GAME safe from Best Buy invasion

Ahead of the opening of its first UK stores in Liverpool, Southampton, Merry Hill and Thurrock next month, Verdict Research consulting director Neil Saunders has told MCV that Best Buy poses little danger for established High Street games retailers.

Best Buy’s UK arrival shouldn’t prove too much of a threat to established in-town specialists such as GAME or Gamestation,” he told MCV.

In the US consumers are far more willing to travel to do their shopping. In the UK there’s a lot more focus on High Street chains, particularly within the younger demographic that remains very important to the games industry. So while there will be some impact, I expect it to be limited in that respect.”

However, the same can’t be said for those whose business models closely resemble Best Buy’s – namely DSGi’s PC World and Currys as well as the Kesa-owned Comet.

The share these companies enjoy in the video games market is limited mainly to hardware sales, with some additional software purchases, but Best Buy will likely eat into this share when it arrives in the UK.”