Dixons Carphone says integration of brands ‘ahead of wildest expectations’
The integration of the Dixons and Carphone Warehouse brands is ahead of expectations, according to the chief executive of the recently merged company as it announces a mixed set of results.
Reporting its first quarterly statement as Dixons Carphone, the company says sales from Currys and PC World stores open for a year or more grew 4 per cent in the three months to 31 July.
Sales from the brands previously operating under the Dixons Retail parent were driven by an increase in TV sales ahead of and during the World Cup and an improving economy, the company says.
The picture was not as bright at Carphone Warehouse where same store sales dipped 6 per cent, a fall attributed to tough comparisons last year when like for like sales increased 13 per cent.
The merger completed just last month. In its results statement, the company says seven of the company’s departments are now operating across both sets of brands. Eleven stores have been converted to stores-in-store displaying all brands and all are performing ahead of expectations, it says, adding it is on schedule to reach its target of 30 before the year’s end.
In a call with analysts this morning (9 September), CEO of Dixons Carphone Sebastian James says he was enthused by the way colleagues have embraced the merger of departments – “ahead of his wildest expectations”.
It is not known if marketing is among those seven departments to integrate. As it stands former Telefonica Europe CMO Gary Booker is Dixons Retail CMO with Julian Diment performing a similar role at Carphone Warehouse.
No update was provided on consolidation of brands. When the merger was first announced in May, the now deputy chief executive of Dixons Carphone Andrew Harrison said it would review the brands it offers in order to ensure it goes to market with a “seamless offering” that doesn’t confuse customers.
