A MOBILE phone retailer has announced it will close all of its stand alone stores.

Carphone Warehouse has stores in the High Street, Worcester and one in the Malvern Retail Park in Malvern, which will close next month along with 529 across the UK, according to its parent company Dixons Carphone.

We contacted both stores but no one was available for comment.

Nearly 3,000 jobs are expected to be lost.

Alex Baldock, group chief executive said: “Customers are changing how they buy technology, and Dixons Carphone must change with them.

“I don’t underestimate how upsetting this news will be for our colleagues, and we’ll treat everyone with honesty, respect and care.”

The company said it wants to retain staff and expects to find new jobs for around 40 per cent.

Mr Baldock added: “This is by far the toughest decision we’ve had to make, it is necessary.

“We must follow our customers.

“They want help with all technology, all in one place, and this trend is only going to accelerate in a more connected 5G world.

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“Customers are increasingly heading, not just to our large and growing online business, but into our big stores, where they can find all the experts and tech - mobiles, computers, TVs, smart tech, appliances, gaming and all the rest - they need.

“But they can’t find all this in the small mobile-only stores that are one twentieth of the size.

“They’re visiting these less and these stores are losing more money as a result.”

The firm says this move is to return its mobile side of the business back to profitability and this year, the company expects to make a £90m loss.

These standalone stores, which represent 8 per cent of Dixons Carphone’s total UK selling space, are set to close on April 3.

Do you work at Carphone Warehouse?

Contact our community reporter Steven Collins by email on: steven.collins@newsquest.co.uk or call: 01905742254.