News 2004
Virgin Mobile expands high street presence with Specialist Stores in WH Smith outlets
31/08/2004
Virgin Mobile Holdings (UK) plc (Virgin Mobile) announced today an agreement with WH Smith plc (WH Smith) to trial Virgin Mobile Specialist Stores in eight WHSmith outlets. The Specialist Stores will be identical in format to those within Virgin Megastores and Virgin Xpress outlets and will be staffed by dedicated Virgin Mobile staff creating thirty-two new jobs.
The Specialist Stores will be located in some of WH Smiths prime high street locations in Croydon, Leicester (Fosse Park), Leeds, Tunbridge Wells, Birmingham, Coventry, York (Monks Cross) and Guildford and will benefit from WHSmith’s high footfall. The initial one year trial period will commence on 1st October 2004, after which there is the option to roll out the concept to further of WHSmith’s 500 stores.
The WHSmith sites complement the existing 130 Virgin Mobile Specialist Stores located in Virgin Megastores or Virgin Xpress outlets. Virgin Mobile is currently introducing dedicated staff to all such outlets. To date Virgin Mobile staff have been introduced into 86 Specialist Stores, which has increased the numbers of customers being signed up through this channel.
Graeme Hutchinson, Virgin Mobile’s sales and marketing director, said; “We are delighted to be expanding our distribution footprint with a great high street name like WH Smith. These specialist ‘Stores within a Store’ will be staffed by Virgin Mobile’s own people providing customers with the exceptional service that marks out Virgin Mobile from its competitors.”
For further information contact:
| Virgin Mobile | Steven Day |
| 07931 777777 or | |
| 020 7484 4300 | |
| Finsbury | James Murgatroyd |
| Julius Duncan | |
| Don Hunter | |
| 020 7251 3801 | |
About Virgin Mobile:
Virgin Mobile Holdings (UK) plc, the UK's largest mobile virtual network operator, is majority owned by Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group and uses T-Mobile's network.
In the UK, Virgin Mobile phones are available direct on 0845 6000 600 or on the High Street at approximately 5,000 outlets including Virgin Mobile Specialist Stores, Virgin Megastores, Sainsbury, Tesco, Safeway, Asda, John Lewis, Littlewoods, Argos, The Link, Dixons, Carphone Warehouse, Curry's, Comet, Phones 4 U, TOMO, Woolworths, Toys R Us and Rymans.
Virgin Mobile employs approximately 1,400 staff at three sites, Trowbridge, London and Daventry, and has an outsourced customer service centre operated by approximately 200 staff in Middlesbrough. It has been voted one of the top 50 places to work in Britain for two years running in an annual Financial Times survey.
Virgin Mobile's customers are considered the most satisfied in the pre-pay sector according to a recent UK survey by market researchers JD Power and Associates.
