Virgin Mobile South Africa is following through with its plans to revise its distribution strategy by closing 30 of its 38 stores in South Africa.
This follows the Virgin Group and Friendi Group signing an agreement in June 2012 for the Middle East and Africa region. The groups would merge their regional telecom operations to create a combined entity called Virgin Mobile Middle East and Africa (VMMEA).
In a statement released today, the company said that an important benefit of this change for Virgin Mobile in South Africa is a renewed focus on delivering a true Virgin customer experience at every customer touch point.
The process, according to VMMEA, has already started and they hope to conclude it by the middle of 2013.
It is reported that the company will initially limit its stores to key locations in each region in South Africa and then, over the next year and a half, introduce additional physical points of sale across the country.
Virgin stated that it aims to convert eight key stores from sales focused franchise stores into full service stores offering their entire range of products and services including sales, renewals, upgrades and customer service and advice.
Key store locations will be as follows: Gauteng – Eastgate, Southgate, Key West and Cedar Square; Western Cape – Canal Walk; Kwa-Zulu Natal – Pavillion, Galleria; Limpopo – Mall of the North.
