Barrhead Travel achieved its best-ever weekend for sales after its fourth record-breaking Saturday in a row when senior managers and head office teams took part in a ‘Back to the Floor’ day.
On January 27, more than 30 directors and sales support staff joined their retail colleagues across the UK to help out in-store.
Barrhead president Jacqueline Dobson, who joined the team at Silverburn for the day, said it was clear that holidays were the “top spending priority” for most people.
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She added: “What a finale to an incredible month! We have been quietly confident all month that we would see record sales numbers but obviously you have to take things week by week.”
The group has confirmed that all areas of the business – including the Brilliant Travel division – are on track to have their best-ever January.
On Saturday, the retail network celebrated its highest conversion rate.
The top-selling destinations for the month include Tenerife, Majorca, Barbados and Alicante, with cruises from Southampton also among the most popular trips.
Reflecting on Saturday’s success, Dobson said: “We had some initial concerns about the challenges with the weather – particularly when travel advisories were issued in some regions – but the appetite to book holidays never wavered and customers who couldn’t travel into towns or cities took to the phones, email or social media to connect with our experts.
“‘Back to the Floor’ days are really great to hear direct feedback from customers and it is very clear that holidays are going to be the top spending priority for most. People were telling us that they intend to book multiple trips throughout the year so I think we’ll see a steady demand for late breaks as well as planning ahead.
“Customers are very assertive: they’re coming into branch knowing that they want to book as soon as possible, and many have an idea of exactly what they want. It’s down to us, as agents, to make sure that we’re finding them the best value-for-money and giving them genuine advice.”
Sales and marketing director Nicki Tempest-Mitchell, who was based in Northwich on Saturday, described the weekend as “remarkable.”
“The camaraderie across our company this month has been amazing, and I think that’s been an important contributor to our success,” she said.
“I’m incredibly proud of our people who have helped us exceed our expectations and who are helping to take our business to the next level in 2024.
“Great things are coming this year and, if January is anything to go by, it’s going to be a brilliant year for reputable travel agents.”
On Saturday, for the first time, Barrhead invited 30 supplier partners to visit branches to experience peaks inside a travel agency.