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Galaxy S5 to be one of the best selling handsets of the year


By Paul Withers


The Samsung Galaxy S5 and its new range of wearable devices – the Gear Fit, Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo – went on sale from all major UK retailers in-store and online on April 1. In total, the products are


now available in 125 countries including the US, and across Europe, the Middle East, Latin America and Asia. Those who pre-ordered the


Galaxy S5 were able to collect theirs from one of nine Samsung Experience Stores, as well as from the outlet at Westfield Stratford, East London, the night before it officially went on sale (see picture below right).


Major hit Customers were treated to a champagne reception whilst a dedicated “expert” helped them set up their new device. Samsung’s Galaxy S range


of devices have proven to be a major hit with consumers – with more than 200 million sold since the first was launched in 2010 – and double the number as of January last year. Carphone Warehouse is offering the S5 phone for £569.95 SIM free, £42 per month with no upfront cost, or from £33 per


FLASHBACK


YEAR AGO


Issue 537, April 22, 2013 The newspaper for the mobile communications industry £3.45 02 News


Mobile Accessories 01923 852916


HMRC appeals against distributors’ £2.4m VAT win


30 Feature Gamma Telecom rewrites rules on mobile airtime


O2 bosses face redundancy in restructure of B2B teams


• Ninety-two management staff at risk in O2 SMB and enterprise shake-up By Chris Donkin


Nearly 100 employees at O2’s head office in Slough have been put at risk of redundancy as part of an internal restructure of the firm’s SMB and enterprise teams. Trades union Prospect told


Mobile News approximately 92 staff – all in management positions – have entered a 90-day consultation period in an attempt to save their positions with the operator. Around 20 people are rumoured


to have accepted redundancy already and are either close to leaving, or have left, the firm. The consultation process was scheduled to end on April 19, with staff expected to learn of their fate this week. According to sources close


to the operator, high-profile casualties so far include long-serving head of region partners for the North Graham Cameron, who joined in 1992, and head of region for the South Matt Rawbone, who has been at the firm for eight years.


• 92 employees currently in consultation


• 20 people have already left, including Graham Cameron and Matt Rawbone


• O2 says new jobs to be created as part of restructure to fuel future growth


The restructure affects employees at O2’s Slough headquarters


Their positions will not be filled. Prospect negotiations officer


for Telefónica employees Caroline Hemmington told Mobile News: “This is part of a restructure which has been going on for a couple of months, where voluntary redundancy was available. “There were jobs for most of


the people to go to, but for some of the management roles there were no equivalents available.” O2 said it could not discuss


potential staff losses until the consultation process has ended, but insisted new jobs would be created.


Restructure O2 general manager of SMB Paul Lawton is understood to be heading up the restructure, which O2 said is designed to “address the changing digital needs of our customers, and to strengthen our leadership team in preparation for future growth”. O2 dealers were informed


earlier this month that a number of internal changes would be taking place, including a number of personnel role changes. These are expected to include


head of indirect sales, Anton Le Saux, becoming head of hardware and operations after 10 months


Vodafone set to introduce revenue share model for all dealers in July


Vodafone plans to move its dealer partners onto revenue share payments from July. After a number of delays,


the operator has now given its platinum, gold and silver partners three months’ notice of the scheduled changes – as noted in the latest Vodafone Partner Services (VPS) commercial update for the current quarter. Vodafone said in the email:


“On transition to revenue share, upfront investment on in-life renewals will no longer be available as part of the commercial model.


UU_MN_Anti_Shock_SP.pdf 1 C M Y CM MY CY CMY K


“Having discussed this decision with many of you in previous weeks, alongside listening to partner feedback, we are providing you with this three months’ notice to allow you to plan and prepare effectively, while at the same time supporting you in our current commercial model.” A number of dealers have


17/04/2013 12:26


been trialling revenue share on Vodafone for more than a year, with each typically receiving a 45 per cent share. They claim on roll-out, the


figures will be adjusted to reflect their status with the operator and whether they take a hardware loan. Vodafone said no decision


on the revenue share model had been made as Mobile News went to press, but the company confirmed the new commission structure is expected to launch during Q2.


