Helloworld Travel is doubling down on bricks-and-mortar retail, securing a prime position inside Chadstone Shopping Centre as demand for face-to-face travel advice continues to defy the digital-only narrative.
The move marks a significant retail milestone for the travel giant, with the new storefront placing the brand at the heart of Australia’s largest shopping centre and one of the country’s busiest lifestyle destinations.
Located within a premium, high-footfall environment, the new agency reflects ongoing confidence in physical travel retail at a time when consumers are increasingly seeking personalised expertise for complex and high-value travel plans.
The Chadstone opening also reinforces a broader trend emerging across the travel sector, with major agency groups continuing to invest in high-profile retail locations despite the rapid growth of online booking channels.
According to Helloworld Travel, the new store which will open in July this year, will benefit from strong walk-by exposure and direct engagement with millions of annual visitors who pass through the centre each year.
Securing space inside Chadstone is no small feat. Retail tenancy within the centre is tightly held and highly competitive, making the deal a notable win for the network and further cementing the strength of the Helloworld brand in the retail marketplace.
Andrew Burnes said the new opening reflected both landlord confidence in the brand and the continued relevance of physical travel agencies.
“Major shopping centres are highly competitive environments, and securing a location like this speaks volumes,” Burnes said.
“It reflects the confidence landlords have in the Helloworld Travel brand and the continued role of physical retail in travel.
“Customers still value expert advice and being positioned in a high-quality retail location like this ensures our stores are exactly where the customer is.”
Burnes said the Chadstone agency forms part of a wider expansion strategy already underway across the network.
“This represents another step in our ongoing network expansion, with a strong pipeline of new stores scheduled to open later this year,” he concluded.
The announcement comes as travel agencies continue to lean into consultative selling and premium service offerings, particularly as travellers navigate increasingly complex international travel requirements, rising demand for tailor-made holidays and ongoing appetite for long-haul leisure travel.
For shopping centres, travel agencies are also proving to be resilient retail tenants, attracting repeat visitation and delivering longer customer dwell times compared with traditional retail categories.
Helloworld Travel currently operates one of the largest travel distribution networks across Australia and New Zealand, spanning retail leisure, corporate travel, wholesale operations, air ticket consolidation and destination management services.
The broader Helloworld network includes more than 2,600 travel agency and broker members across Australia and New Zealand, supported by over 900 staff located across Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Greece.
