NEWS ROUND-UP Indies set up shops in the suburbs


Amie Keeley amie.keeley@travelweekly.co.uk


A number of independent travel agencies are opting for villages and suburbs with large residential populations, as high street footfall declines and business rates prove unaffordable. Former Thomas Cook and First


Choice agent Paul Brandwood opened his ϐirst shopǡ


he oliday


Shack, in Maindee, just outside of Newport, Wales, at the weekend. Other businesses in the area


include a chemist, banks and a beauty salon. “The main high streets are not


as busy these days so I thought let’s take the business to the community instead of them having to come to us. It’s got its own small high street and the surrounding area is all residential, so we have a big catchment area,” he said. “From doing research, it’s what people are looking for. Parking in


Millington boss hails ‘new lease of life’ as Tui and Co-op close


Millington Travel’s owner said independent agents have been given a “new lease of life” with the closure of some major high street travel names. The miniple will open its 11th


branch on January 26 in the Leicestershire village of Blaby. Owner Nigel Armitage said


he spotted an opportunity for an independent travel agency in the village after the Tui and Co-op stores closed. “It’s a very busy high street


and we sell 250 products that you can’t get from Cook. The independent agent has been given a new lease of life,” he said.


LEICESTERSHIRE: The new team and the new Millington agency in Blaby “As long as you get the staff,


the location and the costs right, you’re on to something that can work well. “Travel is a different business


to clothing, music and chain restaurants. They are struggling


12travelweekly.co.uk17 January 2019


with online and have high costs. “We are completely high


street. We are not going down the online route. Why compete with the big online travel companies when you’re trying to give expertise and knowledge?”


the city centre is so expensive.” In Cambridgeshire, Ponders


Travel managing director Clare udley opened her ϐirst shopǡ in


the village of Over, last week. Ponders Travel also operates from a large ofϐice in


udleyǯs


garden, while other staff work from home. Ponders also has a room at a local beauty salon, which opens two days a week. Dudley said a key factor in choosing to open a shop was its proximity to the new town of


Northstowe, which will eventually have up to 10,000 homes. About 200 people attended the opening event, including former Wish You Were Here…? presenter John Carter. “I never dreamed of opening a


shop, but an opportunity came up for this premises,” said Dudley. “Northstowe is going to be the


biggest new town in Britain and is being built two miles away, so that will be a big market for us.” In West Yorkshire, Tivoli Travel director Jo Richards is poised to


NEW OPENINGS: TV presenter John Carter attends the opening of Ponders Travel in Over (far left); The Holiday Shack in Maindee, Wales


open her second shop, in the “up and coming” village of Lindley, next month. A hotel has opened recently and


a number of bars and independent businesses operate in the area. Richards said areas such as


Lindley were “crying out” for independent travel agencies. Dz he area is similar to


irϐield


where my other shop is and it’s got a big outlying area of new-builds, so getting a shop in this region is like gold dust,” she said.


Tickets Travel owner to open revamped Clarkes Travel in Kent


Tickets Travel will open a second shop, in Erith, southeast London, this weekend. Diane Coleman took over


Clarkes Travel last year after its owner retired. The Clarkes name will remain, but the business has moved premises to a former pet shop across the street. It was fully refurbished last


year, modelled on Tickets Travel in nearby Bexley Village, with a giant wall map and brochure rack. The shop will be opened by


Bexley mayor Brian Bishop on January 19 to coincide with the agency’s annual travel show, which is taking place across the road.


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