First Choice de-clutters agency windows

New £250,000 lectern-style window displays are being introduced across the First Choice retail network.

They will replace hand written window offer cards and posters across all First Choice Travel Shops including partners Just Go, Bowens, Applebys and Yorks from December 18. Holiday Hypermarkets and First Choice in-store shops will also receive the new lectern stands.

Although there may be less space to advertise, the offers will be more specific and targeted to the local market, according to First Choice Retail managing director Cheryl Powell.

She said: “We have been trialling the ‘less is more’ concept for the last 12 months, starting in January with one shop, then a region, then 50 percent of our shops and so on. The ‘less is more’ shops traded better than the rest of our business.

“The new lecterns will enable customers to see inside the shop making our shops much more welcoming and customer friendly. They really open up the windows making them brighter and giving the impression of more space. Our staff are making  eye contact at a much earlier stage and even using big foam ‘hands’ to wave at our customers and inviting them to pop in.

“All the posters will be printed and not hand-written which can make windows look unattractive. Now our windows will look nice, clean and much more professional looking.”

As well as the sales advantage, the environment will also benefit, as less paper will be used in printing posters, according to the company.

Report by Phil Davies