Barrhead Travel is to open in Northwich in April after plans for the new branch were put on hold due to UK lockdowns.
The independent travel agency chain had announced plans to open the new Cheshire store before the pandemic. Instead the shop’s staff have been working remotely in the town since March 2020.
The 2,000-square-foot shop in Northwich’s shopping centre Baron Quay is Barrhead’s 18th branch to open since 2020 as part of the group’s ambitious expansion across England. The company currently has 87 branches in total across the UK.
In addition the Northwich shop will house the group’s second dedicated UK training facility. The space will be used as a regional training hub for its 20 stores in England.
Shop manager Sean Buckley (pictured), who formerly managed the town’s Thomas Cook store and has been in travel for 22 years, said he was looking forward to meeting customers face-to-face.
He said: “Nothing beats face-to-face service and I can’t wait to welcome customers into our new store. It is a pleasure to be able to bring dream holidays to life for our clients, especially after the last two years. Community spirit is strong in Northwich and I’m excited to work with other local businesses and the shopping centre to help promote shopping local.”
The shop will support a local charity, The Joshua Tree.
Lina Higuita, centre manager, Barons Quay, said the shop would be a “great addition” to the shopping centre.
“We’re delighted that their long-awaited opening is finally happening,“ she said.
Barrhead Travel president Jacqueline Dobson said the role of travel agency was vital as travel demand picked up.
She said: “The opening of our Northwich store comes at a great time: travel restrictions across the world are continuing to ease and demand for holidays is soaring.
“Now, more than ever, people are returning to their local high street agent for advice from real people with real experience. Our Northwich team are passionate about providing the very best service to their community and they have already built a stellar reputation as trusted experts.”
Barrhead Travel recently launched a campaign titled Book Human, Book Barrhead to encourage clients to book holidays with reputable travel experts.