Above shows photos of the Heathrow Terminal 5 shop - click for larger photos

Europe UK : Later this month Vodafone UK will open four new stores in prime locations across London and Belfast bringing the total number of outlets in its estate to 347. Among the first to open will be Heathrow Terminal 5 and London St Pancras station, followed by high street stores in Islington and Belfast.

The Terminal 5 store at Heathrow airport will open on 27 March and will replace the Vodafone store in Terminal 1 with an even more comprehensive line up of products and services. The store will be situated between the UK side of departures and customs so will be open to both air-side passengers and land-side airport staff and visitors.

The London St Pancras store will be located in The Circle, the terminal’s prominent shopping and dining area which is adjacent to the main entrance. The store will open on 28th March.

The new stores in Islington and Belfast, which will be open by late March/early April, will further boost Vodafone UK’s presence on the high street. The Belfast store will be one of the first to open in the newly built, and eagerly awaited, Victoria Square shopping centre, while the Islington store will occupy a prime spot on Liverpool Road.

In June 2006 Vodafone unveiled its new concept in store design which made a bold change to the appearance of the store, making it more customer-friendly and efficient. Each of the new stores will follow the award winning design, which includes defined zones such as a ‘self-service’ area at the front of the store for products including phone covers and top-up cards, as well as online self-help, while at the back of the store there will be a ‘pharmacy for phones’ where customers can receive advice on a phone or service. There will also be a distinct area for business customers, as well as sales pods with working handsets so customers can try live services like Vodafone Mobile Internet. All stores will also have the award winning ‘Q-Management’ technology, a tool that ensures customers know how long they have to wait and are served quickly.

“We are extremely pleased to be adding to our retail estate. With more and more exciting products and service coming onto the market it is very important that customers can talk to an expert, play with the latest phones, and experience the latest mobile broadband speeds first hand so that they can make an informed decision,” said Tom Devine, director of consumer sales for Vodafone UK. “The new stores at London St Pancras and Heathrow Terminal 5 are particularly important for Vodafone customers who travel frequently and need last minute top-ups, or advice on roaming services or working while on the move. These prime locations will help us to ensure we can give customers even more choice and assistance when and where they need it.”

Yesterday Vodafone UK announced it will be recruiting 330 retail advisors as part of its commitment to ensure customers across the UK receive the best customer service experience.

Since launching the new store concept, a multi-million pound investment has been made to roll out to over 150 stores