sales director, said: “STA Travel caters for everyone with a passion for travel from student, to young professionals, to the young at heart traveller.
“We’re delighted to be continuing to expand and reinvigorate our physical retail presence on the high streets of the UK.
“It’s an important part of our distribution strategy and one that is growing, rather than receding, despite the fact we are catering for the most tech-savvy travelling generation ever.”
STA’s Victoria store is one of 50 in the UK, only one of which now sits on a university campus. In total it has 200 around the globe.
STA introduced a new strapline last year – “Start The Adventure” – to help widen its appeal beyond its student heartland and has ambitious growth plans for 2014.
Last year STA closed all but one of its US stores (retaining New York) after deciding that the market there is more suited to online and call centre operations than traditional retail.
STA is poised to go fully mobile, with an optimised UK site due to go live this week and a new app planned for launch in the first quarter of this year.
To mark its 35th birthday the agency has launched a special promotion for January offering up to 35% off.
UK managing director, Glen Mintrim, said: “2014 is a special year for STA Travel as we’re celebrating our 35th birthday.
“We wanted to make sure we have great offers for our customers so that they can start their adventure for the best possible price.”