Winged Boots to Launch its First Retail Store on Shenfield High Street

Winged Boots, our personal travel concierge company, is opening its first retail store on Shenfield High Street in May 2025, with plans for a series of units to follow soon.

Since its launch in 2008, Winged Boots has seen remarkable growth, operating from its Romford headquarters and supported by a nationwide team of remote travel specialists.

The new store – and future units – presents an immense opportunity for growth nationwide and a way to expand the brand’s The Extra Mile event programme and continue to meet more face-to-face clients, a model that has proven effective for the travel company in recent years. In 2024, Winged Boots met 400 clients across 16 different events including private dinners, charity clay pigeon shoot days and golf days, spending 30% of its annual marketing budget. The Extra Mile event programme is credited as being integral to Winged Boots achieving a 70% YOY retention rate.

Work on the first retail store is set to commence this week, after months of planning with a local, first-class interior designer. David Ox, managing director at Winged Boots, says: “We have made a significant investment in the Shenfield store’s look and feel. We’re committed to executing a quality build with high-quality finishes to reflect the elevated service levels of our brand. We want all clients who visit our store to instantly feel at ease and know that they will be looked after from the moment they step through our doors until they step off the plane upon return to Terminal 5.”

“We chose Shenfield as the location for our first store as it’s where my brother and I have lived for many years. We were educated at Brentwood School, which is around the corner from the store’s location, and we’re proud to still be affiliated with the school by being its first 1622 Corporate Partner, whereby we have funded a two-year bursary in the school’s sixth form for a local student.”

“We already have a strong client base already within the area and are keen to further enhance our presence within the local community.”

The store also presents job opportunities for experienced travel agents within the local area to work in the shop. David says: “We’re looking for agents with unmatched worldwide travel knowledge who are confident in selling luxury holidays in a face-to-face environment. To apply, please visit the Ocean Holidays website before 7th March 2025.”

Once open, the store will offer the same exceptional Winged Boots customer service, elevated by being in a face-to-face environment with private one-to-one appointments. Clients will be offered light refreshments while their dedicated personal travel manager learns more about their holiday requirements to ensure they craft the perfect trip.

“Ahead of this exciting new venture, we have sought advice from other industry leaders, including our friends at Swords Travel, a successful retail agent based in leafy Wimbledon. They were happy to reveal their thoughts on what makes retail work and kindly shared some invaluable advice,” David Ox says.

“Alongside this, we’ve collated lots of essential information from like-minded luxury brands outside of travel, as well as precious tips from local businesses, all of which we have absorbed and soaked in the Winged Boots way. We’re confident that our new-found recipe will ensure huge success on the high street and that Shenfield will be one of many new stores opening soon.”