Best Buy is (finally) bringing its retail experience online for customers in England.
U.S.-based Best Buy has become a recent presence in the English retail scene. While it may be a newcomer to the country’s shores, the company is trying to make up for lost time, having revealed that it’s now letting customers shop on its website, too.
Best Buy opened its first store across the pond back in May and now has seven retail locations open around the U.K. However, the company hasn’t had an online presence in England until now.
According to Marketing Week:
The retailer claims its e-commerce site will “incorporate the wealth of expertise and advice offered by Best Buy’s in-store team, as well as invite and involve the opinions and recommendations of consumers”.
As well as a transactional site BestBuy.co.uk will provide content designed to replicate the in-store service offered by its “Blueshirt” team of technical experts and guide consumers.
It includes 350 “Inspiration and Advice” guides, interactive video guides and “plain English” articles on the latest technology products to help consumers make the right purchase decisions.
This online launch comes at a time when Best Buy’s major competitors in Britain, Dixons and Comet, have unveiled some major campaigns of their own to capitalize on the upcoming Holiday Season. Dixons recently started a Star Wars-themed marketing campaign and Comet started a loyalty scheme at the same time as it changed its branding.
Whether or not Best Buy’s new online store is enough to make it a serious competitor in the home electronics market remains to be seen. Since I’m based out of the United States, I have no comparison to draw between Best Buy, Comet, and Dixons. Have any of our U.K. readers been able to shop at more than one of these chains and draw an opinion about whether one is better than another?
Source: Best Buy via Marketing Week
Published: Nov 4, 2010 03:00 am