The UK high street has got a major boost as one of the largest phone providers in the country has vowed to transform and improve its physical stores. The news comes as other retailers shut their stores across the high street amid soaring costs and changing customer habits, with more people opting to shop online. VodafoneThree has begun a transformation of Vodafone and Three stores into multi-brand hubs following their merger last year.

The company revealed it will invest millions of pounds into its retail locations. From April 2026, it will begin to offer products and support for Vodafone and Three customers in the same locations. It has vowed to remain in every town where stores already exist, relaunching many of them as multi-brand locations. Recent findings from the Centre of Retail Research reveal that 28.9% of people cited Vodafone and Three stores as their single biggest source of information on new phone models, more than social media, online articles and newspapers.

VodafoneThree said it aims to transform its stores from just retail spaces to hubs for support, featuring services such as Vodafone's Fix & Go.

Flagship stores in major locations such as London, Manchester and Edinburgh will be transformed as part of this investment.

"We know how important stores like ours are to the health of the high street and the communities which rely on them," said Jon Shaw, consumer operations director at VodafoneThree. "From shopping devices, seeking support from our experts or getting their phone repaired, we are proud to serve our customers where they are and reaffirm our commitment to the UK high street.

"The stores will help bring our brands to more people, offering customers more choice and greater value, as we build the UK's best network."

The newly merged company has also vowed to boost speeds for every customer as it aims to bring 5G Standalone (5G SA) coverage to 99% of the population by 2030 and every corner of the UK by 2034.

Its high street presence is set to continue to support more than 4,000 jobs. Meanwhile, the company stresses the "crucial" importance of in-person services, particularly for older customers.

Customers aged 30-65 years made up just over 54% of total visits to stores last year, with 42.1% of this age group choosing to visit a store to upgrade their devices.

Professor Joshua Bamfield, Centre for Retail Research, said: "The UK high street is facing challenges, with 18,937 store closures and void rates of around 13.7% in 2025. Whilst other sectors like banks are withdrawing from the high street, it's very encouraging to see retailers like VodafoneThree acknowledge the importance of retail presence to local communities and economies. We've seen the impact a successful retail sector can have in towns and communities, not only for stores like VodafoneThree's brands, but for surrounding businesses and industries like hospitality."