Everything Everywhere, the business formed by the merger of T-mobile and Orange, is to pilot stores under its own name in five locations.
The shops, the first of which opens in Altrincham on February 18, are designed to deliver an interactive “21st century retail experience”.
They will incorporate features such as phone-charging – even for shoppers who are not Orange or T-Mobile customers – app download facilities and free wi-fi as well as showcasing the company’s own products.
New-model shops will also open in the next few weeks in Bishops Stortford, Eltham, Lowestoft and Evesham.
Existing T-mobile or Orange stores in each of place will be refitted with the new store based on which brand has the bigger market share locally and the other shop closed for the duration of the six-month trial.
Everything Everywhere vice-president of retail Andrew Coull said:
“This is the next leg in our journey about how to expand our retail estate. The economic conditions especially mean we need to transform the way we retail on the high street and become more creative.”
He said: “Accessories and mobile phones will be put together to make it more of fashionable environment, rather than an operational and technical environment.”
A “visual stock room”, where the products will be housed and on show behind glass panels, will allow staff to spend more time with customers.
Staff in the new stores will be financially rewarded based on team rather than individual performance.
Everything Everywhere also began testing dual-branded shops last year. Coull said they were performing ahead of expectations.
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