Clermont-Ferrand: the Thomas Cook “pop-up store” attracts 50 clients daily

“Pop-up store”, have you heard to it? Another new trendy English word that doesn’t really say anything, but anyways…

For David Chauvet, Regional Director at Thomas Cook in Clermont-Ferrand, “it’s an agency that opens and close, that isn’t meant to last.”

In this way, Thomas Cook has set up such a concept store, until June 2015, in the Nacarat shopping center, the second most important in the Auvergne capital.

“Tactical and strategic” according to Isabelle Piquandet, sales director, the pop-up store uses the distributor’s graphic code and positions itself as “an invitation to travel in an unexpected place.”

Located on the “main street” of the shopping center, it is the only travel agency in Nacarat. “We’re in contact with a public that rarely - or never - visits the city center and travel agencies,” adds Céline Fradet, the agency’s director.

We get it, the goal is to seduce a new clientele that, in the long run, should visit the agency in the city center.

For this charming operation, Thomas Cook is not cutting corners.

The distributor set up a digital screen where visitors see the films of the communication campaign “One Campaign,” but also the videos of its partners.

And those who are in a rush can use the Travel Glass (360° glasses) for an escapade in the Eldorador.

There is a general effort and strong initiatives to render the ephemeral travel agency more attractive: exclusive rates and offers on a selection of Jet Tours and Look Voyages, photo competitions for Club Med, a Disney stand, a highlight of trips leaving from Clermont-Ferrand (that still has little offers for a regional capital.)

After over a month of operation, the pop-store is showing satisfying results, the agency’s director counts around fifty visitors daily.

A good number. The goal would be for these clients to eventually visit the agency in the city center.

That’s the objective of this operation. A project that should continue in other cities, according to David Chauvet,. Where? As of today, this is top secret.