Owners Carla McFeely and Carla Mann launched their agency business in the Costa Del Sol in 2018 to serve the British expat community. However, in McFeely’s own words, “money started dwindling” when bookings dipped after the UK left the European Union in January 2020.
It was then McFeely, who was working in the UK as a homeworker during this period, and Mann decided to open a second office at Lancashire farm shop Huntleys in 2021. McFeely, though, started thinking about opening a shop in the village of Wilpshire where she moved during the pandemic.
It was at The Travel Network Group’s conference in Bucharest in June that the pair, who jokingly go by the monikers Carla England (McFeely) and Carla Spain (Mann), decided to take the plunge and expand onto the high street.
"The members’ panel session at the conference said you should stay local, local, local,” McFeely recalled, speaking to TTG about the shop plans a couple of months on. “Plus, it’s always been our ambition to be on the high street.
"I just said to Carla I wanted to find a local premises. Everything was going really well at Huntleys, but we’d outgrown the site. It was a great location but we wanted to go out and meet more people. I knew we needed to make a change.
"I then found the site in my village, and fortunately, our landlord had just bought it – the timing couldn’t have been better.”
Destination Perfect’s first high street shop will open on 15 August – two months after their Huntleys lease ended. While preparing the new shop, McFeely has been discussing holiday options with customers in their homes or “wherever they’re happy to meet”.
“Being local is so important,” she explained. “People really buy into local businesses. We’ve had a lot of people knocking on the door asking when we’re opening. The footfall is 10 times higher than at Huntleys. We’re also in quite an affluent area, and the shop is on an extremely busy road going into Clitheroe."
McFeely said the shop is located in between a hairdresser and a bakery. Other businesses on the street include a private dentist, an optician and a florist.
That TTNG members’ panel also highlighted the benefits of sponsoring local sports teams and helping organise community events, something the agency has taken onboard and got stuck into.
’Fate brought us together’
McFeely and Mann are former sisters-in-law. McFeely said it was “fate” the pair decided to go into business together. “Carla was talking to me very early on about this travel business that she wanted to set up," she continued.
"I said I could not leave my recruitment job as I had young children, but a few weeks later, I was made redundant. Some things are just meant to be. We’re both so passionate about travel.”
McFeely said the agency will spend “a few thousand” pounds on new desks and signage for the new shop. In addition, Destination Perfect will hire a part-time sales assistant who may become full time. McFeely, though, explained her and Mann would make a decision once the successful candidate starts.
McFeely added the agency will continue to sell mainly cruise and long-haul products aimed at luxury customers. “It’s very busy at the moment,” added McFeely, who confirmed Mann will remain in Spain working in the agency’s office out there.
Mann, though, will fly to the UK to attend the shop opening later this month.
Asked if Destination Perfect would expand its retail footprint, McFeely said: “Potentially. We’re going to open this shop first. Everyone wants growth, but it has got to feel right. The prime location is key.”
