NEWS


Kuoni to close 16 stores but retain all affected staff


Phil Davies


Kuoni is to reduce the size of its retail network from 48 stores and concessions to 32 but has pledged to retain affected staff. Eight stores with leases coming


to an end – Lakeside, Bromley, Leeds, Windsor, Kingston, Stratford, Canterbury and Glasgow – will be closed. They follow the closure of the London City store earlier this year. Eight Kuoni concessions in John


Lewis shops will also not be reopening. Kuoni will close those in Newcastle, Oxford, Leeds, Cheadle, White


City, Trafford and Welwyn, while its Birmingham concession will go with the closure of the John Lewis shop. In a statement, the company


said: “A temporary but prolonged reduction in demand for travel triggered by the pandemic, changing shopping behaviour and a growing confidence to use video apps to plan holidays have all come into play. “It’s important to stress that a


reduced store network was factored into the company’s plans and all staff who were based in the affected stores will remain with the business.” Kuoni plans to phase the


reopening of its 20 remaining high street and shopping centre stores over the coming months. Its Guildford shop reopened in July. The company has already


reopened concessions within John Lewis in Aberdeen and Peter Jones in London, with its Norwich concession to follow on October 7. Concessions in John Lewis shops


in Cardiff, Chelmsford, Reading and Southampton are due to reopen on November 3, followed by Leicester, London’s Oxford Street and Cribbs Causeway at later dates.


Derek Jones


Derek Jones, chief executive of


Kuoni parent Der Touristik UK, said all affected staff would contine to work from home in Kuoni’s virtual call centre. But he said: “We are still operating in a very uncertain trading environment so we will continue to review our retail strategy with a view to making the Kuoni brand fit for the future and prepared [for when]


demand for worldwide travel returns.” OBolsover Cruise Club is to close its store in Sheffield’s Meadowhall, but said staff would be retained as it ex- panded its call centre and online focus.


Trade awaits extension for RCNs Ian Taylor


The CAA and trustees of the Air Travel Trust (ATT) were considering extending Atol-protection of refund credit notes (RCNs) issued beyond September 30 as Travel Weekly went to press, amid fears of the impact of a renewed wave of refund claims. A senior industry source told


Travel Weekly: “Winter departures are upon us and nothing has changed. “The CAA and the trustees have


to make a call. If they don’t, the CAA is signalling that you should not issue refund credit notes [from October 1]. “That will add to the pressure


on Atol-holders’ cashflow [and] people could be refunding customers who have just cancelled, while


travelweekly.co.uk


RCNs issued in the summer are still outstanding. That seems not a good outcome.” It remains likely the September 30


deadline for issuing Atol-protected RCNs to customers happy to accept them in place of refunds will be extended. If not, the industry source


warned: “I’m not sure to what extent people will be able to comply. “The CAA is conscious of the


time, but the October 1 [deadline] is hardly a surprise and the crisis is continuing. “The danger is it will cast doubt


on what is protected and give an opportunity to those questioning that. Casting doubt on what is protected [earlier in the crisis] did the industry damage.”


Abta argued from April that


RCNs linked to Atol bookings were protected under the existing Atol regulations and confirmed


throughout that the association would protect non-flight package bookings. But the Department for Transport, CAA and ATT trustees took until mid-July to confirm Atol-protection of RCNs. The CAA issued guidance at the


time of that confirmation that Atol protection “will not apply” to RCNs issued after September 30. The source suggested: “Abta is


desperately keen to align with the CAA this time.” However, Abta is understood to have guidance ready to issue to members in the event the CAA makes no announcement. The CAA declined to comment,


but a source confirmed last week: “There is a discussion of the planned end date for RCNs” (Travel Weekly, September 24).


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