EE announces 78 store closures

EE has announced the closure of 78 stores across the UK.

The Orange and T-Mobile merged company will shutter off its 78 branches, but all staff from the affected sites will be accommodated in other stores.

The company chose which stores to axe based on their customer numbers, proximity to other sites and how long remains on the leasing agreement, the Financial Times understands.

EE also announced plans to open an additional four sites in unspecified locations, suggesting that the move was not necessarily motivated by financial woes.

All Orange and T-Mobile stores were rebranded under the EE banner when the two companies merged three months ago. EE previously insisted that it would not close down any of the rebranded outlets.

The news follows confirmation that fellow high street traders HMV, Jessops and Blockbuster have all entered administration.