Althams Travel is strategically expanding its presence on the high street, reflecting its commitment to growth while maintaining its family-oriented ethos. The agency has recently opened its 33rd branch in Wetherby and aims to establish two more by the year’s end.
- Managing Director Sandra McAllister envisions a significant increase in their homeworking division, targeting up to 40 agents by 2026.
- The latest expansion includes a mix of salaried and self-employed homeworkers across Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Lincolnshire, ensuring comprehensive customer support.
- The agency prioritises finding prime locations within a 10-mile radius of existing branches to avoid direct competition with other independent agents.
- Customer service excellence remains a cornerstone, with plans to retain a robust high street presence.
Althams Travel has embarked on a strategic expansion of its high street presence, recently inaugurating its 33rd branch in Wetherby. This move is part of a broader plan to open two additional stores before the end of the year, reinforcing its commitment to growth while preserving its family-owned essence.
Sandra McAllister, who has been at the helm as Managing Director since 2018, emphasised the agency’s ambition to expand its homeworking division significantly. By 2026, Althams aims to have up to 40 homeworkers providing flexible, customer-focused service. This expansion comprises both salaried agents, ensuring availability beyond regular shop hours, and self-employed professionals working on a commission basis, offering a blend of stability and flexibility.
In her recent address at the agency’s 150th Anniversary Ball, McAllister highlighted the strategic growth of the agency’s self-employed homeworkers while remaining open to increasing the number of salaried agents if necessary. This strategy is designed to enhance the agency’s service capacity and accommodate the evolving needs of its clientele.
The agency’s approach to expansion involves selectively choosing locations that complement its existing operations without encroaching upon other independent agents’ territories. This tactic helps maintain the community-focused reputation that Althams has cultivated over its long history.
McAllister confidently asserted the enduring relevance of high street agencies, attributing their continued success to excellent customer service. The intrinsic human desire to explore and travel, she added, creates a perpetual demand that well-organised travel agents are uniquely positioned to fulfil.
Althams Travel’s strategic expansion highlights its commitment to growth while retaining its community-oriented values and focus on customer service excellence.
