Carphone slowed by pre-pay demand

Carphone Warehouse today said connections fell by more than 16% at the end of 2011 after a slump in demand for pre-pay mobile phones.

The retailer, which has 2,400 outlets across Europe, estimated the pre-pay market as a whole fell by as much as 40% in the UK during the quarter to December 31, which it said reflected a reduction in subsidies from the networks and a lack of smartphones in the sector.