Mobile Fun says ciao to Italian business manager

ONLINE retailer Mobile Fun has rolled out the latest phase of its international growth strategy.

The firm, which supplies mobile accessories, has devised a strategy to base international managers at its Birmingham head office ahead of opening additional websites across Europe.

Following a successful pilot scheme involving Spanish and Dutch managers, Vanesa Nunez and Robin Verschuren, Mobile Fun has now hired Italian manager Teresa Gualtieri.  

For an initial six months, she will be based in the UK, to focus on localising the Italian website while undergoing a thorough training and induction process, before returning to Italy to manage the set-up of Mobile Fun’s Italian office.

Mobile Fun Italy is the company’s sixth international website in the past four years and joins Mobile Fun’s already established presence within the UK, Germany, France, Spain and The Netherlands.

Richard Moore, Mobile Fun’s Head of International, said: “This is an exciting phase for Mobile Fun’s continued international expansion. Our strategy of sharing the experience and resources of our UK team with the local knowledge and skills of native-speaking managers has certainly paid off.

“Our first UK-based international manager, Vanesa Nunez, flew back to her native country to establish our Spanish office well ahead of the 12 month period we had initially anticipated. This has dramatically reduced our initial funding, to produce an early and lucrative return on investment.”

Mobile Fun’s Dutch website was launched only weeks after its Spanish operation and is already showing growth. It is one of many international websites planned over the next year.

“We are currently the top etailer of mobile accessories in the UK and over the next 12 months we have similar plans for a number of international sites across Europe and the rest of the world,” added Mr Moore.

“The international market is a major growth driver for Mobile Fun, with international sales accounting for over 25% of our total orders. Although our continuing expansion is a bold move in the current economic climate, having our international managers come over to the UK to work with our UK team has certainly benefited the launch of our Spanish, Dutch and Italian websites.

“The last 12 months have been extremely productive and profitable for Mobile Fun and we have learned a lot from our new international managers being based here in the UK.”