Luggage shipping specialist Sherpr has joined the Association of Touring and Adventure Suppliers (Atas) to build trade awareness of its door-to-door shipping service, which allows holidaymakers to travel luggage-free.
The company launched a trade division in July 2022 to work with travel agents and operators, offering them a “lucrative ancillary”.
Matt Carr, head of commercial, said: “Having launched our travel trade division last year, we’ve seen a really positive response from our earliest adopters in the trade, who have validated our ideas that there are many segments of the travel trade whose customers really benefit from our luggage shipping service.
“Several thousand of their customers have had their holidays materially improved by our luggage delivery solutions.
“We’ve joined Atas to help build awareness for our brand and grow our stable of trade partners. We’re incredibly excited to bring luggage-free travel to their customers.”
More: Luggage shipping specialist Sherpr launches trade division
He explained that travel trade partners are “crucial” for Sherpr as its service is “novel and unfamiliar” to many consumers.
“The data that we’ve gathered and the business we’re delighted to have done already with our existing partners shows that there is significant – often latent – demand for luggage delivery. The key is to present it in the right way and at the right time,” he added.
“And what better way to reach our target customers than via the well-established travel brands in the sector who work so hard to deliver the best holiday experience to their customers?”
He also pointed out that touring and adventure travellers tend to “feel the pain” of travel especially as they often travel on longer trips with more luggage.
Delegates at the Atas conference next month will be able to find out more about Sherpr and have the chance to test the door-to-door service for themselves.
Agents can set up a trade account to book on behalf of customers and earn a “handy” revenue stream, whilst operators can look at baking the service into their packages, said Carr.
“We want to learn more about their businesses, their customers and the products they offer, and explore whether luggage delivery could be a good fit for them,” he added.
He said the company has carried luggage for about 15,000 UK holidaymakers so far this year, up by just over 100% year on year.
“In addition to new partnerships, much of our organic growth has been driven by ongoing airport disruption, a lot of which has related to checked baggage. Worries about their luggage being caught up and potentially misrouted are driving more and more people to look for alternative, less stressful ways to get their luggage to their destination,” said Carr.
“We have some extremely exciting new partnerships due to go live in the coming weeks and months that should continue to feed into our continued growth.”
Clients range from customers who don’t want to carry heavy suitcases to families with a lot of luggage and those travelling with sports equipment.
Along with the courier door-to-door service, Sherpr has a network of logistics providers offering point-to-point ‘man-with-van’ services across Europe, as well as hybrid delivery solutions to deliver to more customers, including river cruise ships.
Claire Brighton, Atas director, said: “It’s great to have Sherpr on board as an associate member to help the company boost its trade profile.
“We’re looking forward to meeting them at the Atas conference in Liverpool and finding out more about how their service can help touring and adventure travellers – and boost earnings for the trade.”