Dame Irene has a ‘shopping list’ of 15 new retail locations

By Kelly Ranson
12 November 2025

Dame Irene Hays has said Hays Travel has 15 towns and villages it would like to expand its retail network to.

Chair and owner Dame Irene Hays told Travel Gossip at the company’s retail conference in Greece this week: “With regard to organic growth we always have a shopping list of where we would like to be. We currently have 15 towns, villages and a city in the UK where we would like to open shops organically, where we won’t have to buy out another travel agent.”

Dame Irene wouldn’t give any further details on locations or timelines, but added: “We need to get the rent over the line, get the builders in and get the work completed. We can’t put a date on it, but we would like to get them done as quickly as possible.”

She added that they need to look closely at locations, however and where there is demand and footfall.

“We have some shops in some longstanding locations, where the footfall has transferred away from that, and we do some relocations. We could have a very successful shop, but it could be in the wrong place,” Dame Irene explained.

One of Hays Travel’s Middlesbrough branches recently relocated to Cleveland Retail Park and held its official opening last week.

Chief Operating Officer Jonathon Woodall-Johnston added: “We have also found that some of the places we are looking at, there may not be any empty units, so you have to wait to see what comes in and our property team are constantly checking it.”

In terms of acquisitions, Dame Irene hasn’t ruled out any more completing before the end of 2025.

She said: “It’s hard to say, they are never actually completed until the last minute. It’s genuinely not possible to answer that, other than to say we will tell you when we know.

“We want that balance between short haul, long haul and cruise, so we want to acquire businesses that sit within our overall strategy.”

Jonathon added: “We are invested in these brands and where their specialism is. We think it’s quite reassuring as we now have the history – we don’t just buy a brand and acquire a business and consolidate. We can confidently show how we make it work.”

In recent weeks, Hays Travel has acquired one-shop The Holiday and Flight Centre in Hamilton, Millington Travel, a 14-branch chain with shops across the Midlands, and 15-branch Polka Dot Travel.