Vodafone has announced plans to take over at least 24 empty premises by the end of this year, and open new franchise stores in them.
The new shops will be part of Vodafone’s franchise programme, with to of the planned openings already taking place in Morecambe and St Austell.
The company has said that its new franchisees will not have to pay an upfront cost, and that their stores will already come stocked with the latest smartphones and wearables.
Vodafone has said that its stores attract more than 20 million visits per year and still account for the majority of its sales.
Vodafone UK chief executive Nick Jeffery said: “New services have helped us become the fastest growing home broadband provider this year and attract thousands of new mobile customers every week. With this momentum, we are looking to extend our high street presence so that we can provide face-to-face advice and support to even more customers.”
