The new branch will open in Southwell, Nottinghamshire, by early November, and will be the only independent agency in the locality.
The former children’s clothes shop chosen for its second premises is in a courtyard location. “It’s perfect in terms of footfall and audience,” Silver Travel managing director Kerry Gallagher told TTG.
"Southwell is a lovely market town full of independent shops – it attracts the semi-retired and older demographic.”
Silver Travel opened its first shop in the Sheffield suburb of Fulwood last November. “We have a team of 16 homeworkers, and we always felt retail would be the next step,” she said. “We are a service-led industry and we know our target audience wants face-to-face contact.”
The new shop is in a courtyard location in the town of Southwell in Nottinghamshire (Credit: Kerry Gallagher / Silver Travel Advisor)
Gallagher revealed she is seeking at least one senior travel consultant to run the new shop. “We’d like a full-time senior person but we’re happy to look at people that want part-time," she said.
"We’re more interested in the right people who can make it work. It’s a small unit with two desks, so maybe it could be one full-time and two part-time."
Gallagher said the retail experiment in Sheffield, which opened in time for peaks this year, had convinced Silver Travel to seek more store locations.
"Fulwood was our guinea pig," Gallagher continued. "I’m not sure what our expectations were but it’s gone from strength to strength. We’ve had customers that have already booked two or three times with us in the last nine months.
"When we look forward to 2026, we absolutely do see more retail on the cards for us. We’re hesitant to say 10 shops next year, because the critical thing is the location. We have some target areas and we’ll wait to see what comes up. We’ll take our time, but we’re not stopping at the second store.”
Silver Travel will also unveil a new homeworking strategy following its overseas conference in Malta in November.
Gallagher took over as Silver Travel's managing director in July 2023 from former Silversea and dnata B2B tour operating chief Lisa McAuley when McAuley, who owns the business, took up a new director of strategy role with Hays Travel.
Gallagher added she did not think the business's branding was limiting in the retail sense. “We’re not so proscribed that we don’t take under 50s bookings," she insisted. "If you’re 30 or 48 it’s no problem.
"We have our target demographic, but the stores are part of the community. Fulwood gets family bookings – we give the same service to everyone."
