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Best Buy opens UK web store

by Pete Mason on 4 November 2010, 16:30

Tags: Best Buy (NYSE:BBY)

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Best Buy's plans to dominate the British electronics-retail market took another major step forwards today with the launch of its UK web store.

As you'd expect from a company like this, the online presence isn't half baked. There are already a full range of products and you'll find all of the categories of goods that you'd expect to see in store. As well as offering home delivery, you'll be able to order online and collect in store, should there be a retail location near to you.

According to the managing director of the online business, deVere Forster, "the launch of our e-commerce store on BestBuy.co.uk marks a key milestone for the business and helps to make buying technology simple, inspiring and tailored to each of our customers".

Best Buy's online storefront arrives as the company's retail operations really start to gather pace. The first UK store opened in Thurrock in April, with a second welcoming customers a month later. The presence has continued to grow, and this week there's a flurry of activity with the web store launch sandwiched between the opening of new locations in Croydon and Derby.

While Best Buy is only going up against one or two major competitors with its brick-and-mortar superstores, the online space is going to be a lot more crowded. As well as the digital presence of Curry's, PC World and Comet, the company will be facing-off against the likes of eBuyer and Scan - which are increasingly expanding into consumer electronics - and fellow US-import Amazon.

Unfortunately, Best Buy's competitive advantages - airy, open-plan superstores and non-commissioned staff - don't exactly translate over to the virtual arena. However, the site will host a collection of 'Inspiration and Advice' guides - more than 350 as of today - to help prospective buyers get a handle on the latest technology. There will also be a price match guarantee against a number of the retailer's key competitors.



HEXUS Forums :: 10 Comments

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Is it me or does their website look very very similar to currys website? Also their price promise seems to be written almost identical to what PC Worlds used to be about a year ago until they started to change the details. All that was different was 30 days instead of 7 and BestBuy instead of pcworld i swear :D.

Took their time but tbh they are competing with way to many people online, their whole presence was ment to compete with DSG group but its doing that very slowly… sure they have 2 or 3 retail stores now and their deals there are pretty damn good and it seems as a whole they are kicking DSG down in those areas but still it wont affect me until they actually launch their stores IN PLYMOUTH.

I dont care about collect @ store because its not even near me :(. As always ill have to rely on pcworld/currys/comet/maplins for electronics if i need them asap…. hurry up best buy!.
Not really in the Scan, eBuyer and OCUK area of PC sales in my view. I bearly shop at DSG and they seem to be a carbon copy of them at this point so I dont think I will use them unless I find a bargain. But I have to say bargains is what drives me to to any seller thats got a reasonable rep and P&P policy.
its carphonewarehouse *they were bought by best buy 2 years ago) - some of the high street retail outlets will slowly change brands where theres a market.
Defiant
Not really in the Scan, eBuyer and OCUK area of PC sales in my view. I bearly shop at DSG and they seem to be a carbon copy of them at this point so I dont think I will use them unless I find a bargain. But I have to say bargains is what drives me to to any seller thats got a reasonable rep and P&P policy.

You're right in that BB etc don't really sell components, but there's a lot of common ground on consumer electronics (TVs, digital cameras etc) and laptops. Scan and eBuyer, especially, are expanding into more general stuff, whereas the box stores are offering more a complete range of computers and (some) components.

I'm just trying to say that there is some overlap.
For now the average Joe is unaware of Best Buy. Comet and Curry's firmly have the ground in the UK retail electronics area.

The computer guru, such as people on here will see best buy as nothing more than another Comet or Curry's and know better to shop else where.

Is there room for Best Buy? I've seen many electrical groups come and go over the last two decades.

The only way to make your presence known is by advertising, availability (outlets) and prices. And to be honest Best Buy don't have the outlet numbers, don't advertise to the mass and aren't that special on prices.