CONFERENCE Hays Travel Retail Managers Conference 2022: Age
Hays looks to expand chain via openings and acquisition
H
ays Travel owner Dame Irene Hays says the UK’s largest independent agency is continuing to
assess “opportunities” to expand the retail estate in regions that are “doing particularly well”. The agency currently has 466 shops, but Hays outlined plans to grow that number through a mix of new premises and acquisition of existing travel agency branches. She said she wanted to boost
the business’s balance sheet to build up “a war chest” that would enable Hays Travel to “spend big on a large acquisition” and not take on debt. On broader expansion plans, Hays
said: “We’re in the process of looking at some opportunities [to expand]. “We’re much further down the
line than we were. The premises are new and they are in certain regions that are doing particularly well for us.” The company said sales targets for
network but Hays also confirmed plans to bolster regions where shops were exceeding their targets. She said the business had
identified recruitment, forex and upgrading existing premises as areas that required “urgent” investment. Hays added: “We’re then looking
at putting the balance sheet back to where it was pre-Covid. “That will give us an opportunity
Dame Irene Hays
2022 had already been matched or surpassed by stores in the 19 regions covered by its four geographical divisions – north, south, central, and Scotland and Ireland. Chief operating officer Jonathon
Woodall-Johnston previously told Travel Weekly the agency was aiming to plug gaps in its nationwide retail
to make the most of what comes along, respond quickly and without debt to secure further acquisitions.” Hays Travel has taken on 542
apprentices this year – up from 244 in 2019 – and 30 apprentices have been recruited as full-time workers. However, Hays admitted
recruitment overall had sometimes been problematic. “In our towns and cities we’ve recruited successfully, but in more rural areas the situation has
been more challenging,” she said. i Agent Diary, page 34
Barrett hails ‘overachieving’ stores and staff
Hays Travel retail chief Paula Barrett said 293 Hays Travel branches were “overachieving” and performing better than their predicted sales targets so far this year. Head of retail Barrett revealed 177 staff had achieved their individual targets six months early, and noted
Paula Barrett
how booking volumes for October were 10% up on the business’s monthly target. “We were delighted that we bounced back in October
which is traditionally when we see a lull,” she said. For November, Barrett said sales were already 31%
ahead of target. Looking ahead, she added: “We expect big things in
January. Any overtime that we can do in January, we will appreciate it. Any additional support would be fantastic. “We’ve got the potential to wipe the floor in January.” Barrett also reported that 410 staff had joined
the business’s ‘Access To Travel’ programme since it launched a year ago. The six-month programme is for any staff member in a sales-based or retail role that has joined Hays Travel without any prior travel experience. Barrett added that 234 of the 410 staff recruited were curently completing the educational programme.
10 17 NOVEMBER 2022 Tour arm aims to be
Hays Travel’s in-house tour operation has pledged to be its retail staff ’s “tour operator of choice” after admitting service levels needed to improve. In October 2021, answer rates within
the Hays Tour Operating sales team were 66%, but in the past 12 months they have risen to 96% (9,613 handled calls). Kathleen Molloy, head of sales at
Hays Tour Operating, said: “We know that service levels have not been great. “Together we will get there. Your
kindness has not been unnoticed. “We want to be the tour operator
of choice – not the tour operator of obligation.”
Jonathon Woodall- Johnston
Hays Travel delegates
travelweekly.co.uk
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