The marketing research process : Margaret Crimp, second edition, Prentice/Hall International, London, 1985, £10.95

The travel agent, faced with an escalating number of travel products, faces difficult decisions about how to use the fixed cubic volume that is his retail outlet. This paper reports the findings of an exploratory survey which researched the merchandising decision-making of both independent and multiple agencies. Investigated were the following: utilisation of floor space, brochure grouping practices, brochure location within categories, policing of display space, selection of display equipment and point-of-sale material, use of window/air/floor display space and product selection. The findings are important on two counts: first, they suggest that tour operators and others wanting to obtain distribution and display space in travel agents will need to adopt a much more sophisticated approach to the multiple group operators than to the independents; second, they suggest that there is much scope for improving the productivity of travel agents, particularly the independents. Improved productivity, of course, means improved profitability.