Barrhead Travel is reviewing its 50-strong shop network with a view to refurbishing and relocating stores ahead of any future expansion.
The high street agency chain is currently revamping its Stirling outlet, with others to follow, while deciding which existing stores to relocate to areas with higher footfall.
President Jacqueline Dobson said all branches were under the spotlight, with the aim of switching all stores to paperless window displays in the next 12 months.
“We are refurbishing our store in Stirling to start with but we are analysing every store,” she said. “They will be like new stores [after the refurbishment].”
The stores are expected to get new signage, furniture and brochure racks, plus large TV screens to show holiday offers and destination images in shop windows.
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Dobson, who revealed that 57% of customers this year were new to Barrhead, said the group’s shops remained its focus for distribution.
“People will book point-to-point online but for a big spend they still want to come in and book with an agent face-to-face,” she said.
We will move to more central areas. We will never be in every high street, that’s not our strategy. We will target key locations
“New technology will enhance that customer experience.”
Relocations of existing stores are likely to be where customer footfall has shifted, for example from a traditional high street location to a shopping centre.
“We will move to more central areas. In some places we opened 10 or 15 years ago,” she added.
The group, which has branches in Scotland, England and Northern Ireland, relocated its Glasgow Silverburn Shopping Centre store to a larger unit in the city centre in May after opening its new flagship store in Gordon Street in March.
Both branches boast paperless window displays as part of the group’s sustainability efforts. The branches use large, digital screens with tailored content instead of traditional window cards or posters.
Speaking about expansion on the high street, Dobson said: “Openings will be strategic; we will never be in every high street, that’s not our strategy. We will target key locations.”
In 2021 and 2022, the agency opened branches in Halifax, Plymouth and Northwich, Cheshire.
In the first quarter of 2020, it opened 15 new stores in former Thomas Cook branches.
Dobson made the comments as the agency enjoys a record year. Barrhead’s bookings are currently 27% ahead of 2019, with cruise sales up 69%.
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