Thomas Cook in St Albans to remain open

ONE of the UK’s leading travel retailers, Thomas Cook, has confirmed that its store in St Albans city centre will not close as part of nationwide restructuring.

Joanna Wild, managing director of the Thomas Cook Co-operative retail network, today (Thursday) said: “We can confirm that the Thomas Cook St Albans store [St Peter’s Street] has not been affected by the current plans to close stores.”

She said Thomas Cook was continually reviewing the store network to ensure it was “best placed” to remain one of the UK’s leading travel retailers.

In a statement released yesterday Thomas Cook Group said it had begun consultation for restructuring of its UK business.

It added: “This process will see the group’s UK workforce reduced by 2,500 full-time roles, mostly in back office functions and its retail network, including some store closures.

“The group currently employs 15,500 across the UK and Ireland.”

Peter Fankhauser, CEO continental Europe and UK said that Thomas Cook “owed it to our customers” to keep administrative costs as low as possible.

However the business wanted to maintain a “strong presence on the High Street”.

Peter said: “We are in consultation with our unions and employee representative bodies to minimise the impact of these changes.”