Thomas Cook chooses Xscape for new retail concept

Friday, 24 May, 2002 0

Thomas Cook has chosen Xscape (in Milton Keynes), the UK’s largest indoor sports and shopping centre, to trial the first of its new generation of travel shops.

The mall combines the ‘Sno-zone’, the UK’s largest real snow slope, with climbing walls, a multiplex cinema and a health and fitness club. Restaurant, bars, a night club and retail outlets for brands such as Quiksilver, O’Neill and Ellis Brigham attract around 95,000 visitors each week.

Commenting on the launch of the new shop, which opens this week, Andrew Windsor (left), managing director for Thomas Cook (distribution) said: “The aim of the trial is to create a sales environment tailored to the needs of a specific target audience. The people that visit Xscape want to combine skiing and other activities with shopping, eating and going out. We have matched the specific needs of these consumers with our product, staff skills, and the look and feel, to make sure the shop will appeal directly to people interested in a holiday that reflects their active lifestyle.”

The shop is directly outside the entrance to the Sno-Zone and will be branded Thomas Cook ‘Active’. Plasma screens, brochure racking and staff training will concentrate on products from active holiday specialist Neilson and youth brand Club 18-30 while music and imagery is designed to give the shop an ‘active’ look and feel.

The twelve staff will share four sales desks, encouraging the team to move around the shop and mingle with customers. The company hopes this will help reduce the impression of the shop as a sales environment and to give the area a more dynamic feel.

Andrew Windsor continued: “By choosing a location like Xscape, with its high footfall of customers who are focussed on an active and youth lifestyle, we will raise awareness of Thomas Cook, Club 18-30 and Neilson as suppliers of active, fun and youth products. Having such a high number of potential customers in the mall will also drive vertically-integrated sales during peak ski and active booking periods.”

Milton Keynes is visited by 30 million shoppers each year. Xscape expects to attract 5 million visitors during 2002.