PCR Tech and IT retail, distribution and vendor news
Want to get your new product noticed and considered for sale by the UK’s top tech retailers?
PCR lists the up-to-date contact details and relevant category buyers for some of the biggest national retailers across the UK – from High Street stores and general etailers to supermarkets and department stores…
Specialists
Dixons Retail (Currys & PC World)
UK stores: Around 500
Websites: www.dixonsretail.com, www.currys.co.uk, www.pcworld.co.uk
Contact: 0844 800 2030 (When calling, ask for the head of category in the area you are interested in)
Meet the team:
Phil Samuels – Category Director, Computing, Communications and Office
Dean Kramer – Head of Category, Computing
Rupert Nichols – Head of Category, Mobile Computing, Connectivity and PCWB
Simon Exton – Head of Category, Windows and Apple
Neal Ruczkowski – Head of Category Office and Essentials
Dan Hastings – Category Director, Consumer Electronic
Heidi Woodhouse – Category Director, White Goods
“As market leader for computing in the UK, our team of buyers is constantly on the look out for the latest tech to offer our customers. Building relationships with both large and small partners is at the heart of our business and we are always open to new ideas and approaches.”
Phil Samuels, Dixons Retail
Maplin
UK stores: Over 200
Contact: 0844 557 6000
Website: www.maplin.co.uk
Key buyers:
Peter Heath – Buying Director
Lisa Pool – Head of Buying
David Chorlton – Product Manager
Carphone Warehouse
UK stores: Around 800
Website: www.carphonewarehouse.com
Contact: 020 8896 5000
Key buyers:
Alex Bradshaw – Tablets Category Manager
Jasvinder Singh – Senior Buyer, Accessories
Abdul Kayum – Group Buyer, Cellular
Staples
UK stores: 112
Website: www.staples.co.uk
Meet the team:
Nick Budd – Merchandising Director
Dominick Sandford – Trading Manager
Nikhil Gohil – PC, Laptop and Tablet Category Manager
Reena Patel – Software, Peripherals & Tablet Acc Category Manager
Manish Goenka – Office Machines Category Manager
Sam O’Connor – Printer & Ink Category Manager
GAME
UK stores: 323
Website: www.game.co.uk
Contact: 01256 784 000
Meet the team:
Mandip Bhachoo – Category Manager, PC Gaming
Rob Mason – Category Manager, Devices and Audio (Smartphones, tablets, headphones and speakers)
Gareth Newman – Assistant Category Manager, Accessories (Gaming headsets)
“The key things we look for are the right product, the right time and the right price. Exclusives and first-to-market opportunities are very important to both us and the gaming community when deciding on product ranges and promotions. Naturally, we place the greatest importance on new technology and devices and as gaming develops, so will we.” Robert Mason, Category Manager Devices and Audio, GAME
HMV/Fopp
UK stores: 130
Websites: www.hmv.com, www.fopp.com
Contact: 020 7432 2000
Meet the team:
Phil Browes – Head of Games and Technology
Gavin Howes – Senior Category Buyer, Games
Sian Clarke – Buyer, Games
Dean Millward – Senior Category Buyer, Technology
Will Cox – Buyer, Technology
Dawn Hancock – Marketing Manager, Games and Technology
Amy Dunne – Marketing Planner, Games and Technology
Anne Ravet – Supply Chain Manager
Charlotte Brask Rustad – Supply Chain Assistant
General retailers
John Lewis
UK stores: 40
Contact: 020 7828 1000
Website: www.johnlewis.com
Meet the team:
Ed Connolly – Buying Director, Electrical and Home Technology
Johnathan Marsh – Head of Buying, Consumer Electronics and White Goods
Matt Leeser – Head of Buying, Communications Technology
Adam Brown – Tablets and Telecoms Buyer
Harry Boughton – Junior Buyer, Tablets and Telecoms
En-Ni Chi – Accessories Buyer
John Kempner – Vision Buyer
Jason King – Audio Buyer
Chloe Harris – Assistant Buyer, Computing and Printing
Kirsty Bloomfield – Gaming Buyer
Robert Hennessy – Buyer, Audio, Imaging and Gaming
Debenhams
UK stores: 172
Contact: Fiona.Wood@debenhams.com (PA for the home division)
Website: www.debenhams.com
Meet the team:
Peter Brooks – Senior Buyer, Electricals
Jonathan Priestley – Assistant Buyer, Electricals
Aimee Wessels – Trainee Assistant Buyer, Electricals
Argos
UK stores: Over 700
Website: www.argos.co.uk
Contact: 0845 124 0044
Key buyers:
Juliet Ward – Technology Trading Manager
Nick Hill – Consumer Electronics Trading Manager
Elan Elton – Buyer, Tech Accessories
Lauren Graham – Assistant Buyer, PC
Other retailers
Toys ‘R’ Us
UK stores: 80
Web: www.toysrus.co.uk
Contact: 01628 414141
Meet the team:
Steve Pearson – Divisional Merchandise Manager (Electronics and video games)
Will Fletcher – Technology Buyer (Tablets, computing, vision and audio)
Andrew Brocklehurst – Divisional Director of Merchandise (Toys and pre-school educational electronics)
Chris Ashton – Pre-School Buyer (Educational electronics, pre-school and infant)
“We work with companies who inspire with product development. We look for companies who recognise the demand from our customers and have the ability to integrate with a multitude of categories.”
