The luxury travel agent has chosen Amersham in Buckinghamshire to open his second store after discovering the perfect unit on the market town’s high street.
“We’re taking over from a former Pilates studio that has relocated nearby, so it just works,” Sean Fletcher, founder of Travel Four Seasons, told TTG. “I've been keen to expand our retail footprint for a while now, and finally, it’s all coming together.”
The award-winning advisor admits, however, that finding the right location wasn’t a straightforward mission.
“It’s been quite tricky. There are lots of economics that have to come together, especially because property in the Southeast is really expensive,” he explained. “I also didn’t want to tread on another independent’s toes by opening up next to them.”
When the chance to lease an Amersham unit arose eight months ago, he knew it was an opportunity he couldn't pass up.
Just 30 minutes’ drive from his Harpenden store, the property sits in the heart of an affluent area with plenty of foot traffic. There’s also no competition from other travel agencies, the most recent of which closed during Covid.
“It’s just so underserved,” Sean explained, before adding: “It’s also a brilliant catchment area because of its side-by-side affluence – you’ve got Old Amersham, Chalfont St Giles, Rickmansworth, the Chalfonts. It’s a new territory for us, so there's lots for us to get our teeth into when it comes to finding new clients.”
The new shop will look very similar to Travel Four Seasons’ Harpenden store
Finding staff
Sean is currently recruiting for the staff at the Amersham store, which will require a team of at least two employees when it first opens.
“It’s a work in progress,” he said. “We’re looking and having conversations, but finding staff around our way can be tricky.”
An ideal candidate would have experience in both retail sales and luxury travel, as well as a background in managing client relationships. It’s also essential that they live in the Amersham vicinity and have the ability to work on-site at least four days a week.
Most importantly, candidates should demonstrate shared values with Travel Four Seasons.
“It’s about the right ‘small business, small team’ mentality,” Sean said. “We’re not corporate or bureaucratic. We just want someone who enjoys selling face-to-face and has a passion for travel. The rest we can teach."
A more private area for processing bookings will be fitted at the back of the new shop
Inside the store
Like its Harpeden counterpart, Travel Four Seasons’ Amersham store will look more like a premium lounge than a traditional travel agency. Clients can expect a reception with cushy sofas and a breakfast bar, as well as a large wall display for running presentations.
At the rear of the shop will be an area with desks, where enquiries and transactions can take place in a more private setting.
Fortunately, the unit requires little renovation due to its prior function as a recreation space.
“It’s actually already fitted out to a high standard because it’s a Pilates studio, so we’ll just piggyback off that and carry it forward into the travel world,” Sean said.
Launch date
The Travel Four Seasons team is now deliberating on the logistics of the store’s launch, with tentative plans for a soft opening before Christmas before making an official debut in January.
There’s also talk of a “series of introductions over three or four months”, in the hope of “keeping momentum going” for longer.
While acknowledging the “hurdles” ahead, Sean says this expansion is far from Travel Four Seasons’ most challenging endeavour.
“We moved to the high street in Harpenden two years ago, and that presented its own challenges because it was an active trading business,” he explained. “But with this second location, I’ve already got a great team in Harpenden and I can just leave them to continue the business as usual. I also have Yael Cohen [marketing specialist] in the business, someone I didn’t have the last time we were relocating, so I have lots of support. I’m actually fairly relaxed!”