Retailer expects to increase the number of stores from 50 to more than 80 in the next 12 months
Fonehouse says it will reignite its expansion plans by adding 30 new retail stores by the end of next year – despite previous failed attempts to do this.
The retailer currently has around 50 franchise stores – the same number it had in April 2012 when it set out plans to have 100 stores open within 12 months. It originally hoped to have as many as 170 by the end of this year.
Fonehouse managing director Clive Bayley (pictured) claimed to have seen a rise in interest from customers wishing to join the franchise scheme as well as a number of current franchisees looking to open additional stores.
In the past month, Fonehouse has opened new stores in Hanley in Stoke-on-Trent and Hawick in Scotland. A further six will open by Christmas, including stores in Coventry, Coleridge in Birmingham and Washington, Tyne and Wear, in the north-east of England.
Bayley said: “A lot of people are still showing interest in joining us, which shows the traction the franchise programme has gained. If we can continue this momentum, I’m confident we can open up to 30 stores before the end of next year.
“Achieving that will be done with minimal closures as we’ve already closed the stores we want to close.
“A lot of partners are opening up their second store now. That’s the acid test – when a partner is opening more than one store, we know the programme is working. With the introduction of the iPhone 5 and the roll-out of EE’s 4G network, business couldn’t be better.”
