DSGi's chief executive John Browett has hit out at commentators who have suggested that his firm is in any danger from Best Buy's move into the UK, describing it as a "sideshow".Speaking in an interview with The Telegraph, Browett recalled the furore around Wal-Mart's move into the UK nine years ago, saying: "I've lived through all this before."
"There is going to be a lot of hype," he admitted, before warning that DSGi will make it perfectly clear that it is: "not Best Buy's PR company", making it clear that he has no intentions of fanning the flames of publicity.
However, some retail commentators have suggested that Wal-Mart's problems did not stem from issues surrounding a resurgent Tesco, but rather problems with planning laws, something that Best Buy probably won't suffer from.
Browett said that the move by the US retailer would be met with a strong response from the UK's incumbent market leader. "We have scale and infrastructure. It almost beggars belief what they are trying to do."
"I don't think there is anyone in the world that could open 200 stores by the end of 2009," he added.
The comments come as DSGi began showing off its flagship Elkjøp store in Norway, the outlet which is likely to be the basis for its UK Megastore, currently rumoured to be pencilled in for a location near Junction nine of M6, just outside of Birmingham.
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