Dixons Retail is to offer after-sales services such as repairs and installation to manufacturers and other retailers as well as the general public.

The retailer – parent company of Currys, PC World and Dixons – has already signed a deal to deliver and install products for Whirlpool and five other potential partnerships are reported to be pending.

Chief executive John Browett told analysts on Wednesday that the group’s “Knowhow” services could potentially add tens of millions of pounds to group profits.

In terms of repairs, TV and laptops are currently the main focus of attention for the operation, but it is expected to expand into other product categories in due course.

Knowhow was launched this spring to replace the group’s TechGuys service and is now operating as a separate UK-wide company within the Dixons Retail group.

“This is not simply a rebranding exercise – it is a fundamental shift in our service offer,” a company spokesman told ERTonline.

“It is essentially a big part of the third pillar of the broader renewal and transformation plan launched in May 2008 – value, choice and service.”