Star sellers from Apollo Blinds have lived it up on a trip to Monaco after topping the company’s sales league.

 

Eight franchise owners from stores in Glasgow, Cardiff, Stirling, Salisbury, Chatham, Harrow, Perth and Kirkcaldy were treated like royalty on the jaunt to the Mediterranean principality.

 

The cream of the crop of Apollo Blinds’ network enjoyed fine dining at top restaurants, helicopter rides over the marinas, trips to the casino and shopping excursions as a reward for their hard work.

 

The company runs an annual incentive scheme as a way of boosting sales and this year it was a significant factor in keeping the business in a healthy position, according to general manager Gary Chambers.

 

“The trip to Monaco symbolised everything that is good about the network of franchise owners we have at Apollo Blinds,” he said.

 

“All Apollo Blinds stores deserve a medal for surviving the last 18 months. Many of our businesses have been over performing in the current climate and have delivered great sales in what has been a very challenging time and they deserve to be recognised for their achievements and reap the rewards.

 

“All of those businesses that went to Monaco traded very well thus proving that sales are there for the taking.”

 

Tony and Julie Holt from Chatham, Kent, typify the desire of Apollo Blinds franchise owners to generate business.

 

“We will have maximised every opportunity within our franchise network,” said Julie. “We have even done promotions using loss leaders as part of a campaign to continually get us in front of customers and keep the name Apollo Blinds upmost in the minds of local people."

 

Chambers added that as well as stimulating sales, the incentives had proved popular and created friendly rivalry within the network from franchise owners vying with each other to book their seats on the plane.