Admiral Travel has its sights set on further high street expansion after opening its fifth branch, in Wilmslow near Manchester, on Sunshine Saturday (January 4).
In addition to shops in Altrincham and Cheadle, the company also operates Craig Travel branches in Workington and Cockermouth, both in Cumbria.
The new shop in Grove Street got off to a good start, with manager Sue Rosell working on its first booking – an £8,000 trip – as the ribbon was being cut.
Admiral Travel director Craig Weatherill said: “It’s a case of hitting the ground running.”
The opening event, which attracted about 25 people, took place before wintry weather fell upon the town and surrounding areas, with snow and ice causing disruption on roads and rail.
Radio DJ Mike Toolan performed the ribbon-cutting duties, while other guests included representatives from Jet2holidays, Quark Expeditions, Rush Insurance, Premier Holidays and Hays Travel.
In addition to Rosell, four agents will work in the new premises.
Weatherill said: “We saw a gap in the market in Wilmslow. It didn’t have another agency and it’s a really nice area.”
He added that a number of existing clients live in the town and highlighted that the shop would be open seven days a week.
“We’ve got experienced staff who are trained on the systems, so we’ll let them get on with it and, with a bit of guidance, it will work,” said Weatherill, who is based in the Altrincham shop.
The agency aims to open one new store a year, depending on the state of the market.
“We have grown the business year on year – which has given us the opportunity to open in Wilmslow – and we have a vision to grow further in the future,” said Weatherill.
The business, which is a member of the Hays Travel Independence Group, was set up by Andrew Nelson, who remains a director.
Weatherill joined the company as an agent six months after it began and worked his way up to his current position.
“During Covid, we were four days from closing the business, but then the skies cleared,” he said.
“We promised ourselves that we would learn from it all and never take for granted how lucky we are to be part of such a fantastic industry.”