Inside ISmash's Kings Cross store.

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Twentysomething tech repair entrepreneur opens new store at St Pancras

A tech repair entrepreneur in his twenties is opening the latest outlet of his gadget repair chain, iSmash, at one of London’s busiest commuter hubs.

The brand, which founder Julian Shovlin started while at university, is to open its fourteenth outlet in Greater London at St Pancras, providing commuters with its 30 minute while-you-wait repair service from Unit 39 at the station.

Shovlin’s latest venue, which joins stores on the Kings Road, Canary Wharf and Westfield London, has created five new jobs and includes its full suite of services including smartphone, tablet and computer repairs, as well as data recovery trade-ins and refurbished devices.

While the sight of gadget repair shops has become a common sight in shopping centres, leisure venues and transport hubs over the last decade, iSmash is one of the first to pursue a portfolio of stores operating under the same brand.

Speaking to the Daily Telegraph in 2014, Shovlin said that his vision was for the company was for it to become the tech repair equivalent of Timpson’s, the UK shoe repair chain.

Speaking following the launch of the latest store, Shovlin said: “We are a nation of phone and gadget addicts, all pushed for time; when things go wrong and breakages happen it can be a huge inconvenience.

“We knew that by bringing iSmash to one of the busiest stations in London we can help the capital’s commuters and fix that problem with a fast-while-you-wait service, by the UK’s most experienced tech repair technicians, in the places where our customers need us the most.”

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