Midcounties takes over seven of Carrick’s stores


Juliet Dennis


Midcounties Co-operative Travel has pledged to retain the Carrick Travel name after taking on seven of its branches. Under the deal, all 29


staff employed at the seven Carrick Travel branches were transferred to Midcounties’ retail travel division Co-operative Travel on October 2. The miniple’s remaining four


branches, in Solihull, Bourton, Evesham and Bingham, closed on September 30 and bookings transferred across to Carrick Travel branches still operating. The seven branches that have


moved across to Co-operative Travel are in Kenilworth, Stratford-upon- Avon and Leamington Spa (all Warwickshire), Cheylesmore (West Midlands), Pershore (Worcestershire), Grantham (Lincolnshire) and Newark (Nottinghamshire). They continue to trade under the


Carrick Travel name but as part of the Co-operative Travel group, with the Midcounties Co-operative name on booking paperwork. Rad Sofronijevic, chief operating


Midcounties has


vowed to retain the Carrick Travel name


officer for Midcounties Co-operative’s travel division, cited the brand’s 46-year legacy as the reason to keep the name. She said: “There are no plans


to change the fascia of the shops, interior branding or staff uniforms. “The Carrick Travel name has a


valuable legacy in their communities. “What’s more, the expertise of


the colleagues who come with the Carrick Travel branches, particularly in the tailor-making, wow-factor and off-the-beaten-track itineraries, will enhance Co-operative Travel’s existing offering to our customers.” The deal takes Co-operative Travel’s


shop portfolio to 78 and follows a similar deal in August for 16 Central England Co-operative branches. Carrick Travel owners Tina Nason


and Tracey Carter, who bought the business from founders Sally and Michael Carrick in 2012, have not transferred across. In a statement, the agency said:


“It is with a heavy heart that we bid farewell to Carrick Travel. By agreeing a transfer with Midcounties Co-operative, we are ensuring the protection of our clients and as many


of our colleagues’ jobs as possible.” i Get Social, page 27


Hays Travel to close 11 of Tailor Made’s 19 stores


Hays Travel is to close 11 of the 19 shops it acquired from Tailor Made Travel. The consolidation was


confirmed this week by the UK’s largest independent travel agency, which said all ex-Tailor Made staff will be kept on Hays Travel’s books. Agents from the 11 affected


stores will be offered work at nearby shops – either at other former Tailor Made stores or existing Hays Travel branches. The remaining eight stores


will become “part of the Hays Travel family”, a spokeswoman said, but she did not confirm which branches would close and which would remain open. Hays Travel acquired


Tailor Made after it entered administration last month and pledged to retain the Welsh miniple’s approximately 100 staff. Former Tailor Made owner


Simon Morgan reacquired one of the 20 branches, Blue Skies Travel, in Whitchurch, from administrators. The Hays spokeswoman


said the company could not comment on arrangements with the administrator.


Welsh agency relocates to bigger premises after boom in domestic bookings


A UK breaks specialist agency in Wales has relocated to larger premises after a boom in demand for domestic holidays. Travel with Matthew opened


in Merthyr Tydfil town centre on Saturday in premises more than double the size of its previous shop in the Welsh town. The agency also has another store in Porth, Wales. Owner Matthew Sutton, who


8 8 OCTOBER 2020


started the business in May 2019, said that despite a challenging first three months for the agency at the start of the UK lockdown, the business had since seen a dramatic increase in bookings. He said the rise in demand had


prompted the relocation to a more- central location in Merthyr Tydfil. The agency, which does not sell flights, puts together its own UK


holidays using local coach firms and targets a younger demographic. It also sells UK breaks through


domestic operators such as Bourne Leisure, Shearings, Leger Holidays and Hoseasons. “A lot of people who would


normally go abroad have put their money into UK holidays instead; our sales over the last three to four months have rocketed,” said Sutton.


Matthew Sutton and colleague in new store


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