Kuoni and John Lewis join forces to launch new concept travel concessions

Kuoni and John Lewis have announced a new partnership which will see the travel company open exciting new travel concessions in four of the retailer's shops.

The Kuoni concessions will open in Autumn 2012 at John Lewis shops in Oxford Street, Reading, Southampton and Cardiff, and will offer the full range of holidays available from Kuoni shops. The move will create 19 new full time jobs.

The concessions will range from 444 sq ft - 821 sq ft and combine the look and feel of the two brands, with John Lewis furniture and Kuoni fittings. They will be situated in the customer service area, adjacent to John Lewis's Gift List departments, and interactive technology, such as iPads and plasma screens, will be used to bring holidays to life.

Kuoni will also introduce John Lewis Travel Insurance to its customers, and become the travel partner for John Lewis Gift List. This service allows customers to ask their guests to contribute to their Kuoni honeymoon through a John Lewis Gift List.

Rob Martin, new business manager, at John Lewis, said: "We already have a strong customer base in our travel insurance services, so opening travel concessions in our shops feels like a natural step for John Lewis. People will be able to take time out from speaking to a personal travel expert to shop or have a coffee, and choose their holiday in a relaxed and inspiring environment.

"Kuoni's commitment to customer service and expert advice was a perfect fit for John Lewis, and we believe this will be a long-term and successful partnership. Our customers want the personal knowledge and expertise of speaking to someone who can help them get exactly what they want from their holiday."

Derek Jones, managing director at Kuoni said: "We are really excited about this partnership. Kuoni and John Lewis have a lot in common; we have a very similar customer base and share the same approach to business, putting customer service at the heart of everything we do.

"We know that our customers really value the expert personal knowledge we provide and the success of our High Street stores has shown that the best way to truly understand their needs is to spend time with them, face to face in the right surroundings. These concessions will allow us to bring our unique approach to travel retailing into John Lewis shops."

-ENDS-

About the John Lewis Partnership:
The John Lewis Partnership operates 37 John Lewis shops across the UK (29 department stores and eight John Lewis at home), johnlewis.com and 277 Waitrose supermarkets. The business has an annual turnover of nearly £8.7bn. It is the UK's largest example of worker co-ownership where all 81,000 staff are Partners in the business.

John Lewis is proud to be the official department store provider to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

About Kuoni:
Kuoni was established in 1906 in Switzerland by Alfred Kuoni, a visionary adventurer and explorer of his time who opened some of Europe's first travel agencies. Today Kuoni has branch operations in over 40 countries. Its portfolio includes: Thailand holidays, Grenada holidays, Cuba holidays, New York holidays and Las Vegas holidays.

Kuoni has come top of a Which? Recommended Provider survey, due to the company's reliability and 'excellent customer care'; been voted World's Leading Tour Operator for 11 years in a row at the World Travel Awards; Britain's Favourite Tour Operator as voted by the readers of Ultra Travel and the Daily Mail; and been voted Britain's Best Longhaul Tour Operator by travel agents for the past 29 years.

Kuoni recently opened 21 new stylish travel stores across the UK offering a new experience in travel retail with stylish decor, complimentary champagne, impeccable service and the expert knowledge of Personal Travel Experts.

PR contact:
Anne-Marie Hansen
Kuoni House
Deepdene Avenue
Dorking
Surrey
RH5 4AZ
01306 744 173
www.kuoni.co.uk