Tech repair specialist iSmash has announced a new retail partnership with technology retailer Maplin.
The firm, started by Irishman Julian Shovlin when the then-student became frustrated by a difficult smartphone repair, is expanding rapidly across the UK.
iSmash concessions will be rolled out in three major Maplin locations during its pilot phase over the next six months: Monument and St Paul鈥檚 in London and in a new Maplin store in Stevenage in December.
The new partnership will increase iSmash鈥檚 existing store portfolio of 27 major high street locations.
鈥淲e鈥檙e incredibly excited about launching this pilot partnership with Maplin,鈥� said MD Shovlin.
鈥淲e believe that iSmash can deliver value by helping Maplin reach a younger demographic, while we鈥檒l be able to further expand our store footprint and add to our growing base of 350,000 happy customers.鈥�
The news follows customer research carried out by Maplin which identified a strong appetite amongst its customers for a high-quality tech repair service.
Oliver Meakin, CEO at Maplin, said: 鈥淲e are constantly looking to expand our services proposition, as we look to create a customer journey that supports those who shop with us all the way from pre-purchase and consideration to after sales support.
鈥淔ollowing the nationwide launch of our Free Smart Home Survey, a new and unique service in the UK, this exciting new partnership with iSmash will provide first rate tech repairs for our customers in store.
鈥淲e feel there鈥檚 a great cultural fit between iSmash and Maplin, two genuine specialists in their respective fields, and I鈥檓 confident this partnership will be a positive one.鈥�
iSmash has increased its YoY turnover by 108 per cent from 拢7.5 million to 拢11.8m this year.
Projections for next year outline a further revenue increase of 52 per cent as the brand continues to extend its footprint.
The next two months will see iSmash opening a further seven standalone stores in hotspots across the UK, including Oxford Circus station and Covent Garden in London, as well as Brighton and Leeds.