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Laptops are the new mobile phone, says Carphone Warehouse
Charles Dunstone knows what the kids want...

By Julian Goldsmith

Published: Wednesday 12 March 2008

"The laptop is the new mobile phone."

These are the words of Carphone Warehouse founder and CEO Charles Dunstone. The retailer was addressing the Retail Week Conference in London about how to weather the continuing downturn in consumer spending.

Dunstone, who is notorious for opening up new markets for customers, said the retail industry is facing challenging times but that there are still opportunities. He said he had worked out - after rents, staff wages and other costs are taken into account - that his stores do not start going into profit until 4:50 in the afternoon.

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He said: "So the challenge for us was, how can we make money when we are asleep? This is why I get comfort from knowing five million customers are paying by direct debit [for phone services] a month."

Dunstone said that the key shoppers for his mobile phone chain are children and teenagers, who through pester-power can drive mobile phone upgrades in the family.

He said: "Laptops are becoming desirable for kids because they want access to social networks. They love mobile phones because they get privacy from their parents through them. Laptops provide the same screen. This is why we are looking at finding a way to subsidise laptops. It could be a growth area for us."