News

Best Buy Announces UK Stores and Bespoke Premium Home Entertainment Installation Service (7/4/2010)

Top consumer electronics retailer will open first store in Thurrock, May 2010

Best Buy – a leading consumer electronics retailer – today announces that its first UK store will open in Thurrock, Essex in May 2010 followed by Hedge End (Southampton) and Merry Hill (West Midlands) both due to open in June before further stores open across the UK.

A dedicated area within the new stores will showcase and allow customers to experience an array of the finest affordable and premium home theatre and audio available in the UK. It will include a compelling range of full HD and 3D televisions, brought to life at the Thurrock store in an immersive 3DTV experience, with surround sound systems, speakers, Blu-ray receivers, headphones and wireless streaming solutions.

Further underlining Best Buy’s latest and greatest offerings will be a unique, bespoke premium home entertainment service. The company will offer bespoke in-home consultations and installations of the best in home entertainment technology, customised lighting, speaker and remote calibration and wireless solutions. The service enlists specialist expert installation partner SMC – award winning specialist AV consultants and installers – who will work with Best Buy’s own Geek Squad Agents to install premium technology in customers’ homes. The service will range from affordable solutions – including a HDTV, Blu-ray receiver, speakers and installation – from around £2,000 to maximise the entertainment experience without blowing the bank, to the ultimate in top tech for around £20,000-plus for those who want nothing but the best. Top brands such as Loewe, Sony, Samsung, Bose, Harman Kardon, Pioneer, Denon, Kef and Panasonic will all be available.

Customers will also be able to buy the latest Blu-ray, DVD and music releases, video games and consoles to complete their home entertainment experience. This is in addition to the latest technology across a range of other products including cameras, computers, mobile phones, home appliances, fixed and mobile broadband – all under one roof. Customers will be able to take advantage of expert and impartial advice across the store from Best Buy’s Academy-trained ‘Blueshirts’.

Best Buy also offers a number of differentiating initiatives to its customers including:

• 0% commission: Best Buy’s Blueshirts and Geek Squad Agents don’t work for commission in order to offer a truly impartial service
• Walk out working: Buy any laptop, camera or mobile phone and Best Buy can offer to set it up so it’s ready to use. Whether it's transferring your old contacts onto your new mobile phone, installing software and parental controls on your new laptop or synching the two devices, we can personalise your products and get you up and running before you walk out of the store.
• Geek Squad: the 24-hour technology support and advice service
• 1-2-1 Help: Book an in-store consultation online or in the store with a Blueshirt or Geek Squad Agent, for advice on a wide range of technology so you can get the most out of it
• Trade-in and save: When you trade in old televisions, laptops and mobile phones, you could receive discounts towards your next in-store purchase
• Test drive: A wide variety of the latest and greatest technology is switched on, connected and ready to try before you buy
• Price guarantee: Price match on any product, plus an extra 10% discount. In addition, if you find the same product for less elsewhere up to 30 days after you bought the product, Best Buy will refund the difference

Paul Antoniadis, CEO of Best Buy Branded Operations, said: “We’re here to make buying technology simple, exciting and tailored to each of our customers. We look forward to offering the ultimate in home entertainment technology and installations, and we plan to keep bringing our customers the best that technology can offer in every part of our stores.

“We look forward to bringing the Best Buy experience to consumers across the UK.”

Best Buy stores in Hedge End (Southampton) and Merry Hill (West Midlands) will both open in June, followed by Aintree near Liverpool in the following weeks. Best Buy has also confirmed that it will be opening a store in Croydon, Surrey in Autumn 2010.

Further confirmed store locations and opening dates scheduled for later in 2010 will be announced later in the year.

www.bestbuy.co.uk