The Carphone Warehouse
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| The Carphone Warehouse Group PLC
<tr><td colspan="2" style="text-align:center; padding:16px 0 16px 0;"> | |
| Type | Public |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1989 |
| Headquarters | Acton, London, UK
<tr><th style="text-align:right; padding-right:0.75em;">Key people</th><td>Charles Dunstone, CEO |
The Carphone Warehouse Group PLC (LSE: CPW), known as The Carphone Warehouse, is Europe's largest independent mobile phone retailer, with over 1,700 stores across Europe. They are based in the United Kingdom. Outside the UK & Ireland, the retailer is named The Phone House.
The company was co-founded (with David Ross<ref> David Ross appointed to board of the National Portrait Gallery. 10 Downing Street (17 February 2006). Retrieved on 2006-11-02. </ref>) in 1989 by current CEO Charles Dunstone from £6,000 savings.
Contents |
[edit] Timeline
Image:Carphone warehouse main office.jpg
| Year | Month | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | The Carphone Warehouse launched | |
| 1994 | Carphone Warehouse Insurance launched | |
| 1996 | First Phone House stores in UK, Paris, Dublin | |
| 1999 | January | Acquisition of Tandy (UK) for £9m<ref>
Carphone Warehouse Snaps Up Tandy's Old UK Stores 01/26/99. Newsbytes PM, (26 January 1999). Retrieved on 2006-11-05.</ref> |
| 2000 | June | Acquisition of Cellcom for £9.1m<ref name="AR2001">
On 13 June 2000, the Group acquired the trade, assets and certain liabilities of Cellcom Limited, a telecoms services business registered in England, for a gross cash consideration of £9.1m. |
| 2003 | TalkTalk brand launched | |
| 2004 | January | Acquisition of E2Save for £4.7m<ref name="AR2004">The Carphone Warehouse (2004). Annual Report 2004. (pdf) Press release. Retrieved on 2006-11-03.
</ref> |
| March | Acquisition of Xtra in Spain for £11.6m<ref name="AR2004"/> | |
| November | TalkTalk Broadband launched | |
| 2005 | March | Acquisition of One Stop Phone Shop for £15m<ref name="AR2005">
The Carphone Warehouse (2005). Annual Report 2005. (pdf) Press release. Retrieved on 2006-11-04. </ref> |
| December | Acquisition of Tele2 for £11.5m<ref name="AR2005"/> | |
| December | Acquisition of One.Tel for £169.6m<ref name="AR2005"/> | |
| 2006 | April | "Free" TalkTalk broadband offer launched<ref name="free">
The Carphone Warehouse (2006-04-11). Free broadband forever. Press release. Retrieved on 2006-11-08.</ref> |
| October | Acquisition of AOL UK for £370m<ref name="CPW">"Carphone Warehouse to acquire Time Warner's AOL Internet access business in the UK for £370 million", Carphone Warehouse Press Release, 2006-10-11. Retrieved on 2006-10-27.</ref> | |
| October | Vodafone switches its contract business to Phones4U<ref>"Vodafone cans Carphone Warehouse", The Register, 2006-10-12. Retrieved on 2006-11-27.</ref> | |
| November | Launch of a MVNO in Spain under the brand "Happy Móvil" |
[edit] Corporate values
Carphone Warehouse promotes a set of "five fundamental rules" in order to foster a corporate culture focused on customer service.
1. If we don't look after the customer, someone else will. 2. Nothing is gained by winning an argument but losing a customer. 3. Always deliver what we promise. If in doubt, under promise and over deliver. 4. Always treat customers as we ourselves would like to be treated. 5. The reputation of the whole company is in the hands of each individual.
Corporate polices are based on these rules and staff performance measurement is also partially based on demonstrating these rules.
[edit] TalkTalk
TalkTalk is the home telecommunications branch of The Carphone Warehouse.
Refer to TalkTalk
[edit] Marketing campaigns
| Image:Mowbli Jumping small.jpg Mowbli Logo |
In the 1990s Carphone Warehouse became well-known for using the Stereo MCs' "Connected" in its advertisements.
Mowbli, the little mobile phone, is Carphone Warehouse's mascot. He appears mainly in radio advertisements with his friend Ed (voiced by the Irish comedian Ed Byrne), and also on television advertisements.
They have been the sponsors for the UK's version of Big Brother since series 5 in 2004. In 2006 they also sponsored Celebrity Big Brother and related Celebrity Big Brother shows on Channel 4.