There is speculation in the


dealer channel – with a number of dealers naming Vodafone sales director for channel partners Nick Birtwistle as their source – that silver partners will receive up to 41 per cent revenue share, gold partners 43 per cent and platinum 45 per cent. However, some suggest revenue share could start as low as 35 per cent. Vodafone did, however, confirm


the cap on upgrades during Q1 has now been removed.


in the job. It is thought the Centre of Excellence part of his role will go to former sales leader Peter McLeod, with a vacancy being created above McLeod to head the wider channel. Head of SMB sales Claire


Darley is also set to switch from running both the direct and indirect channels to focusing solely on direct sales. O2 head of business change


Angie Simpson will take charge of airtime distribution, managing the Centre of Excellence distributor accounts of Carphone Warehouse Business, MoCo, Daisy Distribution and Avenir Telecom. Simpson previously headed up O2’s fixed-line team and spent three years as sales director at now defunct airtime distributor Dextra Solutions. An O2 spokesperson said:


“The O2 Business directorate is undergoing changes in some key areas. Our plans include creating a more customer- centric structure within both our Enterprise and SMB teams and the creation of many new roles.”


Has Avenir UK been put up for sale?


Airtime distributor Avenir Telecom UK has been put up for sale, Mobile News understands. The French-owned firm is


said to have recruited a broker to find a potential buyer in the UK. Sources close to the distribu-


tor insist the business is now for sale and that dealers and other UK distributors have been approached about buying it. All those approached have


signed a non-disclosure agree- ment, the sources add. They claim the document


does not state the name of the firm that is being sold, only that it is an O2 Strategic Partner with around 75,000 connections and the lowest churn rate in the UK. The news comes as other sources claim Avenir is looking to shut its Borehamwood hardware warehouse. A number of Avenir staff


are understood to have made approaches to other telecom distribution firms in the past month. They claim all dispatch for accessories and handsets will now be made from the firm’s Marseilles headquarters. Avenir Telecom UK said it


would not comment on rumour and speculation.


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YEARS AGO


Newly-created company PMGC Technology Vodafone


platinum Issue 487 April 25, 2011


has acquired partners


Premier Mobile and Phonebox Communications for an undis- closed sum. PMGC was formed by Premier Mobile MD Jason Yeomans on March 2 through “internal funding”. He will retain his current position.


Vodafone has previously confirmed its 50 per cent cap on


The acquisition of Solihull- based Phonebox was completed shortly after, with MD Nigel Harrison exiting the industry after more than 18 years. Yeomans, who holds a 30 per


MN 2013-0422 News p1.indd 1 17/04/2013 16:45


Nearly 100 employees at O2’s head office in Slough have been put at risk of redundancy as part of an internal restructure of the firm’s SMB and enterprise teams. Trade union Prospect told Mobile News approximately 92 staff – all in management positions – have entered a 90-day consultation period in an attempt to save their positions with the operator. Around 20 people are rumoured


to have accepted redundancy already and are either close to leaving, or have left, the firm. The consultation process was scheduled to end on April 19, with staff expected to learn their fate this week. Graham Cameron, and Matt Rawbone are said to have now left.


cent stake in Premier Mobile, acquired the remaining 70 per cent from director Alan O’Brien as part of a management buyout. O’Brien now exits the industry.


Issue 512 April 23, 2012 The newspaper for the mobile communications industry £3.45 08 News


Industry pays tribute to RIM murder victim


38 Interview Pierre Perron outlines Sony’s mobile plans


New giant dealer emerges from Premier Mobile/Phonebox sale


• PMGC Technology inherits 54,000 connections and £10 million revenue stream


EXCLUSIVE By Paul Withers


Newly created company PMGC Technology has acquired Vodafone platinum partners Premier Mobile and Phonebox Communications for an undis- closed sum. PMGC was formed by Premier


Mobile MD Jason Yeomans on March 2 through “internal funding.” He will retain his current position. The acquisition of Solihull-


based Phonebox was completed shortly after, with MD Nigel Harrison exiting the industry after more than 18 years. Yeomans, who holds a 30 per


cent stake in Premier Mobile, acquired the remaining 70 per cent from director Alan O’Brien as part of a management buyout. O’Brien now exits the industry. It is the first time two


