Retail welcomes Best Buy

News

Ben Furfie May 9 2008, 11:50am

Both DSGi and John Lewis say move demonstrates the continued strength of UK electronics market

DSGi has rebuked any suggestion that it should be worried about Best Buy's move into the UK, with a spokesperson for the group saying it "validates our strategy, as well as the importance of the specialist electrical retailer."

Speaking to trade magazine Mobile, a spokesperson for the firm said: "We're not surprised by the announcement – We know Best Buy's business and we know it was wanting to enter the UK market. It clearly believes, as we do, that this is an attractive market, and its entry validates our strategy, as well as the importance of the specialist electrical retailer. It also shows they are not concerned about the threat from the internet."

"We start from a much stronger place. That is, we are the market leader in many of our markets, certainly in the UK. We already have a large store network, we already have a substantial internet business, and we already have the service and delivery infrastructure in place, which is difficult and expensive to replicate," he added.

John Lewis electronics buyer Helen Keppel-Compton echoed DSGi's comments telling The Guardian: "This new venture supports the great appetite the consumer has for electrical and electronics goods at the moment."