A new wireless retailer is coming to Canada. According to Retail Insider, the new retailer will be called “Wow Mobile” and will offer devices from a number of wireless carriers much as other retailers such as WirelessWave and Best Buy Mobile already do. The stores will be operated by Match Marketing/PopUp which already runs The Mobile Shop for Loblaws.
The report adds that Wow Mobile will be backed by two of Canada’s largest carriers, Rogers and TELUS. It expects to have over 100 stores by the end of 2014. Given that the two are direct competitors, this could prove to be a very interesting business relationship.
A look through the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) database turned up recent entries for designs for the WOW! MOBILE BOUTIQUE. The owner for both of these is none other than Rogers, identified in the documents as Rogers Communications Partnership, confirming that there are other parties involved.
MobileSyrup adds that its own sources have revealed that WOW! Mobile will focus on the no-contract market. It will offer unlimited talk, text and data packages and include LTE coverage. Devices that could be offered include the Motorola Moto X and the Nexus 4.
Update: We reached out to Rogers for a comment and they told us that: “We are always reviewing our retail distribution portfolio to ensure the best possible availability of our products and services and customer experience. We don’t comment on rumours or speculation.”
Sources : Retail Insider // MobileSyrup // CIPO