Barrhead Travel has declared its “commitment to the UK high streets” with a £250,000-plus investment in its retail operations, with stores refitted and expanded.
The first half of this year has seen the revamp of four stores, at the Gyle in Edinburgh, Braehead, Newton Mearns and Glasgow Forge, it noted. Barrhead Travel highlighted “new branding, experience-led areas, a furniture refresh and updated store layouts”.
It also flagged spending on new uniforms for customer-facing teams.
Barrhead Travel said: “The investment forms part of a wider programme, with more stores planned to undergo refits in the future.”
It flagged its “longstanding commitment to bricks-and-mortar retail”, saying this creates a “memorable experience” for its customers.
The latest investment follows the travel agent’s relocation last year of its store within Silverburn shopping centre in Glasgow, to a larger unit. Barrhead Travel also highlighted its opening of a new flagship store on Glasgow’s Gordon Street.
Barrhead Travel also recently announced plans to open a second store in Northern Ireland as part of its expansion ambitions. The site for this new store is yet to be confirmed, with Barrhead Travel looking to "recruit experienced agents to help identify local opportunities".
Jacqueline Dobson, president of Barrhead Travel, said: “We know from track record that there’s still very much an appetite for travel agents to have a store presence and in turn hope this brings people back to the UK high streets.
“As well as running a successful business that supports local jobs, we also want to be creating a legacy in the cities in which we operate and help the high streets flourish for generations to come.”
She added: “By investing in our stores and our employees, we’re reaffirming our commitment and hope that other companies follow suit.”
The travel agent noted that it had, in addition to renovating its stores, “invested in new uniform for customer-facing roles across its UK-wide retail network”.
It said: “The more modern design includes 25 new pieces designed to be mixed and matched for every season. It also ties in with the company’s initiative in modernising [its] high street appearance.”
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