Trade hopes Black Friday deals will fuel sales amid Budget fears

Agents hope upcoming Black Friday promotions will help maintain sales momentum amid signs some clients are reluctant to commit to bookings due to concerns over next month’s Budget.

The trade reported continued demand for late bookings in recent weeks, but some smaller agencies said confidence was dropping ahead of the Budget on November 26 and pointed to a lack of consistency in sales patterns.

The Advantage Travel Partnership said trading in September and October had been strong, noting a 20% rise in revenue year on year, while Barrhead Travel also hailed a “good appetite for travel right up until the end of the year”.

 

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However, some agencies were more cautious about trading.

“It’s not easy at the minute,” said Beverley Travel co-owner Karl Douglas, adding: “I think economic negativity is a key factor. All the negativity around that and potential changes in the Budget around taxation has meant people are sitting tight.”

Idle Travel director Tony Mann reported a “fantastic” September but a slower October, and agreed the Budget was a potential cause for concern for some clients. 

“We have to take into account all the negativity in the news,” he said. “Little things can put people off.”

Douglas and Mann are among agents who believe suppliers’ Black Friday promotions could spur bookings in November, with the month increasingly viewed as a potential “mini peaks”.

 

On Thursday, Jet2holidays unveiled details its Black Friday deals “earlier than ever” to help agents secure bookings, with the operator providing £100 discounts on all holidays booked via an independent travel agent or non-retail agent. 

Advantage commercial director John Sullivan said: “As with last year’s Black Friday, we anticipate strong demand and have extensive marketing activity prepared to support members with their sales campaigns.”

Barrhead Travel Group president Jacqueline Dobson said the period around Black Friday, which falls on November 28, had increasingly produced strong bookings.

“We really notice some great offers and incentives from our supplier partners,” she said. “For customers, they will tend to take advantage of these savings for Christmas gifting if they’re planning on giving the gift of travel.”

Buckley Travel owner Jacqui Bowring, who opened a third shop in June, said September trading was better than last year but October had been “weird”.

 

“One day we’ll do £3,000 in sales and the next we’ll do £48,000,” she said, adding: “You can’t predict it.”

She hopes for a repeat of last November, noting: “It was crazy last year. We did a lot of city breaks and Christmas presents.”

ArrangeMY Escape general manager Jennifer Lynch said: “November really catapulted [our sales] last year. I don’t know whether that was Black Friday, but we will definitely jump on the bandwagon and make the most of it.

“I hope suppliers get their promotions out early. We don’t want them three days before. I’m praying for booking impact because that will set us up nicely for January.”

Lynch noted ongoing late demand, with one booking last weekend made two days before departure and another made five days before. 

Dobson said Barrhead Travel was also seeing “an ongoing trend for late and very late bookings”, adding: “We’re expecting to see an increase in late bookings all the way up to the festive period.”