The Big Phone Store
Big Phone Store(Euro Communications Distribution Ltd) is a refurbished phone retailer. It provides repair, refurbishment, and recycling services, particularly within the UK. The Big Phone Store also sells smartwatches and other electronic accessories.[1][2][3]
History and overview
Headquartered in Wolverhampton, UK, The Big Phone Store was founded in 1999[4] by Steven Athwal, who started selling used phones, not refurbished phones, in the late 1980s.
The Big Phone Store started as a B2B trader/wholesaler. By 2015, it had more than 100 employees. But the leaders realized that B2B margins were eroding and the company wasn't meeting its targets and goals, and they decided to restructure the team to aim to become the dominant retailer online for refurbished phones in the UK. In 2017, the company scaled back from more than 100 employees to 30 key members and embarked on a recruitment drive to find suitable employees with experience in the online space.
In 2018, Athwal gave The Big Phone Store a high street presence when he found that online shoppers were suspicious of the quality of secondhand devices. He brought in mature staff to help older buyers alongside a younger team for gadget geeks. Athwal wanted to set an example of how online and the high street can work together.[5] The Big Phone Store gradually transitioned to a B2C business model, developing an online store, with the initial year laying the foundations for growth.
In the autumn of 2019, the company was nowhere to be seen online; the brand was unknown of, but in 2020, it was classed as a major player. Unlike other major electronics resellers in the UK, The Big Phone Store began as a refurbishment company and then moved into retailing the devices they refurbished.
The Big Phone Store goes above and beyond to ensure its customers, especially first-time buyers, are amazed by the products they receive.[6] The company’s management is experienced and knowledgeable, having worked with some of the biggest companies in the industry. Its team comprises customer service representatives, warehouse operatives, lab technicians, phone testers, developers, and an e-commerce and marketing team.[7] The Big Phone Store works efficiently to source the best quality and value products and devices in the market. It has shipped millions of orders from its 25,000 sq ft warehouse in the West Midlands.[8] The company offers first-rate customer service, and Athwal personally manages the customer service team on a daily basis.
The Big Phone Store has sold over five million new and refurbished devices. It is notable for being a refurbishment company and a reseller, allowing the business to operate independently. According to website traffic estimates, The Big Phone Store is the UK's fastest-growing independent mobile phone refurbisher as of 2023.[9]
The Big Phone Store offers trade-in service, phone repair, and a 12-month warranty.
The Big Phone Store initiated a study of 2,000 consumers, which revealed they would each fork out £4,742 on mobile phones, £3,625 on televisions, and £11,774 on kitchen appliances. The study also found that 15 percent of those polled see themselves as ‘early adopters’ of technology who like to keep up with the latest trends. But seven in 10 prefer to wait until items have been out a while, so they drop in price before making a purchase. It was also found that 61 percent prefer, when possible, to buy their gadgets outright rather than paying a monthly sum. Regarding phones, 48 percent try and buy the handset in full, while just 38 percent will opt for a contract with a provider. But nearly nine in ten believe mobile phones should be much cheaper than they are to buy outright.[10]
Sustainability
The Big Phone Store firmly believes that in a world suffering from too much waste, pre-owned phones help reduce waste and preserve resources. About 140 million phones end up in landfills annually, and recycling mobile phones reduces harmful chemicals from landfills and water.[11] The Big Phone Store is based on the concept of encouraging people to go for refurbished phones over new ones since it is friendlier to the environment.[12] The Big Phone Store will continue to adopt sustainability as a core principle. Refurbished phones are part of an industry that grows 15% year on year, and as digital devices become more deeply integrated into people’s lives, this business model is incredibly resilient.[13]
References
- ↑ https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/mobiles/buying-refurbished-phones/
- ↑ https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/uk/consumer-advice/money/a44848018/save-money-mobile-phone-bill/
- ↑ https://www.thebigphonestore.co.uk/
- ↑ https://tracxn.com/d/companies/the-big-phone-store/__CVX3t-uI0ixsfXwM0FFeLCKYcP4zi-5oHBbxqmI3A3o
- ↑ https://www.mirror.co.uk/money/web-giant-ebay-provides-2m-14286675
- ↑ https://www.fingerlakes1.com/2022/05/08/why-u-s-consumers-are-hesitant-to-buy-refurbished-phones/
- ↑ https://uk.tradeford.com/gb1053081/the-big-phone-store_p1098573.html
- ↑ https://www.datanyze.com/companies/the-big-phone-store/457246125
- ↑ https://blog.thebigphonestore.co.uk/fastest-growing-phone-refurbisher/
- ↑ https://www.thesun.co.uk/tech/13345560/brits-will-spend-over-65000-on-iphones-ps5-and-more-in-their-lifetimes/
- ↑ https://www.apollo.io/companies/The-Big-Phone-Store/5b142ed3a6da98dcab510d54
- ↑ https://medium.com/authority-magazine/marketing-re-imagined-brandon-wilkes-of-the-big-phone-store-on-how-we-can-re-imagine-the-marketing-1942e7a6d740
- ↑ https://hear.ceoblognation.com/2023/06/16/10-entrepreneurs-share-their-economic-outlook-on-the-industry/
