Thomas Cook to close seven Midlands stores
Seven travel agents in the West Midlands are among the 125 that beleaguered tour operator Thomas Cook is set to close across the UK.
Seven travel agents in the West Midlands are among the 125 that beleaguered tour operator Thomas Cook is set to close across the UK.
They are on top of 75 sites that were to close following the merger with Co-op Travel – including two in Staffordshire.
Going Places shops in Market Hall Street, Cannock; Coventry Street, Kidderminster; Sutton Coldfield; Bromsgrove and Co-op Travel shops in Lichfield and Coventry are among those added to the closure list.
The Thomas Cook shop in High Street, Uttoxeter, is on the closure list but the Co-Op Travel in the same street will remain open.
The closures came as Thomas Cook announced plans to shed more than 600 jobs over the next two years as part of a bid to save its UK business.
The company posted a pre-tax loss of £398 million for the year to September 30.
The five staff at Going Places in Cannock were yesterday given the news that they would be facing closure following a 90-day consultation – meaning staff will find out their fate in March.
In Lichfield, at the Midlands Co-Op Travel store on Bakers Lane, staff were informed in the afternoon. Six staff work at the store and a 90-day consultation is also in place.
The Thomas Cook store on Bore Street will not be affected.
A spokesman for the company said the lease was due to expire on the Bakers Lane store, which was one of the reasons it is being looked at.
Thomas Cook UK chief executive officer Ian Ailles, said: "We've undertaken a comprehensive review of our retail network and today's proposals will ensure that as the UK's leading high street travel retailer we have the right stores in the right places for our customers.
"We will now be consulting with those affected colleagues and looking at the redeployment opportunities," he added.
"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."
A Thomas Cook store at The Forum in Cannock is not affected.
The Thomas Cook store in High Street, Bromsgrove, is also unaffected.
By John Corser and Claire Fry
