Wednesday, June 1, 2005 | ||
Bad Links? | One stop for cellphone needsThere are superstores for computer equipment, office supplies and sporting goods, and now there is a superstore dedicated to todays must-have mobile communication device: the cellphone. Wireless Toyz, a rapidly growing franchise, consolidates equipment and service plan information from the leading national wireless carriers under one roof for fast one-stop shopping. Each Wireless Toyz outlet brings together cellular phones, accessories and service plans from a combination of Sprint, Nextel, T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon and Cingular depending on variables such as the geographic area covered as well as satellite TV offerings from industry-leading DirecTV and Dish Network. Some stores in the chain also represent regional carriers in their local markets. For consumers, this broad selection eliminates the grueling store-by-store evaluation otherwise required to compare competing carriers equipment and service plans. Jay and Laura Young are the proud owners of the WirelessToyz store located at 2767 West Highway 54 in Peachtree City. Business has been constant, since their opening last December and with 5 different carriers to offer, the consumer has a choice of which program suits them the best. This WirelessToyz offers Nextel, AT&T, Cingular, Sprint and T-Mobile. There is so much changing in the cellular industry, its an exciting time, says Jay Young, who plans to open an additonal three WirelessToyz stores in the next 3 years. These stores will be located in Newman, Fayetteville, and Jonesboro. Currently, Wireless Toyz has 63 locations in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Ohio, Arizona, Idaho, Georgia, Missouri and Texas. An additional 60 outlets are slated to open before the end of 2005 in those markets as well as in California, Nevada, Wisconsin, Maryland, Georgia and Florida. The chain is targeting 250 locations by the end of 2006. The vast majority of cellular stores are single-carrier operations, and thats simply not consumer-friendly. Its like having to shop for 10 different brands of refrigerators by going to 10 different appliance stores, said Joe Barbat, Wireless Toyz founder and president. Customers like our setup because they can compare service plans and cellphones side by side. It makes cellular shopping a thousand times easier. Evolving from a tiny kiosk that opened inside a video store in Ypsilanti, Michigan, to sell paging equipment in 1995, Wireless Toyz entered the mobile phone business in 1996 with a single carrier and took on its current superstore identity when multiple carriers began aggressively marketing their brands in 1998. The chain began franchising in late 2001, when it consisted of just nine Michigan locations. The companys growth reflects that of the cellphone market. Between 2001 and 2003 alone, according to market analyst Gartner Inc., the number of handsets sold worldwide has surged from 423.4 million to 520 million. Gartner forecasts a jump to 580 million units in 2004, with the increase coming both from strong replacement demand and from first-time buyers many of whom are bypassing lower-end phones for smartphones equipped with computer-style functions such as email and personal information management systems. With that ongoing expansion and the fact that 60 percent of the U.S. population remains cellphone-less, there is a lot of room for growth in the market and for Wireless Toyz. The companys wireless experts are trained to quickly determine customers needs through a verbal questionnaire and then to zero in on the carrier that offers the best service plan to meet those requirements, whether its a family package in a specific price range or affordable national coverage for a customer who travels regularly. Service plan pricing is identical to that offered in carriers corporate stores, and equipment prices are the same or lower. Wireless Toyz stores also offer a full complement of cellphone accessories, from batteries to hands-free headsets. Customers can also simplify their satellite TV system shopping at Wireless Toyz by comparing offerings from the two dominant national carriers. With the continuing growth in the cellphone market, the distinction of being one of only a handful of wireless retailers to represent so many carriers, and a low initial franchise investment of just $150,000, Wireless Toyz is drawing strong interest from entrepreneurs looking for franchise opportunities. Twenty-five new franchise agreements were signed in 2003, with 10 more inked in the first three months of 2004 alone. Wireless Toyz offers comparison shopping capabilities that are not available from most other wireless stores, and that helps eliminate confusion from the cellular buying decision, said Richard Simtob, the companys vice president of franchise development. Its a successful concept that solves a real problem for consumers, and thats why our franchise sales are accelerating. For more information, visit www.wirelesstoyz.com. |
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