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T-Mobile is about to double its number of retail partner locations, thanks to a new agreement with RadioShack.
RadioShack announced on July 23 that the retail agreement will bring T-Mobile products and services to more than 4,000 RadioShack locations later this summer, including handsets such as the myTouch 3G, which runs the Google Android operating system.
“Through our milestone partnership with RadioShack, T-Mobile’s presence in national retail stores expands nearly twofold, giving millions more people the opportunity to readily access our products and take advantage of the tremendous value T-Mobile provides its customers,” said Doug Chartier, T-Mobile’s senior vice president of sales, in a statement.
“By combining T-Mobile’s innovative devices and great value with RadioShack’s knowledgeable sales representatives, we expect customers to have an excellent in-store experience.”
Ken Hyers, an analyst with Technology Business Research, says now that T-Mobile has a large 3G network, the carrier has a big story to tell, and RadioShack is a way to help them get the word out.
“RadioShack is one more distribution point for T-Mobile. When you look at the sales points that the major operators have – AT&T, for example, has 2,200 stores – it’s an enormous number of points of presence,” Hyers told eWeek.
“T-Mobile, if they’re going to try to compete on the same stage, has to take advantage of every retail sales point they can find. And RadioShack is a quality retailer,” Hyers added.
Also looking to improve in-store customer experiences, AT&T recently gave its 2,200-plus retail stores a makeover, in preparation for a nationwide netbook offer. The carrier said it wanted to make it easier for consumers and small business customers to find and to try out devices.