Dixon's30 Mar 2019 16:18
The boss of Dixons Carphone on Tuesday said he was banking on gaming to lure shoppers, setting up a High Street showdown with retail tycoon Mike Ashley.
Chief executive Alex Baldock, who joined Dixons in April to implement a new strategy, has opened 17 “gaming arenas” within its shops, where customers compete against each other on in-store consoles, and plans to have 140 by next year.
He added: “We’re pretty excited about this. Gaming makes stores a much more exciting destination. Shoppers can come in and get a feel of the tech.”
The move could turn Dixons into a direct competitor to retailer Game Digital, in which Ashley owns a 25% stake. The Sports Direct tycoon paid £3.2 million last year for half of Game’s e-sports business Belong to set up similar gaming arenas in Sports Direct stores.