Vodafone to add 150 shops, create 1,400 jobs in UK

Vodafone Group Plc said on Thursday it would add 150 shops and create 1,400 jobs across the United Kingdom during the next 12 months in a 100 million pound ($166.33 million) investment.

The British group said the expansion is part of the company's plans to invest 1 billion pounds ($1.66 billion) in the United Kingdom in 2014 where it serves 19 million customers.

Vodafone last year in June said that it would increase its UK expenditure by more than 50 percent to nearly 1 billion pounds.

The opening of the new shops will increase the total number of Vodafone's branded UK outlets to more than 500, the company said.

It plans to open first of the 150 stores in Notting Hill, Fulham, Walthamstow, Wembley, Ilford, Perry Barr and Bicester.

Vodafone is the third-largest mobile operator in Britain after EE, a joint venture between Orange and Deutsche Telekom, and Telefonica's O2.

British Prime Minister David Cameron supported Vodafone's plans.

"It is a sign that our long-term economic plan to create jobs and build a stronger, more competitive economy is working," he said in a statement. ($1 = 0.6012 British Pounds)