Online sales prove strong for UK arm of Best Buy

Friday, January 21, 2011 - 11:42 by Mike Price

US retailer Best Buy has recently begun operating in the UK and it has announced that its e-commerce site allowed it to perform well during the run up to Christmas 2010.

The site has been online only for a few months and it seems that UK consumers have quickly adopted a trust in the brand, which is just one of many offering safe shopping online.

The Carphone Warehouse owns a significant stake in Best Buy Europe and it announced that people were using the e-commerce site to buy large home appliances, which helps to boost revenues over the festive period.

In a statement it was announced that many consumers headed to the Best Buy site in order to check up on prices and were subsequently convinced to make a purchase, which means few bounced and went to look elsewhere.

Carphone Warehouse CEO, Roger Taylor, said that e-commerce was bolstering the fledgling UK Best Buy business and working hand in hand with its presence on the high street.

Mr Taylor spoke in an interview with Internetretailing.net to express his pleasure with the early performance figures for Best Buy's website. He pointed out that its online presence was allowing it to become a known brand, which consumers would then recognise and use on the high street.

In 2011 there will be five more Best Buy superstores opening around the country. The long term goal of the group and its owners at Carphone Warehouse, is that there will be more than 200 Best Buy stores on UK high streets, while its e-commerce site will allow it to compete with other firms like Amazon in the online marketplace.

This news is just one of many recent stories which show how high street retailers have been able to post better than expected figures as a result of safe shopping online.