Dixons Carphone to shut more than 130 stores
Retail giant Dixons Carphone is to shut more than 130 stores under plans to roll out electrical superstores merging its three main brands across the UK and Ireland.
The group said it will overhaul all its PC World and Currys stores to relaunch as so-called three-in-one stores, combining PC World, Currys and Carphone Warehouse over the next year and a half.
It will close 134 stores as part of the revamp, but Dixons Carphone said it will relocate all staff impacted to nearby superstores.
Details of the changes came as the group hailed a “strong” performance over Christmas and edged its annual profit outlook higher.
It said UK and Ireland like-for-like sales lifted by 5% in the 10 weeks to January 9, with the strongest trading day in its history on Black Friday in November and a good start to the clearance sales on Boxing Day.
The group - created following the £3.9 billion merger of Dixons and Carphone Warehouse in the summer of 2014 - now expects to post pre-tax profits of between £440 million and £450 million for the 12 months to May, against £381 million the previous year.
Humphrey Singer, group finance director at Dixons Carphone, said: “We had a fantastic Christmas.
“We had a record Black Friday and our meticulous planning for the period has paid off.”
He added the roll-out of the new superstores will be better for staff and customers, following a good response to the 243 superstores it has already launched.
“Customers prefer shopping in these stores and colleagues prefer working in them, he said.