Virgin Holidays Unwraps its First Standalone Shop Just in Time for Christmas

LONDON, December 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

'HOLIDAY EMPORIUM' DESIGNED TO INSPIRE AND EXCITE CUSTOMERS

Virgin Holidays has opened its first standalone 'holiday emporium', on London's busy and prestigious High Street Kensington. The store joins the company's network of 100 concession outlets in Debenhams, House of Fraser, Tesco, Sainsbury's and 'pop up' shops already operating across the UK.

Split over two levels of approximately 1800sq foot of space, the store features dedicated 'pods' for Virgin Holidays, Virgin Holidays Cruises and Virgin Holidays+HIP Hotels, giving customers the chance to explore their options and discuss their specific holiday hopes in detail with the team of six expert staff. Substantial video walls, fresh graphics and the latest technology will bring our destinations to life and a spacious lounge-style setting, which evokes the popular and exclusive Virgin Holiday v-room and Concierge lounges to create a continuous theme throughout the customer's journey, will further encourage any visitors to browse, discover and learn more about the wide choice of options available, and the Virgin Holidays Rockstar Service approach.

Alongside the vibrant and playful design, standout elements that customers can look forward to include:

• An 'Experience area' with user-selectable content via iPads displayed on a super-sized video wall
• A 'holiday window'... a digital glimpse into some of our fabulous destinations
• Fresh design featuring bold graphics and quirky furnishings
• iPads to browse our brochures digitally and a games area for kids

Speaking at the opening, Virgin Holidays Managing Director Amanda Wills said,

"This is a very exciting day for Virgin Holidays. Our concession outlets have been very successful and the experiments we've conducted with 'pop up' standalone shops this year meant it was a natural evolution to do something more permanent. We're delighted to be able to be a part of the pre-Christmas buzz along this famous high street!

"Our customers tell us that buying their holiday forms an integral part of the whole holiday experience and they love to do it face to face. It's a big investment, both financially and emotionally, and they want it to feel special. We think the place where they make that purchase, and the people they make it with, should contribute to that excitement, inspiring their choices and instilling a sense of anticipation about the holiday they will take with us.

"We have created the kind of unforgettable customer experience that people expect of us, which you can't find elsewhere - and ultimately, that's what Virgin Holidays is all about. As our customers will see when they visit, it's more than just a shop."

The Virgin Holidays store can be found at 202A High Street Kensington, London, W8 and opens to customers on 14^th December 2011.

Notes to editors:

Images of the new store are available on request.

About Virgin Holidays:

Virgin Holidays is the UK's leading Worldwide Holiday Company with adventures to the USA, the Caribbean, Africa, Dubai, Mauritius, Maldives and Australasia. 

As one of the top travel companies in the UK, Virgin Holidays strives to deliver amazing holiday experiences to all customers. Formed in 1985 following the creation of Virgin Atlantic, and built on the Virgin principles of excellent customer service, high quality and value for money, Virgin Holidays offers maximum convenience and flexibility with an emphasis on fun and excitement. The brand is particularly known for its 'Rockstar Service' approach to customer service, where honesty and reliability is delivered with a sense of fun and an innovative twist.