Vodafone platinum partners have been bought together. PMGC Technology becomes


the UK’s second largest mobile dealer with a customer base of more than 54,000 connections, of which around 43,000 are on Vodafone, and combined annual revenues in excess of £10 million. Rival platinum partner Premier Telecom is the biggest, with a customer base thought to exceed 90,000 connections. Yeomans said: “Phonebox was


a business we very rarely came across when we were out selling so we know they have different customers and a different market focus to what we had. Therefore it is a business that complements us greatly. “Growing the business organically and moving us from a pure play mobile provider to a


telecoms and IT fully managed service provider is now our sole focus. Further acquisitions are being considered, and we are in discussions with a number of strategic IT partners. “The acquisition of Phonebox


provides us with the perfect launch pad, increased critical mass, capability and exper- tise, to enable some ambitious longer-term strategic aims that include IP voice, IT hosting and Cloud computing. “Ultimately, it’s about being


able to offer our customers unparalleled service, but at the same time introducing new innovative technologies and solutions to enable customers to fuel their continued growth.” Harrison, who said his


interest in the industry was “waning”, said he will invest the funds into his commercial and residential property business. Harrison said: “I made it clear


New firm PMGC stages buyout


I wasn’t particularly interested in going ahead with the merg- er and was more interested


Union fears more job losses at EE as retail restructure is announced


Trade union Prospect fears more job losses at Everything Everywhere (EE) are “inevitable” after the operator announced plans to consolidate stores and restructure its retail management teams. Mobile News has obtained a


92-page confidential document sent to T-Mobile and Orange staff earlier this month detailing the changes, which will see the loss off at least 45 retail jobs. EE said it is making the chang-


es to “remove the organisational layers” between the board and the front line in order to enable faster decision making and get


closer to its customers. EE confirmed last week it plans


to merge 62 of its T-Mobile and Orange outlets into 31 Everything Everywhere stores. This will see its store manager headcount drop from 69 to 42 with the loss of one assistant manager. The consolidation of stores will


reduce EE’s total estate to around 720, roughly the same number of stores the firm had at the end of 2010 when it said it planned to expand numbers rather than reduce them. Management staff affected


by the restructuring exercise will now begin a three-month consultation process and will be offered the chance to explore opportunities for vacancies across other areas of the business. All store management vacancies are currently on hold. Staff pay and commissions remain unaffected for now. The document stated there


Current store count • 382 Orange stores • 288 T-Mobile stores • 31 EE stores


Proposed store count • 351 Orange stores • 257 T-Mobile stores • 62 EE stores


• 31 store closures • 94 roles removed • 50 new head office roles to be created


will be no further impact on non- management positions. But Ben Bellamy from Prospect said more consolidation and cuts are inevi- table in areas with both T-Mobile and Orange stores, claiming staff are fearing for their jobs. He said: “I expect this to be


an ongoing thing for some time. Continued on page 2


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Yeomans – more acquisitions


in exiting the industry. “I have been doing the same


thing for a long time and a little bit of boredom had crept in. It was time for me to let go and give it to someone who could take the business from where it is today to where it could be in the future.” Premier’s base is focused predominantly on the public and corporate sectors whereas


Phonebox has more of a focus on the SME and SoHo markets. All customers acquired from Phonebox are connected to Vodafone through its platinum partner status. Premier’s airtime relationship with Orange remains unaffected. Premier Mobile retains its


offices in central London, Altrincham in Manchester and Sunderland in the north-east of England. Premier’s Leamington Spa


office was shut last week, with all four staff relocated to Phone- box’s office in nearby Hamp- ton In Arden in Solihull, West Midlands. All 61 staff combined – 35 from Premier and 26 from Phonebox – remain unaffected by the acquisition. Shez Cheema has also joined


PMGC as finance director, having held the same position at unified communications provider Azzurri Communica- tions between 2001 and 2009, where he was involved in the acquisition of 16 companies.


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04 HTC Sensation HTC reports record Q1 profi t results


YEARS AGO


The newspaper for the mobile communications industry £3.45


30 Expansys Catterson revels in online growth


40 Mystery Shop Looking for the best hotspot data tariff


Guilty plea in IGB £120m VAT trial


• VAT case involving Unique and Future Communications nears conclusion By Michael Garwood


Raj Gathani, a former executive of Innovative Global Business Group (IGB) subsidiary Future Communications, has pleaded guilty at the Kingston upon Thames Crown Court to charges of “conspiracy to cheat the public revenue”. The charges relate to VAT eva-


sion over a number of years amounting to around £120 mil- lion. The case, code-named ‘Operation Inertia’ by HMRC is set to conclude next month, with sentencing expected in June. Gathani appeared in court


with co-defendants Haider Ravjani, Dilawar Ravjani, Tamraz Riaz and Maulik Bhatt. Another defendant Sadat Chishti was absent but represented by his lawyer.


