- 153 Currys PC World stores to reopen on 15 June with social distancing and hygiene measures in place
- Dedicated ‘Tech Help Hubs’ to offer in-store customer service no matter where or when products were purchased
- Currys PC World and Carphone Warehouse colleagues on-hand to offer services including repairs, refunds and exchanges as well as expert tech advice
- Zero-contact order and collect, and Shoplive virtual personal shopping services available across the UK
Dixons Carphone is to begin a phased reopening of its UK stores with a multitude of safe shopping options and a focus on customer service to help customers enjoy amazing technology, however they choose to shop.
Closely following government advice, the company behind brands including Currys PC World and Carphone Warehouse, will offer five ways to shop*, keeping customers and colleagues safe and providing vital technology and services during the pandemic.
From 15 June, 153 Currys PC World stores featuring Carphone Warehouse will reopen in a variety of ways and be ready to help customers with expert services, whether customers are looking to return, repair or exchange products, recycle old technology for free, or simply have questions about technology.
The reopenings will be phased, beginning on 15 June with the full reopening of 42 stores in England, the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland that were previously only providing order and collect services. On the same day, a further 89 stores in England and Northern Ireland offering front-of-store trading will reopen with the intention of operating from the full store from 18 June.
Alongside usual services, these stores will be running dedicated ‘Tech Help Hubs’ to support customers looking for more information on any technology item. Products can be any age and do not have to have been purchased from Currys PC World.
Ten stores in Wales and Scotland will continue to operate order and collect services, accompanied by 12 additional stores on 15 June. When these regions announce it is safe to do so, those stores will also open their doors to customers.
All stores will reopen with rigorous social distancing and hygiene measures in place, adhering to government standards. Dixons Carphone has successfully tested social distancing and hygiene standards in its overseas stores where shops have remained open and have traded safely through the Covid-19 pandemic. The retailer has worked closely on safety measures with the British Retail Consortium and Environmental Health Officers.
Dixons Carphone, Chief Operating Officer, Mark Allsop, said: “We said we’d offer customers many ways of shopping safely with us as soon as the government gave us the green light to reopen our stores, and that’s what we’re now doing.
“With our safe shopping approach, we’re able to give customers the vital help and technology they need to stay healthy, connected, productive and entertained during the pandemic.
“We’re ready with all appropriate safety measures in place and a focus on customer service for those who haven’t been able to visit us until now and who have questions about tech. We’re excited to be able to welcome our customers back in our stores and our colleagues are ready to give them all the expert help they need.”
*The ways of shopping that customers will see in Currys PC World stores are:
Zero-contact drive thru order and collect
This service allows customers to pick up items without having to come into contact with anyone else and is available in all UK and Republic of Ireland Currys PC World stores as they reopen.
After buying items at Currys.co.uk , customers are invited to drive to dedicated parking spots outside their local Currys PC World store where their purchases are brought out and placed safely into their vehicle by colleagues. A walk-up version, where customers can safely collect items ordered online, is also be available outside each store.
The innovation has been piloted at selected stores in England for the last three weeks, taking more than 55,000 orders in that time.
Front-of-store trading
From 15 to 18 June, 89 stores in England and Northern Ireland will initially only allow customers access to a reduced area.
Here they will interact with colleagues from behind screens while observing government-recommended social distancing. Currys PC World and Carphone Warehouse experts will be on-hand, at a safe distance, for any questions or to fetch products for customers. Customers will be able to receive services such as repairs, returns, refunds and exchanges.
From 18 June, those 89 stores will open for safe shopping with full store access.
Safe shopping with full store access
As with front-of-store trading, each store will receive increased and more regular cleaning, as well as extra protective equipment for colleagues. Safety measures include reducing the number of customers allowed in store at one time, and clear floor-markings to keep customers at least 2m away from one another. Screens will be introduced at points such as tills where customers are likely to be nearest to in-store experts. Customers will be able to receive help across the entire range of services and devices will be cleaned after demonstrations to reduce the risk of transmission.
All Carphone Warehouse stores in the Republic of Ireland will continue to reopen using this approach.
ShopLive
Those who prefer to shop from home but want the benefit of expertise to help them make a purchase can interact with store colleagues using the ShopLive video personal shopping service. ShopLive provides customers with expert advice to help them get the products they need during the Covid-19 crisis safely from the comfort of their own homes. Customers browsing Currys.co.uk are invited to chat to store colleagues around the country via a popup ShopLive video link on selected webpages.
Since the ShopLive pilot began on 21 April, when the service was available via colleagues working from home, more than 50,000 customers have enjoyed help via video from Currys PC World experts when purchasing laptops, TVs, washing machines and refrigeration.
By the end of July, 280 colleagues will offer the service across all categories, working from within stores themselves.
Currys.co.uk and Carphonewarehouse.com
In addition to ShopLive, customers can use Currys.co.uk and Carphonewarehouse.com to have the products they want delivered safely to their own homes. Throughout the Covid-19 crisis while stores have been closed, the online teams at Currys PC World and Carphone Warehouse have continued to help everyone enjoy amazing technology. Laptops, refrigeration products, and electronic hair grooming products have been among the top sellers as customers adjusted to lockdown life.
-ENDS -
Notes to editors
- Details of which stores are reopening can be found at Currys.co.uk:
- Dixons Carphone has reopened 20 Currys PC World stores featuring Carphone Warehouse in the Republic of Ireland as well as all Carphone Warehouse standalone stores, in-line with government guidance. The Currys PC World stores are operating safe shopping with full store access, and zero-contact drive thru shopping but require customers to order via phone once they arrive at the store. The Carphone Warehouse stores will offer safe shopping with full store access.
About Dixons Carphone
Dixons Carphone is a leading multichannel retailer of technology products and services, operating in 950 stores and 16 websites in eight countries. We Help Everyone Enjoy Amazing Technology, however they choose to shop with us.
We are the market leader in the UK & Ireland, throughout the Nordics and in Greece, employing 39,000 capable and committed colleagues. Our full range of services and support makes it easy for our customers to discover, choose, afford and enjoy the right technology for them, throughout their lives. The Group’s core operations are supported by an extensive distribution network, enabling delivery to stores and homes, a sourcing office in Hong Kong and a state-of-the-art repair facility in Newark, UK.
Our brands include Currys PC World and Carphone Warehouse in the UK & Ireland and iD Mobile in the UK; Elkjøp, Elgiganten and Gigantti in the Nordics; and Kotsovolos in Greece. Our Dixons Travel brand has a presence across several UK airports as well as in Dublin and Oslo, and our services are provided through Team Knowhow.
Dixons Carphone Corporate Press Office
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