£168.5 million added to the UK economy per year from shoppers visiting Vodafone and Three stores and surrounding local retailers
- VodafoneThree commits to the UK high street through the transformation of its brands' retail stores
- Millions of pounds will be spent on transforming retail locations, creating local spaces to connect, discover and get support from experts
- Planned commitment to remain in every town the stores already have a presence, VodafoneThree will have the largest retail footprint of any mobile network operator, supporting over 4,500 jobs. Three will also now be available in over 130 new locations, bringing greater choice to more customers across the UK
- The announcement comes as research from Centre for Retail Research shows people continue to value physical stores as spaces to connect, receive advice and learn about the latest handset models
- The research also calculates that retail spending associated with visiting Vodafone and Three stores and surrounding retailers generates £168.5 million per year for the UK economy, plus another £61.2m for local hospitality
- VodafoneThree plans to evolve its brands' stores from purely retail spaces into hubs for support and service with 55.4% of people saying that technical advice from a human reduces stress and 68.7% in favour of stores repairing phones as well as selling them, also stimulating the circular economy.
LONDON , April 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- VodafoneThree is transforming its retail estate following the successful merger of Vodafone and Three, as customers continue to value in person advice and support in high streets up and down the country.
VodafoneThree is injecting millions of pounds into its retail locations and plans to remain in every town it currently has a presence. From 14th April onwards, stores will start offering products and support for Vodafone and Three customers under one roof, as it establishes the largest retail footprint of any mobile network operator in the UK, supporting more than 4,500 jobs.
The commitment to the high street follows modelling from the Centre of Retail Research which finds that despite the growing popularity of online shopping, Brits still want to visit a store to browse, purchase, or get support for products and services, benefitting local communities and businesses.
The research shows 28.9% of people say that Vodafone and Three stores are the single biggest sources of information on new phone models, ahead of social media (20.4%) and online articles and websites (14.8%) for customers.
With a fifth of visits to Vodafone and Three stores coming from customers who would not otherwise have visited the high street, the Centre for Retail Research calculates that retail spending associated with visiting the stores and surrounding retailers generates £168.5 million per year for the UK economy, plus another £61.2m from local hospitality.
Customers also still prefer to see, touch and feel phones on display (28.7%) before purchasing, as well as discussing plans and contracts with our in-store experts (24.6%).
For older age groups, human support whilst shopping is still crucial. Those aged 30-65 years made up just over 54% of total visits, with 42.1% of the over-65 age group choosing to visit a store to upgrade their devices. This is particularly important as VodafoneThree continues to commit to supporting better digital inclusion across the UK. Indeed, the ability to get help with setting up a new phone, transferring files and having it ready to use, is the most common reason for customers to visit a store in person.
VodafoneThree plans to evolve its stores from purely retail spaces to hubs for support and advice with the introduction of services like 'Fix & Go' by Vodafone*, with 55.4% of people saying that technical advice from a human reduces stress and anxiety and 68.7% saying it would be beneficial for the stores to repair phones as well as sell them. This also helps to stimulate the circular economy, supporting sustainability and ethical markets for re-cycling second-hand devices.
The transformation will include flagship stores in major cities, with the first of those expected to be in London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Birmingham and Cardiff.
Jon Shaw, Consumer Operations Director, VodafoneThree, said: "We know how important stores like ours are to the health of the high street and the communities which rely on them. From shopping devices, seeking support from our experts or getting their phone repaired, we are proud to serve our customers where they are and reaffirm our commitment to the UK high street. The stores will help bring our brands to more people, offering customers more choice and greater value, as we build the UK's best network."
Professor Joshua Bamfield, Centre for Retail Research, said: "The UK high street is facing challenges, with 18,937 store closures and void rates of around 13.7% in 2025. Whilst other sectors like banks are withdrawing from the high street, it's very encouraging to see retailers like VodafoneThree acknowledge the importance of retail presence to local communities and economies. We've seen the impact a successful retail sector can have in towns and communities, not only for stores like VodafoneThree's brands, but for surrounding businesses and industries like hospitality."
Notes to Editors
A sample of 1,200 visitors to 30 VodafoneThree mobile phone stores was interviewed in January and February 2026 by CRR interviewers. A copy of the questionnaire used is included as an appendix. In order to provide a representative sample, the stores chosen were in shopping areas and shopping malls of city and town centres in a variety of locations in all corners of the United Kingdom, from Great Yarmouth to Burnley, from Leeds to Glasgow Buchanan Street, and from Belfast to Winchester.
*Fix & Go by Vodafone is currently available at 18 stores across the UK, including: Burnley, Belfast Victoria Square, Cardiff, Edinburgh West, Glasgow Buch Street, Hanley Potteries, Hull St Stephens, Leicester, London Brent Cross, London Oxford Street, London Stratford, London White City, Manchester Trafford, Plymouth, Reading Oracle Centre, Southampton West Quay, Sunderland and Swindon.
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About VodafoneThree
VodafoneThree is the UK's largest mobile provider serving fixed and mobile customers, formed following the merger of Vodafone UK and Three UK in June 2025.
Through an unprecedented £11 billion investment, VodafoneThree will build the UK's best network. The network will deliver reliable, quality connectivity to all nations and regions, creating as many as 13,000 jobs and laying a digital foundation for the country's growth ambitions. VodafoneThree is the only mobile network operator with a fully funded, regulated and guaranteed network build plan, reaching 99.96% population coverage by 2034. From big cities to small towns, and everywhere in between, the company's mission is to build the UK's best network.
VodafoneThree is a private company, 51% owned by Vodafone and 49% owned by CK Hutchison Holdings. It encompasses all businesses and assets, including Vodafone UK, Three UK, VOXI Mobile, SMARTY and Talkmobile.
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www.vodafonethree.com
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About the Centre for Retail Research
The Centre for Retail Research (CRR), now in its twenty-ninth year, is an independent research group specialising in retail and consumer research projects in Britain and Western Europe. The CRR examines customer-spending trends, the changing retail marketplace, the growth of online retailing, technology and changing payment systems. Its reports on the retail sector are widely quoted by the BBC, ITV, The Economist, The Times, Wall Street Journal, Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail, the Sun, The Guardian and even Google's AI. It has conducted work for major retailers, including John Lewis & Partners, Tesco, Next, Currys, Sainsbury's, The Co-operative and Boots Group, the British Retail Consortium, and for third-party companies such as Visa Europe, RetailMeNot, Axis Communications, Kelkoo, Samsung, Voucher Codes, Checkpoint and Sony.
The Director of the Centre for Retail Research is Professor Joshua Bamfield, an economist and Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society, who holds degrees from Oxford and Nottingham Universities, his dissertation topic being the measurement of sources of retail productivity. He has taught economics and strategic management in British Universities, managed MBA and undergraduate courses, and has implemented EPOS and back-office systems in several British retailers and suppliers. The CRR was originally a research group at a British university. He has given expert evidence about retail change to committees of the House of Commons and the House of Lords.
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