Gathani made his guilty plea


in February. Around 17 defend- ants are expected in total.


27 £120m The case follows several years


of carousel fraud investigation by HMRC into IGB Group and its businesses. These included Unique Distribution, which ceased trading in 2008, and Future Communications. Accountanting fi rm Chantrey Vellacott was appointed by


£2.8bn


Group being frozen and placed in receivership in January 2008. Around 100 staff at Unique at- tempting legal action in April 2008 to claim unpaid salaries. Requests to the court for staff compensation were denied until the trial concluded. The Proceeds of Crime Act will


£565m


HMRC in 2008 to probe IGB’s ac- tivities dating back to 2005. In 2007 IGB had tried to sue


HMRC for a VAT refund of £38 million that had been withheld. HMRC later won a ‘Proceeds of Crime Act’ case against IGB. This resulted in all 27 UK businesses and assets owned by the IGB


Shardlow is new Premier group sales director


Vodafone ‘Platinum Partner’ Premier Telecom has appointed industry veteran Rob Shardlow as its new group sales director. Premier Telecom, which was


named Platinum Partner of the Year at the annual Vodafone Partner of the Year ceremony (see page 6) held in London this month, is the leading Vodafone partner in the UK. Shardlow left Vodafone


last month after spending 18 months as SME sales director in charge of business connec- tions via Vodafone’s indirect partners. He is understood to


be tasked with continuing to drive sales as well as exploring new business opportunities, including acquisitions. Shardlow has previously


worked at Virgin Mobile as sales and distribution director, build- ing the business from start-up to £500 million turnover and a base of more than fi ve million. He was also responsible for the launch of the world’s fi rst mobile pre- pay service, whilst working for T-Mobile. Premier Telecom is under-


stood to have increased its base from around 32,000 at the end of last year to more than 50,000 following the base acquisition of a number of unnamed deal- ers since the turn of the year. It is also rumoured to have agreed a deal with a council amounting to 4,000 connections alone. The company is headquartered in Whiteley, Hampshire and has


allow staff to make a claim, as no redundancy settlements were made. Reporting restrictions have


been put in place by the court to prevent further details of the case being published. The case is the latest success


by HMRC. In March, fi ve men were found guilty of import- ing handsets without VAT and reselling with VAT added. They were sentenced to a combined 37 years in prison for £140 mil- lion of carousel fraud. The gang earned between £26.5 million and £39.1 million each (see Mobile News, March 24).


Ex-Vodafone manager joins O2


YEARS AGO


O2 has suspended a male man- ager after an email containing confidential and private infor- mation relating to its annual performance scores (APRs) was sent out in error.


O2 has appointed former Vodafone marketing and sales manager Claire Dar- ley as its head of small and medium businesses. Darley, who joins O2 from


entertainment content com- pany Technicolor, will run the indirect and distribu- tion channels, reporting to Simon Devonshire, general manager for the sector. She left Vodafone in 2007


after seven years covering roles including global ac- count manager, internation- al sales manager and global head of marketing. She was also chief marketing offi cer at nationwide recruitment agency Adecco for just over a year, following her stint at Vodafone.


Shardlow – driving acquisitions


four other regional offi ces across the UK.


Premier Telecom managing director Darren Ridge com- mented: “Rob brings with him a wealth of experience and we look forward to him bolstering the management team, as we continue on our path of growth and development.”


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50CONVERGED MN 2011-0425 News p1.indd 1 20/04/2011 18:53


Raj Gathani, a former executive of Innovative Global Business Group (IGB) subsidiary Future Communications, has pleaded guilty at the Kingston upon Thames Crown Court to charges of “conspiracy to cheat the public revenue”.


The charges relate to VAT eva-


sion over a number of years amounting to around £120 mil- lion.


The case, code-named MN 2012-0423 News p1.indd 1 11/04/2013 11:46


“Operation Inertia” by HMRC, is expected to end next month, with sentencing expected in June. Gathani appeared in court with co-defendants Haider Ravjani, Dilawar Ravjani, Tamraz Riaz and Maulik Bhatt. Another defendant, Sadat Chishti, was absent but represented by his lawyer.


