Embargo Wednesday 29 January 2014, 07.00 GMT
SAMSUNG AND CARPHONE WAREHOUSE COLLABORATE ON NEW STORE CONCEPT ACROSS EUROPE
London, 29 January, 2014 -Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. today announced that it has signed a 'preferred partner' agreement with Carphone Warehouse Group plc to operate over 60 Samsung stand-alone stores across Europe.
The agreement follows the successful opening in 2013 of three stand-alone stores in Spain, operated by Carphone Warehouse. The new stores will be rolled out in the next three months across seven European markets: UK, Ireland, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Sweden and the Netherlands. The stores will have a premium look and feel and will sell Samsung mobile communications products across Samsung's full range of mobiles, tablets, laptops and wearables.
Shoppers can expect an exciting new customer experience which merges retail and technology innovations such as Carphone Warehouse's assisted sales tool and connectivity platform using Samsung branded tablets.
There is potential to expand the relationship going forward, with Carphone Warehouse acting as Samsung's preferred partner across Europe and operating the majority of dedicated Samsung stores.
This is an important alliance playing to both companies' strengths. Together we will create a powerful new retail concept to showcase, for our customers, a wide range of products, content and services as well as injecting both investment and new jobs into the retail sector.
Andrew Harrison, Chief Executive Officer of Carphone Warehouse said:
"We are delighted to have been chosen as Samsung's preferred European partner for their store roll-out. Our Connected World Services business will combine Carphone Warehouse's retailing expertise and systems with one of the world's biggest brands and will help us make even more lives better through connected technology."
About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in technology, opening new possibilities for people everywhere. Through relentless innovation and discovery, we are transforming the worlds of televisions, smartphones, personal computers, printers, cameras, home appliances, LTE systems, medical devices, semiconductors and LED solutions. We employ 270,000 people across 79 countries with annual sales of US$187.8 billion. To discover more, please visit www.samsung.com.
About Carphone Warehouse
Carphone Warehouse is the largest independent telecommunications retailer in Europe. Its retail business operates c.2,000 stores in seven European countries, principally under the Carphone Warehouse and Phone House brands, together with a well-developed online proposition. It specialises in combining hardware, connections and services. Ongoing investment in high quality and well-trained consultants, make it ideally placed to benefit from the evolution of smartphones and other areas of complex technology. Its Connected World Services business aims to leverage the specialist skills, operating processes and technology of the business to provide services to third parties looking to develop their own connected world solutions. For more information, please visit www.cpwplc.com
For further information
Samsung Electronics
For media enquiries
Tabitha Aldrich-Smith + 44 (0) 1932 454336
Carphone Warehouse
For analyst and institutional enquiries
Kate Ferry, IR Director, CPW +44 (0) 77 489 33206
For media enquiries
Anthony Carlisle (Citigate Dewe Rogerson) +44 (0) 79 736 11888
Elizabeth Holloway, Head of PR, CPW Group +44 (0) 74 435 81015