Fred Olsen Travel has revealed its 23rd branch will be in Tonbridge and serve as its flagship store.
The shop will be the travel agency’s sixth concept store and its first shop in Kent.
It will be one of Fred Olsen Travel’s largest branches and tasked with achieving a turnover of £2 million within the first two to three years. The group has already opened four new stores and made two acquisitions in the last 14 months.
Retail director Paul Hardwick said the Tonbridge branch represented a “statement store” for the group and become the flagship office.
“It fits into our strategy of aggressive growth. We are going after ‘statement’ stores,” he said. “We saw an opportunity and potential to gain new customers.”
The store, which is signed up to a nine year lease with three year breaks, will be part of a cluster of Fred Olsen Travel agencies in nearby Sussex. It is due to open in November.
It will be located in a refurbished building that formerly housed a beer cellar in a central location in the town and will boast five desks, a luxury cruise lounge, and an area with a sofa and chairs to meet high-end clients.
The company is initially recruiting for three staff. Bettina McCue, former branch manager at Baldwins Travel in Tonbridge, has already been appointed to manage the store.
Hardwick insisted there was no goal to poach Baldwins’ existing clients. “Some may move to us but that is not my strategy. Tonbridge is big enough for multiple agencies; there used to be four and the town is big enough for more. I am looking for new customers,” he said, adding: “We need about 250 customers to get us to £2 million over the next few years.”
Supplier sponsors are currently being sought and will include at least one operator from the touring and adventure sector as part of the group’s aim to change perceptions of it as purely a cruise retailer.
As with all its concept stores, it will include in-store screens showing holidays provided by its sponsors. “We are trying to show breadth of operators we sell and maximise that opportunity [of touring and adventure],” added Hardwick.
The group’s existing concept stores are in Eastbourne, Worthing, Ringwood, Woodbridge, and Chichester. Eastbourne is on target to turnover £2 million for this calendar year.
Hardwick said the group would actively look for at least two more stores from spring next year and remained on target to hit 25 stores in 2025.
But he would not rule out going above 25, adding: “If one comes up before then I will take it to the board. I am confident of being at 25 in 2025 as a minimum. I hope it will be more.”