Everything Everywhere, Telefonica UK and Vodafone UK to form mobile marketing and payments joint venture
Britain's biggest communications company expands retails presence.
The UK's leading communications company, Everything Everywhere, today announced that it plans to launch 30 new stores in the UK this year.
The company, which was created by the successful merger of Orange and T-Mobile and already has over 720 stores, is looking to expand its retail presence as the demand for new communications services grows among British consumers.
The 30 new stores, which will see new jobs added on the high street, will be branded Everything Everywhere and will offer Orange and T-Mobile products and services, giving consumers access to more choice and the best range of products and services available in a direct-retail environment.
Everything Everywhere stores are designed to give customers an enticing, visual and interactive experience in order to "inspire, excite and educate." The stores showcase new apps, smartphones and tablets from the biggest names in the industry, and put the focus on service rather than just sales. Store staff receive extensive training, with a focus on helping customers discover more from their mobile devices.
The move follows a series of ongoing retail trials by the company including joint Orange and T-Mobile stores, Orange and T-Mobile concession stores, and Everything Everywhere-branded stores.
The trials of the Everything Everywhere stores showed that footfall was up over 25% compared to other communications retail stores, and that customers were 60% more likely to recommend Orange and T-Mobile products and services due to the focus on service experience and the amount of time spent with customers.
Tom Alexander, CEO of Everything Everywhere, said: "The new stores will be branded Everything Everywhere and will sell Orange and T-Mobile products. It means that by the end of this year we'll have created more opportunities for our people, more choice for our customers and more potential for our business."
He added: "The trial results have already shown us that we’ve tapped into an incredibly successful and highly engaging customer experience formula within the Everything Everywhere format, and that our two brands Orange and T-Mobile, as well as our customers, are benefiting."
Everything Everywhere also confirmed that it will continue trialing other retail formats – including concession and 50/50 joint Orange and T-Mobile stores.
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The Everything Everywhere stores have been designed to give customers an enticing, visual and interactive experience. With a clean and simple architectural design, the glass store fronts give customers a clear view into the store and straight to the back of the shop floor, with no posters or other signage obscuring the view. Other features such as a visual stock room, where the shop’s products are housed and showcased behind glass panels, also complement the spacious design throughout the stores.
Branded Everything Everywhere on the external fascia and inside, the stores are designed to allow customers to:
- Interact with "live" devices and tablets (most mobile shops still range only dummy phones in-store) and get the most out of their phones
- Download the latest applications direct to their handsets (via the interactive 'touch and play' app screens)
- Charge their phones (even if they’re not Orange or T-Mobile customers)
- Build and buy the package that suits them (via an interactive video screen)
- Hang out and go online (using the store's free wi-fi)
- Get their phone repaired via the store
- Transfer of contacts, free from their existing phone to their new phone
- Manage their account in store (checking their bill, payment of their account or checking they’re on the right plan)
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Media Contacts:
Everything Everywhere Press office: Everything.everywhere@golinharris.com or 0870 373 1500
About EE
EE is the most advanced digital communications company in Britain, providing mobile and fixed line services to 27 million customers, and will soon become the first company in the UK to provide 4G mobile services alongside fixed-line fibre.
EE is the company that runs the Orange and T-Mobile brands in the UK, and will be launching its new superfast 4G brand – EE – in the coming weeks.
Its 4G service will cover a third of the population by the end of 2012 and its fibre service will cover 50% of the population by the end of the year.
EE's mobile service currently provides coverage to 99% of the population with 2G and 98% of the population with 3G
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