The company now has 93 stores across the country, including 10 v-room concept stores and its House of Fraser and Debenhams concessions, which is 21 fewer than its peak of 114 stores.
But incoming managing director Joe Thompson, who took up his position this summer after 14 years with Virgin Atlantic, said the number of staff employed across the retail estate is roughly the same.
“As we’ve shrank our number of stores, we’ve invested in larger v-room stores instead, which also make more revenue and margin,” he said.
V-rooms will open in Chapel Shopping Centre in Norwich and St David’s Shopping Centre in Cardiff by the end of the year, with around 12 full-time staff in each.
“Our retail estate feels about right for now, but I still see room for growth,” he said. A major refurbishment programme to bring its concession stores more in line with its v-room concept stores is also under way.
He admitted it was unlikely Virgin Holidays would reverse its decision not to sell through agents, but added: “It’s always a mistake to say never.”
Thompson said the operator is on a “clear growth trajectory”, despite a dip in sales to core destinations following hurricanes in the Caribbean and Florida. “Even in the last few weeks we’ve seen the needle move back in the right direction,” he said.
“We are winning market share, and forward bookings are far ahead of where they were this time last year,” he added.
He described Virgin Holidays’ recent addition of more than 300 experiences in the US and Canada as being part of its aim to “be clear about what the package holiday looks like in 2017 and beyond”.
“We’re on a quest to deliver more tailored, personalised holidays, away from the outdated package holiday,” Thompson said.
Experiences now on sale include helicopter rides over the Grand Canyon, horse-back riding in Central Park and surf lessons in Hawaii.
