ONE of the most familiar names in travel in the South West has undergone a New Year makeover, with a complete rebrand.
Travel Angels’ branches in Wiltshire, Somerset, and Dorset, which were purchased by The Midcounties Co-operative in 2012, will now trade under the group’s Co-operative Travel fascia.
The branch in Frome was acquired, along with others, as part of a strategic expansion programme to strengthen links with Bristol Airport. This month the airport revealed that passenger numbers had increased for the fourth consecutive year to 6.1 million.
The new branding is being rolled out across the network to differentiate the branches on the high street and features the ABTA logo to offer reassurance to customers. The 41 Travel Angels colleagues will also wear the new Co-operative Travel uniform.
Sue Reid, general manager for Travel Distribution at The Midcounties Co-operative Travel said, “The acquisition of Travel Angels was a strategic part of our plan to build upon our links with Bristol Airport, and expand the network outside of our traditional heartland.
“Post-recession, Bristol Airport is becoming an important transport hub, as demonstrated by the year-on-year rise in passenger numbers, and plans are in place to further increase capacity to 10million.
“Rebranding the stores as Co-operative Travel further demonstrates our commitment to the region. The new fascia also highlights our independence and shows our pride in the positive history and heritage of the Co-operative name.”
As part of The Midcounties Co-operative, customers of Co-operative Travel branches are eligible for benefits including dividend points and a share of profits when they join the membership scheme.
As a community retailer, The Midcounties Co-operative runs a range of programmes to benefit the local areas in which it operates. These include providing community grants and running a volunteering programme which gives all colleagues a day of paid leave each year to spend working with local groups and organisations.