Three Ireland aims to turn itself into Ireland’s first ‘connected lifestyle’ brand with an investment of €27m in  stores that will offer a range of products other than mobile devices.

The company says it wants to “redefine the telecommunications sector and create a new category of retail stores for Ireland’s towns and cities”.

As the plan is implemented, Three will not only provide connectivity through its network and devices, but expert advice and access to more than 100 products selected to suit Irish shoppers and their hobbies, the company says.

Products available at launch will include a music table, a robot hoover and a smart garden, as a taster of the variety that customers will find in Three’s 60 stores and can also access online. 

In Association with

Among the selected suppliers is Irish brand Ecoset, a reusables company based in Greystones run by Sarah Maunsell and Oscar Lai which offers eco-friendly products for drinking in the outdoors (pictured above).

Despite the shift to online shopping, which accelerated during the Covid pandemic, surveys conducted from 2019 to now have shown that just over 60% of consumers prefer shopping in person, supplementing that experience with online access.

Chief commercial officer Elaine Carey (pictured) said: “Today is an exciting day for us in Three Ireland as we fundamentally shift and become Ireland’s first connected lifestyle brand, supported by an investment of €27m.

“For consumers, this will dramatically change perceptions of retail, providing for the first time an offering that is curated to consumers personal tastes with expert advice at its core. To ensure the customer experience is seamless across online and in-store, Three’s retail experts will undertake extensive training to allow them to provide in-depth guidance to consumers."

Among the first stores to be transformed will be those on Henry Street in Dublin, Patrick Street in Cork, and in the Parkway Shopping Centre in Limerick, where work will start later this month. By the end of the year, the company plans to have 13 stores modified, with the programme continuing until 2023.

Three says its new product range has been chosen with reference to the themes of home, work, music and play. New themes will be added later, such as travel, fitness and family.

Details of the products available and when the new stores will be offering them are available on Three’s website.

Pic: Naoise Culhane