On the back of its success with the launch of the Orange Online Store in South Africa in 2014, telecommunications services provider Orange has announced that the opening of its first physical retail branch in the Western Cape will happen this week.

In December 2014 Orange announced the intention to open the Cape-based branch and begin trading in January this year, however this was delayed. The telco has now confirmed that the retail store in Claremont, Cape Town will open on 26 June.

In a statement sent to the media, Orange stated that the retail store will feature gadgets and accessories, and offer click-and-collect facilities. "(It will) act as a drop-off point for repairs and returns, act as a point of sale for Orange's Top-Up products and provide customer service for Orange's travel products," the company added.

Orange uses a franchise model which lowers the cost of setting up new stores because these costs and responsibilities are shared by the partners involved.

"This is why we have chosen a partner who already has an existing store, which just needs to be transformed into an Orange store, rather than building a store from the ground up. We provide elements such as Orange services, trainers, products, etc.," says Sébastien Crozier, chief executive officer, Orange Horizons.

Crozier described the opening of a physical store as a "logical step" for the company and said the response to the Orange Online Store by South African consumers exceeded all the company's expectations.

This response prompted the setting up of a local warehouse and Crozier says there is sufficient stock to support the company's first retail store.

According to statistics released by Orange, during the first quarter of 2015, the top ten selling products in South Africa, in order of rank, were: Motorola Moto G (2nd Gen.); Sony Xperia Z3 Compact; LG G3; Huawei Ascend P7; Sony Xperia Z2; Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 Lite 7.0; Sony Xperia Z3; Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 10.1; Motorola Flip Shell for Motorola Moto G (2nd Gen.) and Google Nexus 6.

"We are excited about the store, as it not only provides a further platform for the brand's growth into Africa – which is a key market for us – but is also an additional step in our commitment to our customer base in the region," Crozier adds.

Orange also says the store will serve as a point of services for its planned ISP activity, to be launched by the end of the year.

"Having a physical retail presence in the country not only offers an improved experience for our consumers, but facilitates for further growth into the region. Further to the Orange Wi-Fi offering in South Africa, our plans to launch as an ISP in 2015 will be made easier by having a point of service and contact with our customers," said Crozier.

The company is planning to roll out stores across South Africa, but has not said when or where at this point.