In a Facebook post on 12 March, the UK’s largest independent agency revealed its Bishop Auckland store had moved to a retail park on the outskirts of the market town.
“The wait is over – we have now moved! Your new Hays Travel Bishop Auckland branch is now open!,” the store posted. “We have the same amazing friendly team, come down and see our lovely new shop and discover our amazing holiday deals!
“Find us at Bishop Auckland retail park, we are located opposite Home Bargains and next door to Greggs."
The shop is now operating longer hours, between 9.15am and 7pm Monday-Friday, between 9.15am and 6pm on Saturdays. On Sundays, the store is open between 10am and 4pm.
The shop is now two doors away from the town’s Tui Holiday Store shop.
Hays Travel retail director Jane Schumm told TTG the move is part of the company’s plans to improve customer experience “through acquisition, relocation and a major refurbishment programme”.
“We took the opportunity to relocate our Bishop Auckland branch to a new retail park, where parking is free and we can trade for extended hours alongside other big brand retailers, all of which makes visiting us a better experience for our customers,” she added.
The move means Hays Travel has followed in the footsteps of rivals, such as Tui, which have moved stores from town centres as part of its retail strategy.
In the past 12 months, Tui has moved branches to edge-of-town locations to take advantage of newer retail spaces, longer trading hours and increased footfall from customers old and new.
In February 2024, Tui announced it had relocated its Preston branch to a larger premises in the hope of capitalising on more footfall.
“We have 10 retail agents working in our new Preston store and they are all so excited to get to know more of our customers face-to-face and have the chance to book them their dream holiday,” said divisional sales manager Gabrielle Armitage last year.
Tui also opened its latest Leeds, Bournemouth and Bradford branches in retail parks on the edge of town.
Meanwhile, both Barrhead Travel branches in Northern Ireland are located away from the high street. The Scottish agency decided to open its second Northern Ireland branch in Abbey Centre retail park in Newtonabbey last November, seven years after opening its first Northern Irish shop in Belfast’s Victoria Square shopping centre.
Elsewhere, Suffolk-based Deben Travel, moved away from the high street to give its staff “a better quality of life”. Speaking to TTG last May, owner Lee Hunt said the Woodbridge-based agency would “get some footfall in the new location”, which is five minutes’ walk from the old shop.
He justified his decision saying The Thoroughfare store was too small and that meant customers had to stand while they waited to book.
“We don’t want to lose customers because they don’t have anywhere to sit and we don’t want to rush any bookings,” Hunt explained. “We’re successful right now, but we know we can afford to lose a percentage of our business for a better quality of life.”
Have you moved your agency branch away from the high street? We want to hear from you. Please email igrassomacola@ttgmedia.com with your story.
