UK : Orange announced the continued rollout of new stores across the UK, with a new store in Southampton opening this week. Around 60 stores are scheduled to open throughout this year and into 2009 across sites including Southampton, Bristol Cabot Circus and White City in London, building on Orange’s existing 338 outlets. The locations have been chosen to increase Orange’s accessibility, so that the majority of the population are within reasonable travelling distance of an Orange shop. The store openings follow on from the plans CEO Tom Alexander outlined in June, to deliver better quality, innovation and service to its customers.
Orange is also undertaking an extensive re-furbishment programme with another 100 stores set to undergo a makeover in the next year.
The new and re-furbished stores will be based on the innovative design of Cardiff’s flagship city centre shop, following its success since the opening last year. The stores will be designed to enhance the shopping experience, display our full product range from mobiles to laptops and to improve customer service, with a clean, stylish look and feel and open floor space. Features will include modernised displays for PAYM phones, making it easier for customers to browse and view the products on show as well as a dedicated space highlighting Orange only offers.
The new store layouts will include private consultation areas for customers, with PCs and screens to connect people to the information they need, as well as phones for calling customer services for free. Orange has also kick started its trial which will bring new customer service hubs into retail so that staff can resolve customers issues in-store. In addition, the shops will be fitted with easy to read signage and a new black exterior will ensure instant brand recognition.
Sian Doyle, Director of Retail, Orange, said: “We are already seeing the benefit our refurbishment programme has on customer sales and that is why it is fundamental that all our stores, new and old reflect the needs of the 21st century customer. Combining this with the increase in our footprint means that Orange Retail stores will create an enjoyable shopping environment that offers the latest technology and highest standard of customer service for everyone to enjoy at their convenience.”
New stores to open this year: Southampton, Bristol Cabot Circus, London, Belfast, Edinburgh, Livingstone, and Portsmouth
Some of the stores set for refurbishment are : Derby, Trafford Park, Brighton, Dudley Merry Hill and the Bullring in Birmingham.
