Carphone Warehouse is to focus on tablet computers in its stores in preference to netbooks and laptops in a bid to capitalise on the growing popularity of the devices.

Laptops will still be available online and Carphone Warehouse stores will stock particular laptops if there is massive demand. 

A Carphone Warehouse spokesman said: “We believe the tablet market has the potential for huge growth over the next few years and our ambition is to make Carphone Warehouse the home of tablets in the same way we are already the home of smartphones.”

A full range of laptops will also be available on sister business Best Buy’s website and stores.

The spokesman: “In a Carphone Warehouse, space is at a premium and there is only so much you can display. In Best Buy, there is 30,000 to 40,000 sq ft of space to play with and in Carphone there is more like 3,000 sq ft.”

Carphone Warehouse was the first high-street mobile retailer to enter the laptop market, in 2008.