Thomas Cook working on small outlet model to reach clients

To tap into the growing middle class, travel services provider Thomas Cook is working on a model to reach out to its customers by setting up small outlets in high footfall areas such as malls and markets.
"We are increasingly looking at solutions to reach out to customers where they are. We are looking at a leaner, more efficient, technology-assisted outlet in places where customers are, rather than opening a branch and expecting customers to walk in," Thomas Cook India Chief Innovation Officer and Head (Marketing and Service Quality) Abraham Alapatt told PTI.
He further said: "We are looking at presence in high footfall areas such as markets and malls. We are looking at small, efficient, one-man, two-man stores equipped with mobile devices or tablets to transact."

Alapatt said smaller outlets will give more visibility to the company, especially in tier 2 and 3 cities. "We see big growth in tier 2 and 3 cities... Growing middle class is a big opportunity."
Going forward, Thomas Cook will focus more on operations through online platform.
"We are migrating more and more to online and online-assisted selling. We are leveraging our 'brick' model with 'click' model.
"A customer who logs on to our website can avail all services. You can book flight tickets, sight seeing, or buy foreign exchange online. We have seen tremendous response from people," Alapatt said.

He said that the company is bullish on initiatives -- Holiday Savings Account in association with IndusInd Bank and Travel Quest to focus on student travel -- which it recently launched to drive future growth.