An O2 spokesperson said: “We can confirm that an employee sent an email to a number of people in O2 Retail, in breach of our strict policies on confidenti- ality. “The employee has been sus- pended pending further inves- tigation of this matter. We take such matters very seriously and regret any upset caused.” O2 retail staff say they have been “humiliated” after names of those with an APR score of four were sent out to “hundreds” of O2 staff on March 19.


Issue 462 April 26, 2010 The newspaper for the mobile communications industry £3.45 2 BT strike


CWU rejects latest BT pay offer


28 Phones 4U Keeping the brand ‘edgy’


32 Healthcare Four-page special report into health care sector


O2 staff fury over private data leak


• Confidential Annual Performance Scores emailed in error to O2 Retail staff By Devika Sen-Gupta


O2 has suspended a male man- ager after an email containing confidential and private infor- mation relating to their Annual Performance Scores (APRs) was sent out in error. An O2 spokesperson said: “We


can confirm that an employee sent an email to a number of people in O2 Retail, in breach of our strict policies on confidenti- ality. “The employee has been sus- pended pending further inves- tigation of this matter. We take such matters very seriously and regret any upset caused.” Affected O2 retail staff say they


have been “humiliated” after names of those with an APR score of four were sent out to “hundreds” of O2 staff, many of which were regarded as “stran- gers” on March 19. Employees who received an


of other staff.” O2’s HR department has


received many complaints. It has since emailed affected personnel the following statement: “I wanted to contact you fur-


ther to numerous emails that I have received over the past week in relation to APR scores and a situation that occurred on 19th March.


O2 – staff left ‘humiliated’ after APR scores were sent in error


APR of four are seen to be “under performing” and can miss out on an annual pay rise and are often placed on a performance improvement plan. They can even be given a formal warning. A number of staff had not


been told their APR scores by their area or store manager. They only discovered their results


through emails between staff who received the information in error and who then informed those on the list. Said one O2 employee: “The


last thing people want is their fellow colleagues to know that they are failing. It’s an embarrassing situation, espe- cially for a manager in charge


Carphone morale soars after latest pay rises


Carphone Warehouse shop staff will get a 2.5 per cent pay increase this year. This comes after a 50 per cent rise in basic salary last year through the New Pay Deal which re- placed individual commissions with a store bonus scheme. Store bonuses are now divid-


ed up equally among store staff and are paid out once stores hit their sales targets. The 2.5 per cent rise is worth


£300 a year for full-timers and 16p per hour for part-timers. Permanent consultants get


£15,300 a year. A London weight- ing allowance brings this up to £17,300 a year. At the same time, retail staff


across Carphone’s estate, e2save and mobiles.co.uk will receive a bonus of a week’s pay next month. This is because the com- pany reached its profit target of £75 million for the last financial year. This will mean Carphone will be paying out £2.5 million of bonuses. Managers in Car- phone’s flagship Oxford Street stores will receive around £1,000 each in bonuses. One Carphone staffer said: “It’s good to see Carphone motivating us. The week’s ex- tra pay offer has come at a good time as things quietened down after Christmas. Some managers will be getting as much as £1,000 extra. Staff morale has gone up”.


See Bon Jovi live at The O2 MN 260410 News p1.indd 1


“Unfortunately, an email with confidential information was sent to a Branch Manager email distribution list; this contained some unreleased APR scores for Division 4 which were not all rel- evant to the managers they were sent to. This matter is currently being investigated in line with O2 policy and we will consider all recommendations to ensure it doesn’t happen again. “As this email contained sensi-


tive information, we ask copies of the email are not circulated and are deleted immediately.”


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Carphone – salaries increased in our latest incentive. See page 13 21/04/2010 19:21


Big ad push for Desire


HTC has launched its biggest ever marketing campaign for the launch of its flagship device, the Desire (pictured), and the Legend. HTC has provided all re- tail stores with an average of eight live demos. This is the most it has ever


rolled out to store estates. It will be introducing its hand- set trainers into all stores over a four week period. HTC will also be doubling its per- manent handset training team to 14 staff by the end of the year. Sales since the launch of


the Desire have been double that of any other HTC device during the time. The Desire is available


for free on a 24-month £30 contract.


