O2 UK Offer 4G and 5G Mobile Plans from Inside Clothing Stores

Mobile firm O2 (Telefonica UK) has today announced a curious new partnership with high street fashion chain NEXT, which will see the operator trial pop-up stores (Shop-in-Shop) in four of NEXT’s superstores across the country (Warrington Gemini, Southampton Hedge End, Swindon Orbital and Nottingham Giltbrook).

Apparently each “experimental” store will be approximately 650 sq. ft. in size, offering a range of products and services in line with those of traditional O2 stores. Assuming all goes well then O2 has expressed “ambitions to roll out more widely in the coming months.”

The first stores, in Warrington and Southampton, will open on Friday 25th October 2019, with stores in Swindon and Nottingham to follow in November 2019.

Gareth Turpin, Sales Director at O2, said:

“We are delighted to be working with NEXT plc on the launch of our Shop-in-Shop trial. The current challenges facing the high street are never far from the headlines, but we are committed to driving innovation within our retail business by embracing flexibility.

By working with NEXT plc – one of the nation’s most recognisable retailers – customers will be able to browse and purchase O2 products and services alongside NEXT plc’s range of clothing and homeware. This, we believe, will make the retail experience even more convenient for customers.

We look forward to hearing their feedback on the trial and are excited to roll this out more widely in the coming months.”

The decision to mix mobile services and handsets with clothing and fashion is an odd one, although supermarkets like Tesco have arguably already taken a similar approach; but then you’d expect that from them. As ever the proof will be in the sales figures.