Telecommunications firm EE is to consolidate its store portfolio, closing up to 78 stores months after rebranding ahead of the launch of its 4G service, it has been announced today.
Last October, the retailer, formerly operating as Everything Everywhere following the merger of mobile operators Orange UK and T-Mobile in 2010, rebranded itself as EE and confirmed the exclusive launch of its 4G service.
Since the initial merger, in some cases the retailer has traded from two stores on the same high street and a spokesperson said that this latest move hopes to reduce this while it looks to move staff to other locations.
“Following the successful launch of EE, and the rebranding of former Orange and T-Mobile stores last year, we are determined to maintain momentum, and continue to drive growth,” the spokesperson commented.
“Consequently we have reviewed our retail estate to improve the service our customers are receiving on the high street.
“As part of this, where we have two EE stores in very close proximity to each other – in some places they are just a door away – we have decided to consolidate.
“This makes commercial sense and will also help us manage the high levels of demand in our stores and improve the customer experience.
“All front line staff will be moving to the other store which will boost service levels significantly. A store can only have one manager, so we will look to redeploy the small number of affected managers where possible.”
EE‘s decision to reduce its presence on British high streets comes during a hugely turbulent week for the retail sector, which has seen the administration of four household names including HMV and Blockbuster in just a week as tough trading conditions and the popularity of online shopping continue to damage bricks and mortar stores.
