78 EE Stores To Close But Most Jobs Safe

EE has confirmed it will close 78 of its retail stores following a real estate review, but most staff will be removed to alternative stores.

Former T-Mobile and Orange stores were rebranded as EE stores on 30 October when EE launched the UK’s first, and so far only, 4G network after it was given permission by Ofcom to launch an LTE service on its existing spectrum.

EE told TechWeekEurope that following the rebranding, many high streets had more than one EE store within walking distance of each other and that the changes were essential to “maintain momentum.”

EE store closures confirmed

“Where we have two EE stores in very close proximity to each other – in some places they are just a door away – we have decided to consolidate,” said an EE spokesperson. “This makes commercial sense and will also help us manage the high levels of demand in our stores and improve the customer experience.”

The operator said that although the majority of staff will retain their jobs, store managers may have a nervous wait.

“All front line staff will be moving to the other store which will boost service levels significantly,” added the spokesperson. “A store can only have one manager, so we will look to redeploy the small number of affected managers where possible.”

Prior to the rebrand, EE announced it was going to invest £50 million into its stores and customer service operations, including a development academy designed to train its 12,000 employees. However, one EE store in Plymouth came under fire for displaying an advert which read ‘4G is here’, despite the city not being covered by the new LTE network.

How much do you know about smartphones? Take our quiz!