Cellular Sales' California Expansion in Goleta

NOOZHAWK

Cellular Sales, a company that operates wireless-phone stores for Verizon, is expanding into California, and has set up its first Golden State store in Goleta’s new Hollister Village shopping and apartment center at 7000 Hollister Ave.

The Knoxville, Tenn.-based company has been wanting to expand out west for a while, but had to examine the area’s high cost of living and other financial considerations before setting up shop, California regional director Jahi Edwards told Noozhawk.

The 23-year-old company is expanding rapidly right now, he said, and the current 570 or so stores are expected to pass 600 by the end of the year.

Cellular Sales had existed before Verizon, Jason Lee, another California regional director, told Noozhawk. It became the telecommunication giant’s leading retailer after Verizon bought out all of its older, smaller carriers.
Verizon “somewhat hand-picked” Hollister Village, Lee said “because the nearest (Verizon) store is about 15, 20 minutes away in Santa Barbara.”

“The numbers really showed that that area truly needed a direct-store type of presence,” he added.
Another location, the regional directors said, is slated to open in Santa Maria in the next few months.

“We create an environment that allows people to come in and have no wait times, to be served and have a full-service environment where it’s a one-stop shop,” Edwards said. “They don’t have to rely on other locations that are further away, have longer wait times or don’t have the product that they need.”