The branch is the 36-year-old agency’s fourth in Sussex following the opening of Heathfield in January 2022, Eastbourne in July 2023 and Worthing in December 2023.
Fred Olsen’s new store will be its fifth concept store, with Tui, G Touring’s Travelsphere and Just You brands, Azamara, Wendy Wu Tours and Fred Olsen Cruise Lines all supporting the branch with in-store branding.
Industry veteran Roger Mallock, who 25 years ago opened a Bath Travel branch in the town, will manage the shop. Mallock started his travel career in the 1980s and has worked for Lunn Poly, Bath Travel, Planet Cruise, Hays Travel and Woods Travel.
The agency said Mallock would impart “valuable knowledge" thanks to his experience working on Fred Olsen Cruise Lines ships and also as a tour director for Saga and Shearings.
The latest branch, located in the heart of Chichester, will officially open on 9 October – but will start taking bookings this month.
It comes just over a month after Suffolk agency brand TravelQuest, which was acquired by Fred Olsen Travel in 2012, relocated to a more central location in Woodbridge and adopted the Fred Olsen branding.
In June, a string of Carnival Corporation brands joined forces to sponsor a new Fred Olsen Travel concept store in Ringwood, Hampshire. Paul Hardwick, Fred Olsen Travel’s retail director, has repeatedly stated that he wants t grow the agency’s network to 25 shops by the end of 2025.
Commenting on Fred Olsen Travel’s latest step towards that goal, Hardwick said: “We are delighted to be further expanding our retail footprint and adding to our recently established cluster of shops in Sussex.
“I would like to personally thank not just the operators that are supporting us with this newest venture, but also all of our operator concept sponsors from all of our recent openings.
“Without your support and help we would not be able to deliver such aggressive growth on the high street and to showcase so many fantastic brands which is key to the success of these new stores.”
Fred Olsen has 10 agencies in East Anglia, eight in Dorset and Hampshire, and now four in Sussex with the new branch in Chichester.
The agency said: “In an age when much is made of the decline of the high street, it is worth noting Fred Olsen Travel has actually increased its number of high street outlets, adding seven new shops in the past four years."
