Geraldine Marshall, director of Scotland’s Marshall Travel, will open the brand’s first bricks and mortar store on Cross Arthurlie Street in Barrhead next Saturday (19 November).
The agency began as a homeworking business in November 2019 before taking up shared office space in May of this year. "There was an opportunity to rent the high street premises in Barrhead, so we went for it," Marshall told TTG.
"We have taken on a big corporate client in Aberdeen, and we have seen a lot more clients coming in so it was the right time for us to make the move.
"People want to come and talk to us in person. We’re finding customers are tired of talking online after doing it so much in the pandemic. We are absolutely inundated with business."
Marshall, who runs the agency with her husband David, will look to hire more staff once the store opens and business begins to pick up.
"If things start to get busy, we will absolutely look to take on some local people," Marshall continued. "With the cost of living crisis at the moment, we want to support our local community."
Marshall said she "would love to open more shops" in the future, it having been her "family’s dream" to expand the business onto the high street.
"We’re not looking to compete with the likes of Barrhead Travel or Hays Travel," she said. "We offer a very personal one-to-one service, so we’re a bit different to them in that respect.
"Launching our first shop feels scary, to be honest. I think it’s all the little things we have to think about we didn’t have to consider before – insurance, signage for the shop, window displays, and so on.
"I’m a bit nervous, but I’m also excited. I’m sure when customers come in and we settle into it all, it will be great."
Marshall reported an uptick in repeat business, with the majority of customers looking to "check things off their bucket lists". "People are wanting to spend money despite everything that is going on – they just want to get away and enjoy their holidays," she continued.
"They’re also looking for long-stay winter trips, sometimes on an all-inclusive basis, as it is cheaper than staying at home and spending money on bills."