[edit] Acquisitions
[edit] AOL UK
On 10 October 2006, Carphone Warehouse announced the purchase of AOL UK for £370m.<ref name="CPW"/><ref> "Carphone Warehouse to acquire Time Warner's AOL Internet access business in the UK for £370 million", AOL UK Press Release, 2006-10-11. Retrieved on 2006-10-27. </ref><ref>"Carphone Warehouse buying AOL UK", BBC News, 2006-10-11. Retrieved on 2006-10-11.</ref> This makes Carphone Warehouse the 3rd largest broadband provider, with over 2 million customers, and the largest LLU Operator with more than 150,000 LLU customers.<ref> "State of the nation - Local Loop Unbundling", ADSLguide, 2006-10-26. Retrieved on 2006-10-28. </ref><ref>The exact figure for LLU customers is not in the public domain, hence 150,000 is the estimated minimum. "Carphone Warehouse with 421,000 live broadband users", ADSLguide, 2006-10-26. Retrieved on 2006-10-31. </ref>
It should be noted that the acquisition process is not due to complete until the 31st December 2006 (primarily due to EU competition authority clearance) and so it is unlikely that CPW will release much more detailed information until 2007.</br>
It has also been stated in their press release<ref name="CPW"/> that AOL UK Audience business will remain a separate organization and brand with a revenue sharing agreement. It is not yet clear if the AOL UK Access business (the broadband part) will be fully integrated into CPW.
AOL UK customers will not be automatically transferred to Talk Talk.<ref> "AOL broadband customers face dilemma after Talk Talk takeover", The Sunday Times, 2006-10-15. Retrieved on 2006-11-01. </ref>
AOL is consulting on job cuts. The Times stated "AOL has begun to consult on the cuts, with 100 of a total 500 UK jobs expected to go by Christmas."<ref> "AOL staff cuts follow its sale to Carphone Warehouse", The Times, 2006-10-12. Retrieved on 2006-11-03. </ref> In line with legal requirements, AOL UK has notified the DTI that redundancies are planned. The Press Gazette stated "The company has informed the DTI that it is possible that it will make more than 100 redundancies".<ref> "Journalists fear cuts at AOL", The Press Gazette, 2006-11-01. Retrieved on 2006-11-07. </ref>
On the 1st November 2006, it is made public that Karen Thompson, AOL UK CEO and President AOL Europe, resigned and is succeeded by Carlo d'Asaro Biondo (previously CEO of AOL France). Karen was responsible for launching AOL UK in 1996.<ref> "AOL Europe gets new head", The Register, 2006-11-01. Retrieved on 2006-11-01. </ref>
[edit] E2Save and the One Stop Phone Shop
The Carphone Warehouse own two mobile phone e-tailers, E2Save and One Stop Phone Shop. These were competitors acquired by the company. Orders are fulfilled through the Carphone Warehouse. However, each company has its own terms and conditions and most importantly - rules regarding promotions. Both offer reduced line rental by 'cash back' redemption. Customers must send in bills and vouchers to claim back line rental paid to the network.
In the case of the One Stop Phone Shop, Customers have had a history of problems in claiming their cash back and in the promised delivery of mobile phones.<ref>Problems with One Stop Phone Shop. Consumer Deals. Retrieved on 2006-11-13.</ref><ref>Forum OSPS: One Stop Phone Shop (TalkTalk). The Scream. Retrieved on 2006-11-13.</ref><ref>Forum OSPS: I would never buy anything again from this company under any circumstances!. DooYoo. Retrieved on 2006-11-13.</ref>
[edit] Data protection
On the 15 August 2006, the Information Commissioner's Office issued Preliminary Enforcement Notices for breaches of PECR (The Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations) against Carphone Warehouse and TalkTalk for making marketing calls to people who are signed up to the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) or people who have asked that the company make no further calls to them.<ref>Preliminary Enforcement Notices (pdf). ICO. Retrieved on 2006-11-13.</ref><ref>Statutory Instrument 2003 No. 2426 The Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003. Office of Public Sector Information. Retrieved on 2006-11-13.</ref>
On 28 October 2006 in a Times interview Richard Thomas, Britain's Information Commissioner, stated:<ref>"Full text of the interview with Richard Thomas", The Times, 2006-10-28. Retrieved on 2006-11-13.</ref>We’re taking action against some of the telecom companies, Talk Talk and Carphone Warehouse. We’re taking action against them because we’ve had a lot of complaints that they’ve been telephoning people with marketing calls, people whose name is on the telephone preference service. And then we do these prosecutions, particularly with private detectives. We’ve got a big case coming up.
[edit] Footnotes
<references/>
[edit] References
"Carphone Warehouse rescued with AOL buy", The Register, 2006-11-15. Retrieved on 2006-11-17.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Carphone Warehouse group website
- Carphone Warehouse customer website
- Carphone Warehouse annual reports
- Carphone Warehouse history
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Categories: Companies listed on the London Stock Exchange | Telecommunication companies of the United Kingdom | Telecommunications in the United Kingdom | Retailers of the United Kingdom | Companies based in London | Nectar loyalty card | Companies established in 1989 | Mobile Virtual Network Operators | Mobile phone companies of the United Kingdom | Mobile phone companies of Spain
