Virgin Mobile's lead branding consultancy Start Design and interiors specialist Jervis Hegarty Losasso are front runners to rebrand 230 Our Price stores as mobile phone outlets.

 

Both design groups have worked for Virgin Mobile previously. Start Design was originally appointed in June 1999 to create the name, identity, packaging and point-of-sale material, having already worked on Virgin Cola, Virgin Direct, Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Trains. JHL designed interiors for the company's call centre and point-of-sale display pods, currently in Our Price stores and Virgin Megastores.

 

The decision to convert the Our Price stores from music sales to communications is part of a refocusing by Sir Richard Branson's group on the new economy, and follows a series of disputes with record companies about wholesale rates to the high street music retailer.

 

Virgin Mobile director of branding James Kidd says: "Both groups are rostered agencies. It is too early to say whether either of them will be appointed, but they have done a great job in the past and we will be talking to them."