Alternative Networks announces 33pc profit increase
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Dealers
June 12, 2012
B2B dealer projecting sales of £120 million this year following its purchase of Shebang’s Go Mobile Purple Partnership franchise programme
A1 Comms is aiming to more than double its turnover to £120 million this year after it bought the Go Mobile franchise of retail stores for an undisclosed fee.
The B2B dealer posted turnover of more than £50 million in the financial year to March 31, 2012. The deal sees Al Comms take on around 100 stores, all of which were operated within Shebang Technology Group’s Purple Partnership franchise programme.
Al Comms said the purchase will compliment its existing online businesses – BuyMobilePhones.net and Mobileshop.com, both of which make consumer connections across all networks.
The firm, based in Alfreton in Derbyshire, is looking to add to its 75 employees to support the acquisition of the franchises, as well as further growth of the online business.
The deal also marks a return to the high street for A1 Comms. The business was set up in 1997 by managing director Paul Sisson, who began opening shops across the East Midlands.
At its height, it owned 14 high street shops across market towns in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, before exiting the high street and concentrating on its online businesses.
Sisson said: “This is an exciting opportunity for us. We hope to bring value to the franchises and I feel confident that they will go from strength-to-strength.
“Having shops staffed by motivated franchisees running their own business is an attractive proposition and, through this high street offering, Al Comms can continue to pass on excellent savings to its customers.”
A1 Comms commercial director Stuart Joce said: “This is indicative of the ambition of A1 Comms, and Paul Sisson. I’m really excited about what this means for our business, and for the franchisees in the future.”
The announcement comes a week after a number of Go Mobile franchisees contacting Mobile News claimed that BrightPoint had frozen the account of all stores.