Retail Sector: Ireland continues its love affair with the mobile phone, as evidenced by the remarkable expansion programme set by Carphone Warehouse.
The company has opened 11 mobile phone stores in the past nine months and is planning to open an additional 14 stores over the next year. It describes this rate of expansion as the largest of its kind here for any retailer.
It currently has 46 stores across Ireland. Its first opened 10 years ago in Grafton Street, when mobiles were twice the size they are today and the market was much smaller. It employs 350 in these outlets and another 80 will be hired to run the new commercial units being taken by the company.
The next unit to come on stream will be in Deerpark Retail Park Killarney with the doors to open in early July. This is the first time the company has selected a location outside the normal high street/shopping centre environment, says the company's head of property, David McKenna.
Access to foot traffic along high streets has been the key to success for Carphone Warehouse and other mobile vendors, as customers respond to the product more like a fashion commodity than a communications tool.
The company describes itself as the largest mobile retailer in Europe with 2,000 stores located in 10 countries.
"The expansion to date has run extremely smoothly. However, we are still looking for additional locations in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford along with other well located units in towns with a population of 10,000-plus," says McKenna.
The company "represents an excellent tenant to have within their scheme or portfolio, both in terms of covenant and enhancement of the retail offer", he adds.
