Amazon UK has vowed to stock the most video games of any UK retailer in a bid to grow industry market share, MCV can reveal.

In his first interview since joining the online giant, Amazon games director Chris Poad has said that the sheer quantity of products on offer has been key to the company’s strong Q4 and Q1 results. He added that with the growth in the games sector, it comes as no surprise that so many bricks and mortar rivals are keen to get involved online.

“Video games is a growth category, and I’m not remotely surprised that other people are entering online games retail,” said Poad.

“All we can do is focus on what we are doing internally. It’s really pleasing that Amazon had such a strong Q4 last year and Q1 this year. International sales were up 28 per cent. And with this economy, these numbers are really pleasing.”

“Moving forward, we want to focus on the things Amazon really believes in ruthlessly. These include pricing and customer service, but we really want to grow our selection. I think there are certain categories that the rest of the market will struggle to compete in. For example, the PS2 category is a shrinking part of the games industry, but our broad selection means we can compete there.

“We want to grow our selection, stock the most products, particularly at low prices, and maintain that level of customer service. If we focus on that, it will do us well.”

This year Amazon in the US has launched a series of unique initiatives, including an online trade-in service and the ability to purchase Xbox Live Arcade games through the company’s website. Poad added that the UK office is keeping a watch on how these services develop.

“It’s still early days for these services, but reaction from consumers has been really positive,” concluded Poad. “There’s currently no plans to bring it to the UK, but we are keeping a close eye on it.”