Phone shop to take on 24 new stores by the end of the year
Vodafone will take on at least 24 empty premises by the end of this year and fit them out as new retail stores as part of its franchise programme.
The first of the new stores opened this month in Morecambe, Lancashire, and St Austell, Cornwall. The brand plans to use vacant retail outlets to help breathe life into high streets and offer local entrepreneurs the chance to manage the new stores.
This is the first time that Vodafone is extending its franchise operation to include empty shops.
Vodafone UK chief executive officer Nick Jeffery said: “As a business with its roots in the UK, we are keen to do what we can to help local communities, whether that is giving local entrepreneurs the opportunity to be their own boss of a retail store or extending our network to remote areas.”
“New services have helped us become the fastest growing home broadband provider this year and attract thousands of new mobile customers every week. With this momentum, we are looking to extend our high street presence so that we can provide face-to-face advice and support to even more customers.”
