Carphone Warehouse ups gameplan

The Carphone Warehouse has moved into video games retail, and plans to increase its presence ahead of the arrival of Best Buy early next year.

The High Street chain launched five of its new ‘Wireless World’ stores in November last year – and MCV understands that 40 more will be added in the UK this year.

Each store features other products to accompany the firm’s mobile phone line-up, including iPods, laptops, TVs, consoles and video game software and peripherals.

We have been offering consoles with certain mobile phone contracts for some time, but more recently we have been selling console hardware, some games, laptops and even flat screen TVs in certain larger stores, such as our Westfield store,” explained a Carphone Warehouse spokesperson.

There will be about 30 to 40 of these new Wireless World stores coming over the next financial year – a mixture of brand new sites and refits on existing stores.

As our store concepts evolve we will broaden the range of our products, which will include game consoles and game sofware.”

Last year The Carphone Warehouse was boosted following a 1 billion deal with Best Buy, which saw the American chain acquire 50 per cent of the business.

As a result of the deal, Best Buy is preparing to open 30 stores in the UK throughout 2010. A Carphone Warehouse insider told MCV that these would offer a ‘strong presence’ for video games.