Shovlin racing ahead with new UK mobile business
JULIAN Shovlin, the son of the once Ferraridriving, boom-time developer Paddy Shovlin (who went bankrupt in 2012) is dialling into quite a business in the UK.
The young Shovlin is behind iSmash, a mobile phone repair business backed by Carphone Warehouse co-founder David Ross. It emerged in recent days that the company has entered into a deal to open three new concessions in British electronics retailer Maplin.
Julian Shovlin, iSmash’s founder and managing director, told the Daily Telegraph the Maplin deal would allow his company to expand into retail parks and appeal to a wider customer.
The company, which also repairs laptops, tablets and drones, has grown to 20 shops since January — up from 11 — and plans to open seven more standalone stores this year.
The concessions in Maplin are a trial run after which Maplin will decide whether it wants to roll them out more widely. “I believe Maplin’s aspiration is to have concessions in nearly all of its stores,” said Shovlin. Maplin has more than 200 shops in the UK and Ireland.
iSmash generated £7.5m (€8.4m) in revenue in 2016 and is forecasting that to rise to £11.8m in the current year.
The company is also in talks to link up with device manufacturers and insurance companies. Shovlin, who like his father is not short of ambition, is aiming for a chain of 70 shops by 2020.