Issue 437 April 20 2009 2 News


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Brightstar gets Europe sales boss


24 Interview INQ boss on new age smartphone


YEARS AGO


The newspaper for the mobile communications industry £3.45


40 Mystery Shop SIM-only deals in Leicester


Focused on Dealers www.moco.com/distribution High street freeze


Claims by store staff at retailers O2, 3, Orange, Phones 4U and Carphone are at odds with employers’ messages on retail cutbacks, as panic among staff over job security sets in


By Mobile News staff


Retail staff in O2, Orange, 3, Phones 4U and Carphone Ware- house all claimed last week their employers had, or were about to, put in place a recruitment freeze to run down in-store staffi ng numbers. High street mobile retail-


ers have staff turnover rates of upwards of 30 per cent, typically, which could potentially see in the region of 5,000 employees on UK high streets let go or rede- ployed if staff claims are correct. Of the retailers cited, O2,


Orange and Phones 4U insisted, on the contrary, they were recruit- ing staff in certain areas of retail and in new retail sites. However, measures taken recently by all parties concerned suggest to staff their employers are embarking upon cutbacks. O2 staff last week claimed staff -


ing shortages in several stores and a complete recruitment freeze across its estate. Staff said they


were being forced to redeploy colleagues from certain outlets to make up numbers in others. They claimed a review of staffi ng hours and opening times is due. As Mobile News went to press, store managers were scheduled to meet senior management to discuss changes. But an O2 spokesperson responded: “We are continually looking at our retail estate to ensure we are as effi cient as pos- sible and able to deliver the right experience for our customers. We do not have a recruitment freeze. We are currently actively recruit- ing in targeted areas to support our business needs.” At the same time, Orange staff


said last week there is a shortage of staff in stores and they have been told via HR teams that out- going staff are not to be replaced. At the same time, store man-


agers claimed they had been informed by Orange it is to can- cel probationary periods for staff looking to progress within the


Lycamobile closes on one million customers


Ethnic market MVNO Lycamobile is closing on one million UK cus- tomers within nine months of its September launch last year. It also claimed it would sign fi ve million customers within two years.


Orange-backed Lycamobile


said last week the UK ethnic market for a international pre- pay MVNO is 10 million, and that it is close to owning 10 per cent of the potential audience. Lycamobile said at launch it


would secure 1.2 million custom- ers within its fi rst year through


extremely aggressive pricing, marketing and distribution. Rival Lebara Mobile, which runs off Vodafone, surpassed 600,000 UK customers in December. Lycamobile chief executive


Milind Kangle said the multi- national MVNO will more than double its forecast of seven mil-


lion prepay customers globally by 2011. He said 30 per cent of its new forecast fi gure, of 15-20 mil- lion, will comprise UK residents. Kangle said: “Lebara gained 600,000 subscribers within 14 months of launch. We crossed that fi gure in less than six months of our own launch. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see we’re gaining momentum. “We’re hell bent on being a benchmark company and must buy and sell aggressively, which is evident in our existing propo- sitions. Our goal is to penetrate 65 per cent of the UK market and we’ll do it.” Lycamobile will launch a fi xed-


mobile convergence product at the beginning of June which will enable customers to access their mobile account balance from a landline.


Kangle – ambitious plans Seecode Wheel MN 200409 News p1.indd 1 See International, page 20 Call Seecode On 0870 80 33 502 15/4/09 19:50:16


company. Orange has aff orded staff a fall-back by allowing them to resume former roles if try-outs in new positions do not work out. But staff said Orange removed this freedom last week. Orange insisted at press its ‘secondment’ period remains in place and also that it is recruit- ing for new store sites. A spokeperson said: “We con-


tinue to monitor the impact of the economic climate closely. As part of our new ‘sales and loyalty’ vision we want to make sure that we attract, develop and retain the best sales people – which also means that staff who are underperforming may be at risk. “It is not about reducing num-


bers at present, it’s about ensur- ing we have the best. In addition, we are looking to recruit new staff to support our new stores.” Meanwhile, 3 retail staff are


now required to sign a new con- tract by the end of June or have their employment terminated. Staff were informed of changes


by head of retail Ian Parpworth via an all store conference call on April 6 highlighting “signifi cant” changes. These include a number of


store staff having their con- tracted work hours reduced, aff ecting their pay and bonus, as well as 30 of 3’s 300 stores being closed on Sundays, and 35 assist- ant managers having their posi- tions downgraded to sales asso- ciates. Staff who do not agree to the new terms by the end of June will be let go. A 3 spokesperson said: “The consultation process is under- way, and we are doing what we can to ensure we do not take the easy route and reduce our staff . The changes being made will be signifi cant to some people, and as a result staff are required to sign new terms on a new contact.” Phones 4U store managers


also claimed to be at risk. Several said they had seen no intake of new staff since Christmas and Continued on page 2


