Barrhead Travel has revealed its first English store will open in Newcastle.
The Scottish agency chain is investing £1m in the store in the intu Eldon Square Shopping Centre in Newcastle. The ‘superstore’, which will be 1,500 sq ft, will employ 20 people.
Barrhead said the flagship store would be located at the busiest entrance of the shopping centre which has a footfall of around 37 million people a year.
Barrhead Travel currently supports franchise branches trading independently in the northeast but the Newcastle store will be the first distinct branded store in the area.
The new store is part of the company’s ambitious plans for expansion across the UK, which were unveiled at the start of the year.
Sharon Munro (pictured), chief executive of Barrhead Travel, said: “As we grow and develop as a business, it’s vital for us to invest in job creation and in developing our reach in England.
“We have a strong network of stores across the UK and we believe that the northeast is an area that will help us build on our success.
“We’ve had a very positive first half of 2015 and we’re certain that unveiling a store in Newcastle will strengthen our portfolio. The level of investment and the number of jobs we are creating demonstrates that we are continuing to grow the business and strengthen our team.”