Smart CT wins Toshiba deal to support 32 UK retailers

Smart CT has secured a three-year contract with Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions to provide maintenance and support services for 32 UK high-street retailers.

The Reading-based IT lifecycle services firm will maintain and repair thousands of retail point-of-sale systems and related devices. The agreement expands Smart CT's retail work through a partnership with Toshiba's commerce division.

Andy Morgan, Smart CT's CEO, said the deal is an important step in scaling the company's retail operation. "This is a significant deal for us because although we already provide a substantial amount of retail services for customers across Europe, this gives us a greater level of scale," he said.

The retailers covered span multiple segments, including supermarkets, fast food, sport, charity and clothing. Smart CT will support store technology, including point-of-sale systems, printers, scanners and headsets.

Support Model

Smart CT expects about 10,000 callouts a year under the agreement. Services will be delivered through a network of 65 engineers across the UK, including 20 engineers who recently transferred from the manufacturer.

The contract is part of Smart CT's broader offering to deploy, maintain, replace and repair IT infrastructure on behalf of technology manufacturers. This includes networking equipment, servers, storage and workplace technologies used by organisations operating connected devices across multiple sites.

Morgan said the volume of retail demand will showcase the firm's operational reach. "Around 10,000 service requests is a big number, but it demonstrates our ability as an organisation to support multiple technologies at scale - networking, service storage and workplace technologies, which includes retail. This contract gives us a really solid footprint in the retail space," he said.

Competitive Win

Smart CT pitched for the Toshiba contract against other suppliers, according to Morgan. He attributed the win in part to the companies' existing relationship. "We were up against some big companies but we are already working with them on a material networking contract, so they are aware of how reliable we are and the excellent service we provide," he said.

Smart CT has also been expanding its retail work beyond this agreement. It recently won a separate three-year contract with MRI Software for device installation and maintenance services, covering a nationwide health food chain and a fragrance retailer across the UK and Europe.

Morgan said the Toshiba award shows growing recognition of Smart CT's retail capabilities alongside its established networking and storage work. "We're known for networking and server storage reliability, but this proves that we're also becoming recognised for retail," he said.

Service Levels

Retail technology downtime can disrupt trading and raise operating costs. Under the new agreement, Smart CT will ship replacement parts to stores and dispatch engineers within defined response windows.

Response times range from within four hours to eight hours or the next business day, depending on the service requirement. Morgan stressed the importance of keeping the tills running. "For all of these retailers, having tills open is absolutely crucial to their business. If there is a break or a need for maintenance, we will have the part shipped to the store and our engineers will be there within four hours, eight hours or the next business day to ensure continuity," he said.

European Growth

Beyond the UK retail contract, Smart CT has expanded in continental Europe. It recently won a deal with an IT provider in France for outsourced internal networking maintenance across more than 500 locations.

The French agreement leverages Smart CT's European storage, logistics, and repair facilities. Its European business has grown from 5% to 30% over three years, and it now manages more than 200,000 devices across markets on both sides of the Channel.

Smart CT operates in 57 countries, with the UK, Germany and France as its three largest markets. Its logistics footprint includes more than 25,000 parts held across more than 50 locations in the UK, Europe and the US. This stockholding supports rapid replacement and, in some cases, engineer dispatch within as little as two hours.

The company also highlighted a sustainability focus in its repair operations. Faulty devices that might otherwise be disposed of can be repaired and repurposed, or dismantled so components can be reused in other equipment.

Morgan said the Toshiba contract provides a foundation for further retail expansion. "This is the retail push that we have planned for, and having such a significant number of customers puts us in a strong position to win more," he said.