Mobile retailer scores £1.5bn
Expanding mobile phone operator and retailer 3 has increased its revenue by a third to£1.52 billion, with a 14 per cent growth in customers to 3.9 million in the 12 months to December 31.

In the release of its annual accounts today, 3's parent company Hutchison Whampoa reiterated that the division would break even in the first half of this year. However, the company declined to disclose any further financial figures.

The company revealed that it increased its non-voice revenues by 29 per cent to£13.44 per customer.

3 announced last month that it planned to more than double the number of its standalone stores this year from 130 to 286. It also owns 133 concessions in healthcare retailer Superdrug, which is also owned by Hutchison Whampoa.

3 was founded four years ago to capitalise on the expected demand for video and other media to be accessed via a mobile phone handset. The expansion of its retail arm has been rapid: it was set up last year with just 10 stores. In the course of 2006, it bought 95 The Link stores from DSGi.

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