VODAFONE Hutchison Australia has kicked off a multi-million-dollar rebranding exercise. The company has set the clock ticking on the end of the 3 mobile brand in Australia.
The revamp, understood to cost tens of millions of dollars, will see all 93 of VHA's 3 mobile stores refitted as multi-branded Vodafone and 3 outlets.
The rebranding exercise is a key plank in VHA's plan to phase out the 3 brand since the two entities merged a year ago and create a viable No 3 competitor in Australia's $13 billion a year mobile phone sector.
The joint branding exercise will see 3 mobile stores start selling the entire Vodafone range of mobile phones, mobile broadband devices, pre-paid and postpaid caps and plans from July 21. The stores will continue to sell 3 pre-paid and post-paid products.
Start of sidebar. Skip to end of sidebar. .End of sidebar. Return to start of sidebar. VHA also plans to refit 120 of its 145 Vodafone retail stores with an updated brand, new interactive features and a focus on improving customer experience.
"This will help us over the longer term to move towards one brand and simplify the business and deliver for customers and continue sales momentum across both brands," VHA chief executive Nigel Dews said.
"The consistency will be terrific from an operating point of view and it will be terrific for our customers."
The first 3 and Vodafone stores will open in nine locations by July 6, with about 100 additional stores completed for a grand relaunch on July 21.
The multi-billion-dollar refit comes a year after VHA put an end to its outsourced retail model by paying almost $80 million to bring 208 Vodafone-branded outlets back under direct control. The mobile phone carrier has about 250 stores under its direct control and about 700 in its retail network, including dealers, but plans to cull this to about 500.
The rebranding follows the abandonment of VHA's ambitious two-year plan to topple Optus as Australia's No 2 mobile phone network by revenue.
VHA has over seven million mobile phone subscribers on its network, representing about 28 per cent of the total mobile phone revenue market share.
HTA Price at posting:
9.0¢ Sentiment: None Disclosure: Held
