Vodafone announces 150 new UK shops and 1,400 jobs
Vodafone says it’s going to open 150 new shops across the UK, creating 1,400 jobs.
The mobile phone giant is injecting a £100m boost into Britain’s high streets, taking its investment across the country to £1bn this year.
The firm’s 2014 capital investment programme is the biggest in its history.
Prime Minister David Cameron has, unsurprisingly, voiced support for the move, calling it a “vote of confidence” for the UK workforce. It'll help, he says, "ensure a better and more financially secure future for Britain, for hardworking people and their families."
Vodafone’s announcement follows one from Samsung, which is planning 60 new stores, and merger talks between Carphone Warehouse and Dixons.
Vodafone UK chief executive, Jeroen Hoencamp, said:
We're also committed to putting our brand and our people where our customers want us: right at the heart of their high street and shopping centre. Our £100m retail investment this year will increase our ability to serve our customers better with highly skilled personal advice and support in 150 brand-new locations.
The new openings will take the number of Vodafone branded outlet stores to over 500.
The firm confirms the first shops to open as part of this programme will be in Notting Hill, Fulham, Walthamstow, Wembley, Ilford, Perry Barr and Bicester.