Travel agent set to close shops as part of countrywide plan (From Ilkley Gazette)

Ilkley and Yeadon Co-operative Travel shops set to close

7:00am Saturday 16th March 2013 in News

Travel firm Thomas Cook has revealed plans to close The Co-operative Travel stores in Ilkley and Yeadon as part of a cull of 195 travel agencies nationwide.
There are currently 102 Thomas Cook and Co-operative Travel stores across the Yorkshire region and 29 stores are proposed to close, affecting 151 members of staff, including two in the Brook Street store in Ilkley and six colleagues in the Cliffe Court store in Yeadon. Stores selected for closure are those which are not meeting performance targets of the business and are in communities where Thomas Cook has more than one retail outlet.
Joanna Wild, managing director of the Thomas Cook Co-operative retail network, said: “As a large retailer we regularly review our network to make sure we have the right stores in the right places for our customers and regrettably there are occasions where we need to close certain branches.
“Following careful consideration, we have announced that we are proposing to close 29 stores in the Yorkshire region and we are working with those colleagues who are affected.
“We’d like to thank both our colleagues and customers for the commitment and understanding during this process. Our high street stores are a popular way for customers to book with us and are an essential part of our multi-channel approach alongside our websites and sales centres.”
The plans are now subject to a 90-day consultation period.
Peter Fankhauser, Thomas Cook UK & Ireland’s CEO, added: “It is never easy to make decisions that impact directly on our people, but we also owe it to our customers to shape the business effectively and ensure that, when they book their holiday with us, our administrative costs are as low as possible.
“We are in consultation with unions and employee representative bodies to minimise the impact of these changes and I am speaking personally to all employees to provide information and support through this period of consultation.”