TUI to close 160+ stores

Just heard on the radio that TUI are to close over 160 stores across the UK.
I'm no economist but the furlough scheme seems to have simply delayed the inevitable. It's one thing supporting the workers but if the company is losing money then they won't have jobs to return to.
Worried we are going to see a lot more of this, its after Friday the first stage of winding down the furlough scheme starts.
Has the scheme just kicked the can down the road?

 

Such a shame, this latest round of quarantine with Spain may be the final nail in the coffin for others as well

 

First of many to go under I'm sure, not good.

I also wonder whether it is partly a sign of the times too as i'd imagine in this day and age most people under 65 book online? I've always wondered how so many travel agents manage to exist. I know they have bureaux de change etc which I have occasionally used.

 

Saw something yesterday suggesting that it would be cheaper to extend the furlough scheme to next year (particularly in industries still affected) than to pay unemployment for those made redundant.

 

It’s a shame.

But let’s not forget that the high street Travel Agent has been up against the wall for a number of years.

We’re all guilty of nailing that coffin, by booking direct and also booking mainly online.

COVID-19 is simply picking off weak and/or outdated business models at first. It’s how it affects the rest of the businesses after that.

 

Agree just the surge all at once will make it a lot harder to deal with. In normal circumstances when a firm goes bust most staff just find a new job.

 

And 1,200 jobs at National Trust.

This will signal the end for many previously solid businesses, but obviously will facilitate an ever swifter end or decline for businesses who were facing changing demand for how the traditionally delivered products and services.

 

Yes, I haven't used a travel agents for years. I went to do so for the first holiday I booked independently of parents but the prices were awful and there was hardly any choice at all. I managed to find a much better holiday for almost £2000 cheaper than the closest travel agent in price could offer it and I got to select all the elements myself. I carried on checking travel agents first for the next few holidays (although ultimately booking elsewhere) but now I don't even bother checking. I guess they're good if you don't mind where you stay in a particular area and if you want a standard number of days but I prefer to customise it and stay a random number of days depending on how I'm feeling or where it is.

 

You mentioning parents has me thinking back to going into the travel agents for out first foreign holiday. Think I was around 10, the smell of sun cream in the shop, taking the brochure home and spending months looking at the hotel we were going to!
Having only ever been on caravan holidays upto that point it seemed like the most amazing thing ever to 10 year old me.

 

Yes totally.. its what anyone worth their salt as been screaming for months now.. but not the MSM. That the fallout from lockdown will be way, way worse than the virus.

 

Same but I remember even then being surprised that there were only 2 pages per area and saying 'but there must be more hotels than that' and then arriving and wondering how people managed to book the fancy looking hotel over the street even though that wasn't in our brochure.

 

I havn't booked a 'package holiday' for at least 13 years I guess. The introduction of ryanair et al and companies like booking.com have had a huge impact on the traditional travel agent. I am travelling to Greece shortly with Ryanair and have booked a hotel directly (after seeing it on booking.com and getting a much better price). The same holiday as a package would have cost me double. So yes unfortunately it's a sign of our changing times.

 

I stopped booking through travel agents after doing a flydrive to Florida and paying less per room than the hotels were advertised for each in the travel agents.

 

Surprised they survived so long because most people buy an holiday online these days. Our government need to do more to help our foreign travel out though. Every airport should have Covid testing stations set up so on arrival back to the UK you can't leave the airport until you have been tested. Then you should have to go straight home and stay there until you are told of your result in the next day or two. It would be far better for everyone then staying indoors 10-14 days when for most people it would be for no reason.

 

Speaking of changing times, now I see the argos catalogue is to be discontinued. Another nostalgic part of my childhood.

 

They'll be tarnishing the reputations of Michael Jackson, Rolf Harris and Jimmy Savile next!

 

I just feel sorry for the staff that are losing their jobs, they must be devastated in the current climate . Don't forget behind every job loss there is a real person and family involved.

 

Couldn't agree more.

And thats just the ones announced. There are millions of small and micro businesses in the UK, and many of them will vanish in this perfect storm without any herald at all. Indeed, just learnt today that a fantastic italian deli that turned itself into an emergency grocer to help the local people is having to close because the landlord won't negotiate a reduction in rents. Very sad, and likely to mean an empty unit for some time.

 

The complete destruction of our way of life over a virus with a survival rate surpassing 99%, and the majority just blindly go along to get along, so long as we are all safe though eh?

 

Don't think the staff are losing their jobs, they're just transferring to work from home answering queries, they're saving money by not paying rent on the shops.