Store numbers to exceed 800, taking it past Carphone Warehouse as the biggest UK mobile retailer by reach
Phones 4U is to open up to 100 new stores next year as part of its strategy to “revolutionise” the shopping experience of its customers.
The retailer has added around 123 new stores in the past 18 months, around 100 of which opened in 2012 alone.
Phones 4U retail strategy and customer director, Tom Shorten, told Mobile News earlier this month a similar deployment is now planned for next year.
This would take store numbers to more than 800, including 150 concessions stores in Curry’s and PC World.
It would also see Phones 4U overtake Carphone Warehouse’s store count of 791 to become the UK’s biggest retailer in terms of reach.
The additional stores would also create hundreds of new retail jobs, expanding on Phone’s 4U CEO Tim Whiting’s expectations of creating 500 new positions by the end of this year.
New strategy
Shorten also revealed the roll-out will coincide with Phones 4U’s new retail strategy, which he claims will “revolutionise” the shopping experience for customers.
This, he says, will include a new store design and selected stores focusing specifically on customer retention.
A new service enabling customers to purchase items online, but collect them from stores, is also to be introduced. Shorten said this will encourage Phones 4U’s online customers to visit its stores.
“The key thing is, as our offering matures around connectivity we look at the different types of stores we can open. The store change will be a revolution rather than an evolution in terms of customer experience.”
