Click and Trip is an acronym that refers to a service that allows consumers to buy products online and then pick them up in person from a retail location. Also known as buy online pickup in store (BOPIS) or curbside pickup, the service has become popular during the COVID-19 pandemic because it puts shoppers in control of their shopping experience and eliminates the possibility that packages could be delayed by couriers or delivered to the wrong address.
TravelPerk, a travel management platform that reduces the cost and complexity of business travel for companies of all sizes, acquired Click Travel in a deal that was announced on July 6. The acquisition, which will be completed this month, is TravelPerk’s third and largest since the start of the pandemic, and it cements the company’s position as the leading platform for business travel in the UK.
The purchase will bring together Click Travel’s British market expertise and customer base with TravelPerk’s award-winning travel management platform and world-class inventory. The combination will provide a 7-star business travel booking and reporting experience that is designed to be both user friendly and enterprise scale. The company says that it will retain all of Click Travel’s employees and plans to eventually fully integrate the Birmingham-based team into its existing operations.
In addition to its global booking and expense management capabilities, Click Travel offers a number of other services, including risk mitigation, business intelligence, and policy compliance. The company’s clients include everyone from solo entrepreneurs who need to book a train down to London to the entire workforce of a large corporation.
Although there has been some domestic hand-wringing over a high growth, UK business being sold to a European rival, it is not yet clear whether there will be any significant impact on jobs at the new entity. According to Crunchbase, Click Travel appears to have raised relatively little venture capital over its long run and only recently participated in the government-backed Future Fifty program. However, it did attract a “multi-million pound” investment from the UK’s Business Growth Fund last year.
Founded all the way back in 1999, Click Travel seems to have survived the pandemic with flying colors and remains highly profitable. It also seems to have avoided any layoffs throughout the crisis, so it’s not clear what effect the acquisition will have on its staffing levels. Regardless, it will be interesting to see how the two companies evolve in the wake of the merger. As the most successful business travel platforms currently on the market, both TravelPerk and Click Travel have something unique to offer customers and both will likely continue to thrive. We’ll keep you updated as we learn more about the future of these two companies. In the meantime, check out our article on the best business travel apps to download this summer.