Three plans to sell home gadgets in all its shops

MOBILE phone giant Three is planning a major revamp of its 313 UK stores to sell internet-connected gadgets and broadband packages to home workers.

Chief executive Robert Finnegan said the eyes of consumers ‘had been opened’ to new devices such as film projectors while they were stuck at home during lockdown. He plans to start transforming all of his stores next year after a successful trial in Ireland to sell more than just mobile deals for the first time.

The shops will be more akin to a small Currys than a phone store, though Finnegan said he wasn’t going after the retailer’s market. Stores will stock devices such as £400 Anker outdoor film projectors and Steepletone speaker tables, which have seen a 50 per cent jump in sales.

Finnegan said: ‘People have realised technology improves their lives significantly at home since they’ve been spending more time there. It’s connecting people to their home with security devices, or to hobbies, with high-end cameras, projectors and outdoor speakers.’ He said the revamped shops would help Three market broadband packages as it seeks to increase market share.

Finnegan said Three could also consider a multi-billion pound acquisition of a rival telecoms provider. A deal for rival O2 was blocked in 2016.