The brand’s decision to expand onto the high street follows the launch of its homeworking division three years ago, which has achieved double-digit year-on-year growth for each of those years and now comprises a team of 18.
"A retail presence was the natural next step and a way to expand our network and grow our footprint," said Silver Travel managing director Kerry Gallagher, who hasn’t ruled out further expansion next year.
Gallagher explained Fulwood had been chosen for its "strong community feel", which she said would "align perfectly" with Silver Travel’s target audience.
The shop will be based over four floors, with room to host consumer and trade initiatives. It will focus on selling tailor-made holidays, cruises and touring products.
Penny Worthy, Silver Travel’s commercial and partnerships director, said the aim was for the shop to embed itself in the community and become more than just a place for people to come and book holidays.
"We’ll have space dedicated to hosting local events and gatherings, and working with our trusted travel partners, we’ll hold joint events to showcase our portfolio and what we can offer customers," she said.
"There will also be a training room and office space to bring our team together and have a base for meetings and supplier engagement."
Further expansion?
Gallagher said Silver Travel had "ambitious growth plans", adding the launch of the store would bring opportunities to underline the brand’s position as a leading voice of authority for over-50s travellers.
"We’ve always been a bit of a different travel agent as we boast many other aspects such as our membership community, magazine, team of travel writers, annual awards and so on," she continued. "Recruitment is under way to ensure we have an exceptional team to join us on this journey and launch the store in December.
"It’s an exciting time for us and we’re looking forward to the next phase of growth. This is our first step onto the high street, but there’s potential for further expansion next year. The key for us is choosing locations which align with our strategy and audience”.
