Sky to open first retail shops across the UK

•  Sky to begin opening first retail shops across the UK
•  Launch will bring Sky’s leading service and innovative products to the UK high street
•  Launch reaffirms Sky’s commitment to customer experience and care

For the first time in its 30-year history, Sky are launching bricks-and-mortar retail shops across the UK bringing Sky’s leading customer service and innovative pay TV, mobile and broadband products to the UK high street, under one roof.

The first few shops are to set to launch in 2020, with the very first opening in Liverpool on 26th October. Sky has plans to open further shops in 2021, ensuring that they are in the right places for Sky customers.

Sky Shops are a departure from traditional shops and, in the long-term, will offer a new social hub for shoppers - whether they are looking for the latest Sky products, the assistance of Sky’s expert in-shop advisors, or simply looking to immerse themselves in all Sky has to offer.

Sky’s focus on customer experience is at the crux of the new shops and designed with customers’ needs in mind. The shop will be separated into designated themed spaces across an open-plan layout , encouraging easy conversation between Sky’s expert advisors and customers. It will also have a dedicated ‘Customer Hub’, complete with seating areas, that will allow existing customers to speak to advisors about their current products.

The shops will also feature a dedicated ‘Access All Areas’ stage which will host various interactive experiences for customers. It will be used to create moments that entertain and surprise, putting customers at the centre of Sky’s extraordinary entertainment content and leading products.

Customers will be able to test out Sky’s latest innovations, displayed across the shop for maximum convenience and accessibility, for the first time. Shoppers can experience Sky’s award-winning Sky Q technology, including entertainment content from Sky and established partners such as Netflix and Disney, and new, innovative partnerships with fitness app, Fiit and karaoke app, ROXi. This provides customers with the opportunity to make the most out of Sky’s products and services and ensure they take home the right products for them.

Sky has also struck a landmark deal with popular technology repair chain iSmash. This means that some shops will host iSmash in-store, providing customers with professional repair and support for their smart devices, at their fingertips.

All shops will operate in line with the Government’s Covid-19 safety measures, including strict social distancing, mandatory facemasks and hand sanitiser available across the shop.

Stephen van Rooyen, Executive Vice President & Chief Executive Officer, UK & Europe, said: “Our new Sky shops are a great way for us to showcase the amazing benefits and customer service we have to offer new and existing customers. We’re proud to see our shops opening at a challenging time for the UK high street, and alongside our partners at iSmash, we’ll bring service, innovation and convenience all in one place, under one roof, at a time when keeping people connected has never been more important.”

Julian Shovlin, Founder & Managing Director, iSmash said: “We’re incredibly excited by our partnership with Sky and the launch of our new store in Liverpool. With both brands offering complimentary products and services, and an aligned approach to customer experience, we believe that this collaboration will bring tangible benefits to our business and customers, keeping them connected to the devices they love.

The unveiling of shops across the country builds on the successful launch of Sky Mobile, now with over 1.5 million customers, and launch of Sky Broadband Ultrafast, which gives 2 million households access to over 12 times faster speeds that Sky’s standard broadband.

For further information:

Jessica Bihari, Senior Corporate Communications Manager, Sky: Jessica.Bihari@sky.uk / 07866 896512

About Sky

Sky is Europe’s leading media and entertainment company and is proud to be part of the Comcast group. Across six countries, we connect our 24 million customers to the best entertainment, sports, news, arts and to our own award-winning original content.

Our technology, including the market leading Sky Q, connects people to everything they love - TV, music, games, online video, fitness and educational content, all in one place, easy. Our streaming service, NOW TV, brings viewers all the enjoyment of Sky with the flexibility of a contract-free service.

Building on the success of Sky Originals like Chernobyl, I Hate Suzie and Brassic, we are doubling our investment in original content by 2024 through Sky Studios. Sky News provides impartial and trustworthy journalism for free, while Sky Arts, the UK’s only dedicated free-to-air arts channel, makes the arts accessible for everyone. Our new TV and movie studio, Sky Studios Elstree, is expected to create over 2,000 new jobs and generate an additional £3 billion of production investment in the UK over the first five years alone.

We believe that we can be a force for good in the communities in which we operate. We’re committed to being Europe’s first net zero carbon entertainment company by 2030. We take pride in our approach to diversity and inclusion: we’ve been recognised by The Times and Stonewall for our commitment to diversity and we’ve put in place a new programme to invest £30million across our markets over the next three years to tackle racial injustice.

About iSmash

Launched in 2013 by entrepreneur Julian Shovlin, iSmash is the UK’s leading high street tech repair specialist, experts in the express repair of smartphones, tablets and computers. Born to fulfil the gap in the market for a trusted device repair solution across the UK, iSmash has quickly expanded to 31 high street, train station, office and shopping centre locations in 10 cities across the UK – including London, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, Liverpool and Leeds. With plans to expand nationwide, iSmash is on a mission to provide a trusted and convenient solution to the nation’s device repair problem. With over 1 million customers to date, iSmash has established itself as the leader in the tech repair market in the UK.