Telstra (ASX:TLS) has revealed most of the 100 new stores it recently announced will be run by licensees and key partner, Vita Group (ASX:VTG). A minority of stores will be run by the telco itself.
A spokesperson for the company said the first of the 100 new stores announced by Telstra CEO, David Thodey, would open in Townsville and be run by Vita Group.
As of September 2010, Vita Group operated 21 Telstra stores, 89 Fone Zone stores and one Telstra business centre. It reported strong revenue growth thanks to its arrangements with Telstra and Apple, which saw it open specially branded T[life] stores.
“We’ve been working with some partners for a number of months,” the spokesperson said. “The Townsville store will be trialling the new format.”
A group of more than 150 licensed Telstra shops recently won the right to collectively bargain with suppliers. But the arrangement did not include Vita Group.
The exact locations and rollout timetable of the new stores has not been released and is understood to be in the planning stage.
