UK mobile operator EE eyes growth from new retail platform

EE, Britain’s biggest mobile operator, said this week that it would launch a sales platform called EE ID to try to grow its retail offering by selling gaming consoles and other electronics to people who are not existing customers.

EE, owned by UK telecoms giant BT (BT.L), said its new platform would be open to anyone in Britain and sell gaming consoles, tablets and upgrade packages, in the same way it currently sells smartphones.

“It’s about giving customers more reasons to be with EE more often, to create more stickiness with the brand,” EE Chief Executive Marc Allera said a press conference.

EE says it is currently Britain’s largest retailer of smartphones.

In Britain’s mature mobile market, where EE competes with VM O2, jointly owned by Telefonica (TEF.MC) and Liberty Global (LBTYA.O), plus Vodafone (VOD.L) and CK Hutchison’s (0001.HK) Three, mobile network providers are hunting for new ways to grow their businesses.

Vodafone and Three are in the process of trying to merge so they can invest to build new 5G infrastructure and attract new customers.

EE also said on Wednesday that it planned to offer an enhanced TV package by providing subscribers with Apple TV, as it seeks to build its customer base by bundling broadband, mobile and TV services.