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S5 and range of wearables: In-store and online from May 11


month for customers trading in any old phone (on top of the trade-in value of their old handset).


It is also offering customers who trade in an old handset when buying the Galaxy S5 £100 on top of the trade-in value of their old phone. For example, those


trading in an Apple


iPhone 5 16GB could get up to £290 cashback and those trading in a Galaxy S4 could receive up to £261.50.


On February 28 – four days after the Galaxy S5 was unveiled – the retailer revealed that pre- registrations for the device were up 130 per cent compared to the whole 10-day period for the Galaxy S4 last year. Carphone Warehouse UK trading director Claire Winstanley


said: “Many in


the industry were taken by surprise when Samsung decided to launch their new handset earlier than usual and so close


Nine Samsung Experience Stores operated by Carphone Warehouse opened on April 9 in time for the Galaxy S5 launch two days later. Two concept stores opened


in Newcastle (Northumberland Street and Metro), and one each


in Liverpool (Paradise


Street), Bradford (Darley Street), Bristol (Cribbs),


(Market Street), Bournemouth (Commercial Street),


Manchester London


(Oxford Street) and Cardiff (Queen Street). The new stores are under the partnership between Samsung and Carphone Warehouse


to many other announcements, but


it’s certainly paid off.


Interest in Samsung’s newest flagship device is higher than ever and it’s on course to be one of the biggest selling handsets of the year.”


High demand Following the launch, retailer Phones 4u announced that 10 stores would be giving the first 35 people to buy the Galaxy S5 a free Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7 (pictured). However, the retailer said that due to high demand, it is opening this offer up to everyone


announced in January. The


deal will see between 20 and 25 Samsung-branded stores open in the UK, with an unspecified number of CPW stores being


who buys the device from one of its 700+ stores and online. The Galaxy S5 is available from Phones 4u free for £42 a month on 4G and in addition to a free Tab 3 7, they will also receive a £25 voucher to spend at Google Play. It is also available free from £42 a month at Vodafone. Those that pre-ordered will receive additional monthly data at no extra cost. For example, if a customer


pre-ordered the Galaxy S5 on the Red 4G plan, they will get the same amount of data offered on the Red L 4G plan, increasing their allowance from 3GB to 5GB.


rebranded. They will sell


Samsung’s full range of mobiles, tablets, laptops and wearables, including the Samsung Galaxy S5, Gear 2, Gear 2 Neo and Fit.


Samsung Westfield Stratford: S5 available before official release


Talk to Mainline about our £1m Dealer Development Fund and find out how we could give you the financial backing you need.


for more information email ddf@mainline.uk.com 01283 497777 option 1


www.mainline.uk.com/ddf


Retail staff in O2, Orange,


3,


Phones 4U and Carphone Ware- house all claimed last week their employers had, or were about to, put in place a recruitment freeze to run down in-store staffing numbers.


Retailers have staff turnover rates of upwards of 30 per cent, typically, which could potentially see in the region of 5,000 UK high street staff let go or redeployed if staff claims are correct. Of the retailers cited, O2,


Orange and Phones 4U insisted, on the contrary,


they were


recruiting staff in certain areas of retail and in new retail sites. However,


measures taken


recently by all parties concerned suggest to staff their employers are embarking upon cutbacks.


£10


Business 1 Plan and Business Pay Monthly connections.


T-Mobile BONUS Payable on new 18 month and above


TMOB10BONUS


Earn up to £40


commission on Pocket Landline tariffs


ORANGE40COM


Bonuses worth taking notice of!


Call the Sales Desk on 01283 497777 Opt.1


Scratch and see if you are a winner. Congratulations!


You have won an iPad 3 See overleaf to claim your prize.


000 GTN-829


NEW from Orange


SPRING BONUS


£20


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