- Currys Digital (UK)
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Currys Digital 
Industry Retail Predecessor Dixons Founded 2006 Headquarters Hemel Hempstead, United Kingdom Key people Nick Wilkinson
(Managing Director)Products White goods, Telecommunications, Information technology Parent Dixons Retail plc Currys Digital is an electrical retailer in the United Kingdom, that is owned by DSG International plc.With its origins in a photographic shop opened by Charles Kalms, the chain now has a store in most towns and cities across the UK and Ireland. It was known as Dixons until 5 April 2006, when the company announced they were moving away from the Dixons brand, except in Ireland and UK airports.[1]
Contents
History
Origins
The first Dixons was opened by Charles Kalms in Southend as a photographic studio in 1937. The business flourished during the Second World War, as there was much demand for photographic services and family portraits. By the end of the war Kalms had opened seven more studios in the London area. Unfortunately for Kalms, the demands for portrait services decreased considerably after the war, and he was forced to close all but one studio in Edgware, North London. There are now more than 30 stores across the United Kingdom and more than 7,000 staff working for DSGI.
Business practices while trading as Dixons
The retailer has long suffered the reputation that its staff are unhelpful [2][3].
In November 1998 Dixons came under fire because of the prices it was charging for personal computers. Peter Mandelson said he was worried that consumers were getting a 'raw deal' because of the store's dominant position in the market [4]. Intel's chief executive at that time, Craig Barrett, said that Dixons charges "ridiculous margins" [5]. The Intel Architecture Business Group said "Dixons has classic channel presence and can determine what gets sold at what price." Dixons responded that it could not make sense of the comments. The Consumers' Association said "Dixons controls over half of the high street distribution of PCs and they seem to be using this enormous market power to keep prices to consumers high" and has a "monopoly position in the high street".[5] Criticism continued into 2000 when competitor John Lewis, with the support of two Members of Parliament, accused Dixons of stifling competition in the market by striking anti-competitive deals with suppliers [6].
The retail chain was criticised by the Consumers' Association in 2003 for the way staff pressured customers (through "dodgy sales tactics" and "dubious practices" [7]) into purchasing poor value extended warranties, an issue which was widely reported in the press [8][9], with Dixons facing particular criticism by virtue of supplying one-in-four of all extended warranties accounting for 40% of the store's profits.
Also in 2003 The Daily Telegraph and The Independent reported that the chain had been selling used goods. Dixons had been investigated by more than twenty-two of thirty county trading standards offices; in the previous two years thirteen counties had prosecuted the company and five had issued formal cautions, another 12 were contemplating prosecution. Furthermore the chain has made a number of advertising claims which the Advertising Standards Agency judged were misleading and advertised in-store credit in a way that the Office of Fair Trading ruled unlawful.
In January 2006 the BBC One consumer rights programme Watchdog reported that Which? magazine had found Dixons the fifth worst retailer in Britain.
2006 Dixons rebranding to Currys.digital
A former Dixons high street store rebranded as Currys.digital, in Stroud, Gloucestershire
A larger Currys.digital branch on Briggate, Leeds.On 5 April 2006, Dixons announced that they were removing their brand from the high street and would only be using the Currys brand, Dixons rebranded as Currys.digital an extension of Currys.digital markets itself as a specialist division of Currys aimed at the technology-focused consumer with product ranges such as cameras, personal computers, audio and video equipment - as Dixons had in the past - while offering a small range of large and small domestic appliances that the traditional Currys stores sell. However, there are a small number of Currys.digital stores which still devote a lot of the store to appliances such as white goods. An example of this would be the Currys.digital in Bull Ring, Birmingham or on Northumberland Street in Newcastle Upon Tyne. This is because that branch was a Dixons XL store. The store in Kingston upon Hull used to also display appliances, however recently underwent a revamp to bring it into line with the Currys.digital brand. Dixons stores would still be retained in Ireland, and other locations such as airports, while also retaining its website.
The Dixons stores in The Netherlands had been sold off years before the rebrand, but still carry the Dixons brand.
Before the Dixons rebranding, the Currys chain contained only a few small town-centre high-street stores compared with its much greater number of large out-of-town superstores.
In 2009, Currys.digital was renamed as Currys Digital, and, along with the main store, got the new Currys logo. As of 2010 Currys Digital stores will be refurbished as joint Currys PC World stores, the first of these opened in the Summer of 2010.
Store format
The large out-of-town Currys superstores are generally split into four main departments - Computing, Home Entertainment, Major Domestic Appliances and Small Domestic Appliances. While the Currys.digital format generally is similar to its larger sister stores (Currys) the layout tends to give more floor space to Computing and Home Entertainment while having a small selection of Major Domestic Appliances and Small Domestic Appliances.
References
- ^ Dixons to rebrand shops as Currys BBC News Online: 5 April 2006
- ^ Muspratt, Caroline (21 March 2004). "Dixons 'has least customer respect'". London: Daily Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2004/03/22/cndix22.xml.
- ^ Gahan, Mary (11 September 2002). "Will Sir Stanley go quietly from Dixons?". BBC. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/2251928.stm.
- ^ "Dixons prices investigated". The Independent. 22 November 1998. http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_19981122/ai_n14197801.[dead link]
- ^ a b "Dixons accused of PC profiteering on computers". The Independent. 20 November 1998. http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_19981120/ai_n14197455.[dead link]
- ^ "Dixons slated for 'fixing' PC market". The Independent. 9 April 2000. http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20000409/ai_n14298977.[dead link]
- ^ "Retailers accused of 'dubious tactics'". BBC News Online. 6 February 2003. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/2730317.stm.
- ^ "Dixons chief blows fuse over warranty 'rip-off'". The Daily Telegraph (London). 13 February 2003. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=%2Fmoney%2F2003%2F02%2F14%2Fcndix14.xml.
- ^ "Dixons hits back at warranty critics". BBC News Online. 14 February 2003. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/2760277.stm.
See also
External links
Business brands Dixons · Currys · Currys Digital · PC World · Gigantti · Elkjøp · Lefdal Lavpris · Pixmania · MacWarehouse · MicroWarehouse · Inmac · Elgiganten · Elko · PC City · Electro World · Kotsovolos · Markantalo · Hygena at Currys · Freeserve · Matsui
Key people Annual revenue: £7,072 million GBP ( 
% FY 2006) · Employees: 42,000+ · Stock symbol: LSE: DSGI · Website: dsgiplc.comCategories:- Consumer electronics retailers of the United Kingdom
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