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Two years after announcing its tie-up with Carphone Warehouse, US giant Best Buy is finally opening its first UK store this month. The Blueshirts and Geek Squad have arrived at last.
This news may initially seem of greater interest to headline writers and retail analysts, but by the end of the year there will be five ‘big box’ stores covering large areas of the country so it is well worth taking a long hard look at what will be on offer in Thurrock in May, Hedge End and Merry Hill in June, and Aintree and Croydon in the autumn.
Best Buy trades in the United States, Mexico, Canada, China and Turkey, and now has Europe in its sight. It describes itself as ‘a leading global electronics retailer that has made its success through not only selling the latest products in store and online, but most importantly, by placing the customer at the heart of what it does’.
The confidence is obvious: “We believe that we offer a new, better and more enjoyable way to buy technology because we have a real passion for what we do and for the products and solutions we sell. We pride ourselves on giving our customers exceptional service, whatever their needs, wherever they buy from us. We think that our point of difference is the Best Buy people; extensively trained, expert and knowledgeable, they explain how products work – and how they work together – to make customers' lives easier, more connected and more entertaining.”
So that’s the PR, what about the offer?
Tailor made
Best Buy promises a new in-store experience with dedicated areas to showcase products like home theatre and 3DTV. There will be a bespoke premium home entertainment service with in-home consultations and a full installation package. Customers buying any laptop, camera or mobile phone will ‘walk out working’ with the new purchase set up and ready to use – whether it's transferring old contacts onto a new mobile phone, installing software and parental controls on a new laptop or synching the two devices. As chief executive Paul Antoniadis says: “We’re here to make buying technology simple, exciting and tailored to each of our customers.”
The Geek Squad will be on hand to give 24-hour technology support and advice and customers can book a ‘1-2-1’ in-store consultation. Trade-ins and Test drives too, plus a price guarantee – matching on the day (plus an extra ten per cent discount) or a post-purchase refund for up to thirty days to match any local competitor’s price (within fifteen miles). That price match excludes mail order, telesales or on-line prices and the competitor’s price must be ‘current, regular and total price, not promotional or sale price and available to all customers’.
Its staff will be very well trained, not just on product knowledge but on Best Buy’s way of selling and serving – that took up much of the first nine weeks in the training programme. Some of the new team have spent time working in stores in the USA. And here’s a headline grabber, there will be no staff commission for the Blueshirts or Geek Squad Agents ‘in order to offer a truly impartial service’.
Reaction
Will Best Buy catch the imagination, and offer shoppers something that will make them sit up and look, and feel the difference? Local competition will inevitably be fierce.
DSGi has stepped up its efforts ahead of the long-awaited arrival, accelerating the roll-out of its megastore format. No surprise that there’s one across the tarmac in Thurrock where it is ‘bringing life to technology’. As chief executive John Browett said pointedly about his own new outlets: “They are real destination stores. You go there and you don’t need to go anywhere else because they are the best TV shop, the best camera shop, the best in all categories.” He will soon find out whether his ‘best’ is enough to keep the newcomer at bay.
And to add to the mix Tesco plans to use its sponsorship of England’s World Cup football team to reinforce its non-food credentials. It expects to sell 300,000 TVs in the run-up to the tournament, claiming that its own-brand Technika has now overtaken Philips to become the UK’s fifth biggest selling brand.
