Dixons Carphone "winning online" despite 40% mobile phone slump

A UK electricals group has announced that mobile phone revenues have dropped by 40 per cent following the closure of more than 500 stores.

Dixons Carphone has reported that total revenue for its mobile division - which includes brands Carphone Warehouse and mobiles.co.uk - has taken a 40 per cent fall in the last ten weeks.

However, it also reported today that revenue across electricals in PC World and Curry’s has grown by 11 per cent worldwide.

The company closed all 531 of its standalone Carphone Warehouse stores last year, refocusing on its concessions in PC World and Curry’s, which it said was due to the “changing mobile market”.

Alex Baldock, group chief executive, commented: “I’m so grateful to my colleagues.

“Thanks to their dedication and adaptability in such a testing time, we’ve kept safely providing vital technology to the public, keeping millions of people connected, healthy, productive and entertained.

“And so we’ve continued to trade strongly, both in the UK and internationally, while ensuring colleague and customer safety is paramount.

“We’re winning online, where we’re the biggest and fastest-growing specialist technology retailer in all our markets.

“And even where stores have been closed, our work to bring the best of digital and physical shopping to every customer has borne fruit in such innovations as our 1-hour drive-thru Order & Collect and ShopLive.

“Our flexible infrastructure and accelerating transformation mean we’ve been able to react ever-faster to changing trading restrictions, while building more lasting and valuable customer relationships.

“The outlook remains uncertain, and we’re still far from our full potential. But this strong performance makes us more confident than ever that we’re on the right path to create a world class business for colleagues, customers, shareholders and society.”