News: Best Buy chooses Rotherham for new store

Best Buy, a leading consumer electronics retailer, has announced that it will open a new store in Rotherham.

The 45,000 sq ft store will be situated at Parkgate Shopping and is set to open in Spring/Summer 2011. It is expected to create around 100 jobs.

Best Buy accounts for around 21% of the U.S. consumer electronics market and the family of brands and partnerships collectively generates more than $45 billion in annual revenue.

With over 1,000 stores in the US and 300 across Canada, China and Europe, Best Buy currently employs approximately 180,000 people worldwide.

Best Buy joined with Carphone Warehouse in 2008 to create Best Buy Europe, and to launch the Best Buy brand in the UK. They currently have four stores open in the UK, with two more stores opening this Autumn, followed by five more including Rotherham in 2011.

In the stores the range available includes audio and visual equipment, computing technology, entertainment devices, appliances, mobiles, music, movies, games, and the connections – including fixed and mobile broadband – content and services to really enable customers to get the most out of their technology.

Positions will be available across the store, including store management, department managers and a variety of sales, operations, merchandising, asset protection and administration roles. Vacancies will also be available for a number of "Geek Squad Agents", to provide customers with 24 hour technology support services.

Paul Minett, District Manager for Best Buy UK said: "I'm excited that we'll be opening Best Buy stores in more new areas of the UK, ensuring that people that live and work near Hayes, Rotherham and Enfield will soon be able to experience why we're a different kind of consumer electronics retailer."

"We'll start recruiting for enthusiastic store colleagues for the Rotherham and Hayes stores at the end of this year, with our search for colleagues beginning next year for the store in Enfield. Team members will be enrolled in Best Buy's nine week "Blueshirt Academy" where they will receive training on the latest consumer technology and develop skills for offering personalised, intelligent and impartial service."

Vision Express moved into Parkgate Shopping last month and owners, British Land have been working on plans to bring ASDA Living and Maplins Electronics to Parkgate, and combine PC World and Currys into a Currys Megastore.

Best Buy website
Parkgate Shopping website

Images: bestbuy.co.uk