Audley Travel is to open its first-ever physical stores through a new partnership with John Lewis, with 12 dedicated travel hubs launching across the UK from this autumn.
The move comes as the luxury operator celebrates its 30th anniversary and will give customers access to its destination specialists in John Lewis stores for the first time.
The concessions will offer in-person consultations for trips, covering everything from private safaris and land-and-cruise itineraries to beach holidays and cultural tours.
The tailor-made specialist is actively recruiting Personal Travel Experts for locations in Chelmsford, Southampton, Bristol, London (Oxford Street and Sloane Square), Norwich, Edinburgh and Cardiff.
The travel hubs will form part of John Lewis’s wider programme of in-store services, alongside its Home Design, Personal Styling and Nursery consultations.
The partnership follows Kuoni pulling out of John Lewis after 14 years. The operator announced in May that it is closing its nine concessions and one pop-up shop at the end of September as part of a strategic review.
Audley Travel CEO Richard Hodgson said: “Launching our first physical retail presence in John Lewis stores is a significant milestone, bringing Audley’s expertise directly to physical retail for the first time in 30 years.
“This partnership will allow us to engage new clients through immersive in-store experiences and to really bring our unique offering to life. Crucially, this initiative complements – rather than replaces – our steadfast commitment to travel agent partners, who remain central to our growth strategy.”
John Lewis Director of Services and Hospitality Katie Papakonstantinou added: “A key role of our stores is to deliver experiential services where human connection makes all the difference.
“While we serve our customers across multiple channels, our stores are the destination for specialist in-person advice. Partnering with Audley Travel expands that in-store offering, bringing bespoke trip planning under the same roof as our home and lifestyle experts.”
