We first caught wind of a new wireless retailer called Wow! Mobile last month. Details about its upcoming launch continue to emerge. Owned by Rogers Communications, it aims to take on other mall-based chains such as Wireless Wave and The Source (owned by Bell Mobility’s parent company). It will carry both Rogers and TELUS devices and plans as well as their flanker brands (Chatr Wireless, Fido and Koodo).
The Financial Post has learned that some 100 Wow! Mobile kiosks could roll out in shopping malls in the next 12 to 18 months. Of those, 26 Chatr Wireless and six Koodo kiosks will be converted to the new brand. The company is lso looking for an additional 70 locations for 150-square foot kiosks.
The Wow! Mobile Kiosk strategy offers two advantages over standalone stores. Not only are they cheaper to operate than retail stores but they will give customers a chance to compare devices and plans from more than one carrier in one location. “A lot of customers want choice when they go to one of these kiosks,” explained a source familiar with the strategy. “People do not want to go to a bunch of different locations to compare what the brands are offering. They want to compare Rogers and Koodoo in one place.”
Exactly when the first Wow! Mobile kiosks will open remains unclear.
Source : The Financial Post