UK mobile operator EE eyes growth with new retail platform (updated)

Liberty Global

18/10/2023 13:39

(Adds MD comments in paragraph 7, share price in paragraph 8)
       LONDON, Oct 18 (Reuters) - EE, Britain's biggest mobile
operator, on Wednesday announced the launch of a sales platform
called EE ID that will offer gaming consoles and other
electronics to its customers and others.
    In Britain's mature mobile market, where EE, owned by UK
telecoms giant BT  BT.L , competes with VM O2, Vodafone  VOD.L 
and Three, mobile network providers are hunting for new ways to
grow. 
    EE, which is already Britain's largest retailer of
smartphones and has 25 million customers many on monthly deals,
said the new platform will sell gaming consoles, tablets,
upgrade packages and subscriptions to existing EE customers plus
the rest of the market. 
    "It's about giving customers more reasons to be with EE more
often, to create more stickiness with the brand," EE Chief
Executive Marc Allera said at a press conference.
    EE also said it planned to offer an enhanced TV package
which would include Apple TV for subscribers, as it seeks to
expand sales by offering its existing mobile customers broadband
as well as TV services.
    EE ID will also offer customers cyber security, home
security and insurance products for electronics, said Christian
Thrane, EE's managing director of marketing. 
    "The capabilities we have lend themselves well to do more
and start growing revenue in other categories," he told Reuters
in an interview. 
    BT shares were up 1.6% in midday trading, outperforming
Britain's bluechip index which was down 0.6%. 
    EE's push to add consumer revenue comes at a time of
proposed consolidation in Britain's mobile market. The current
No. 3 and No. 4 players, Vodafone and Three, owned by CK
Hutchison  0001.HK , announced plans to merge in June. 
    They say that together they will be able to invest in new 5G
infrastructure to attract customers.

        
  


 (Reporting by Sarah Young; Editing by Sachin Ravikumar)
 ((sarah.young@thomsonreuters.com; +44 20 7542 1109; Reuters
Messaging: sarah.young.thomsonreuters@reuters.net))