Harvey World Travel will launch its second full service agency in a post office after being “very encouraged” by the success of its Brisbane trial.
The store will open tomorrow at Melbourne’s super store GPO in Bourke Street, four months after the retailer opened a branch in the GPO in the Queensland capital.
HWT managing director David Rivers said the Brisbane store, initially launched as a 12-month trial, has gone well. Fears of whether a post office was the right environment to sell holidays have not been realised, he added.
“We are very encouraged,” he told Travel Today. “I was a bit concerned about the different mix of business in terms of fast transactions and longer dwell time but that’s not proved to be an issue.
“We have had a high level of enquiries and the bookings are what you would see at any normal travel agency.
The US, UK and Europe have all sold as usual, he said.
As more people have become aware of the HWT store’s post office location, the more it has been regarded as just another HWT store.
“Customers are prepared to spend time at the store. It has become another local travel agent,” Rivers said.
The Melbourne GPO branch will be company-operated, as opposed to a franchise, and managed and serviced by two full time agents, Kerry Fedele and Jason Crisp.
Rivers refused to be drawn on the possibility of more agencies in GPO super stores, although it would be a surprise if more don’t follow, assuming sales remain on target.
He would only say that HWT “values its relationship with Australia Post”.
