News: Maplin launches Facebook social store

Rotherham electronics retailer, Maplin, has opened their newest store, one that can be accessed by 800 million people at once.

Using their existing strong relationship with the payment service provider PayPal, Maplin customers can now make purchases via social media for the first time.

Maplin's entire product range is available through the Facebook store, which also interacts with Facebook's social features such as birthdays. Maplin's Facebook fans (10,061 and counting) will be able to access the store via a link on the fan page. Friends and family will be able to see the Maplin products they like, and click through to purchase them.

Maplin is the UK's biggest specialist retailer of consumer electronics with a national network of over 196 stores in the UK and Ireland. They opened their first store in Rotherham last year with a 5,000 sq ft unit at Parkgate Shopping.

The company's website already attracts over 170,000 visitors every day and they launched an iPhone app last year.

The company is backed by Montagu Private Equity, who led a reported £244m secondary buyout in 2004. In 2008 they moved to a 220,000 sq ft state of the art distribution centre and head office at Manvers in Rotherham.

With sales of £209m, annualised profits for 2010 were listed as £23.2m.

Maplin website

Images: Maplin