Dixons, Carphone to Combine as Smartphones Meet Fridges

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Smartphones and refrigerators just got connected. Dixons Retail, whose Currys chain sells everything from tablets to vacuum cleaners, agreed to an all-share merger of equals with Carphone Warehouse Group, a deal they say will enable them to capitalize on the growth of Internet-enabled devices, such as washing machines controlled from your phone.

The retailers are pooling resources as both continue to battle against increasing competition from Web-based retailers. AO World, the UK online appliances seller that listed shares in London in February, said it’s introducing a television offer to go alongside dishwashers and refrigerators. The merger will also help bolster defenses against mobile-network operators that are seeking to reduce reliance on third-party retailers and open more of their own stores.


Dixons, Carphone to Combine as Smartphones Meet Fridges