Orange is kicking off 2015 by establishing a brick-and-mortar presence in SA, as it seeks to expand its consumer reach in the country it has tagged its number one African pursuit.
The French telco will launch its first Orange-branded retail store in the tourist hub of Cape Town. The store will be situated in the southern suburb of Claremont, and is expected to start trading in January.
According to Orange Horizons CEO S`ebastien Crozier, the move comes in the wake of what he says has been a response beyond expectations to the company's local online store, which warranted a local warehouse being set up in Johannesburg's Sunninghill suburb in May.
Crozier says the Orange retail store provides a further platform for the brand's growth into Africa, one of the company's key markets. A known mobile operator in 33 countries, Orange has 17 operations across Africa and the Middle East. "[The establishment is also] an additional step in our commitment to our customer base in the region," adds Crozier.
Gateway move
The Orange store will offer a range of gadgets and accessories, as well as "click and collect" facilities, whereby customers can order products online and collect in-store. It will also act as a drop-off point for repairs and returns, a point of sale for the Orange Top-Up products, and provide customer service relating to Orange's travel products.
In future, says Crozier, the store will also act as a point of service for the brand's potential Internet service provider (ISP) in SA - the introduction of which the MD has indicated is in the offing.
"Having a physical retail presence in the country not only offers an improved experience for consumers, but facilitates further growth into the region. Further to the Orange WiFi offering in SA, our plans to launch as an ISP in 2015 will be [helped along] by us having a point of service and contact with our customers," notes Crozier.
He says Orange plans to open more retail stores in the future, in key local areas.
Orange has been driving brand recognition locally since it launched its consumer arm in SA at the beginning of 2013. The operator, which is already an established brand and mobile operator in 15 other African countries - including Kenya, Botswana, Egypt and Niger, ultimately wants to become a fully-fledged mobile virtual network operator in SA.
Crozier has indicated, however, that Orange's MVNO ambition is not a short-term goal, and the realisation of this rests largely on SA's regulatory landscape.
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