Steve Pearson, Toys ‘R’ Us
Halfords
UK stores: Over 460
Website: www.halfords.com
Contact: 01527 517 601
Key buyers:
Jon Oliver – Category Manager, Technology
Carla Treece – Buyer, Navigation and Fitness
Co op
UK stores: 4,500
Websites: www.co-operative.coop, www.coopelectricalshop.co.uk
Contact: 0800 28 00 111
Key buyer:
Naeem Adam – Technology Buyer
WHSmith
UK stores: 615 (High Street), 673 (Travel)
Website: www.whsmith.co.uk
Contact: 01793 616 161
Key buyer:
Lisa White – Assistant Buyer, Computing and Electronics
Supermarkets
Tesco
UK stores: 3,146
Website: www.tesco.com, www.tescoplc.com, direct.tesco.com
Contact: 01992 632 222
Meet the team:
Aaron Lee – Category Manager, Technology
Simon Betts – Buying Manager, Computing and Telecoms
Paulina Checinska – Personal Electrical Category Buyer
Barney Sturrock – Buying Manager, UK Electricals
Allan Warburton – Assistant Buyer, Electrical
Sarah Hall – Buyer, Electrical Home Office and Software
Sam Wright – Category Buying Manager
Asda
UK stores: Over 370
Website: www.asda.com, direct.asda.com
Contact: 0800 952 0101
Key buyers:
Ayaz Alam – Category Director, Electronics
Keef Elliot – Buyer, Electronics
Paul Geary – Buyer, White Goods
Sainsbury’s
UK stores: Over 1,100
Website: www.sainsburys.co.uk, www.j-sainsbury.co.uk/suppliers
Contact: 020 7695 6000
Key buyers:
Lindsay Evans – Buying Manager, Electricals
David Jameson – Head of Buying, Electrical, Stationery and Leisure
Online
Amazon.co.uk
Contact: 020 8636 9200
Key buyers:
Ketu Patel – Category Leader, Video Games and Software
Rochelle Williams – Vendor Manager, Consumer Electronics
Lorna Matheson – Senior Vendor Manager
Zeynep Yagci – Senior Vendor Manager
Mike Bembridge – Vendor Manager
Ebuyer.com
Contact: 0871 521 33 00 (Consumer), 0871 528 5180 (Business)
Key buyers:
Lee Weymouth – Head of Consumer Electronics, Buyer for Laptops, Desktops and Tablets
Simon Taylor – Home Appliances, Toys, Smartphones and Consoles
Heath Chadwick – TVs, Monitors and Accessories
John Paul Warren – Manager of Components, Memory and Home Security
Paul McGovern – Networking and Cables
Luke Cook – Computer Peripherals, Keyboards, Mice and Headphones
Amy Major – Software and Servers
Andy Holdsworth – General Manager, Business, B2B sales, Servers and Networking
Dave Jones – Office Consumables, Printers, Projectors and Office Furniture
Paul Nolan – Senior Product Manager, Graphics Cards, Motherboards, Processors, Cooling, TV tuners & Gaming Capture, SSD
“I’m in charge of the consumer electronics sector. This year our focus will be on ultra-portable and touch laptops as well as keeping on top of the changing tablet market.”
Lee Weymouth, Ebuyer.com
Shop Direct
Websites: www.very.co.uk, www.isme.com, www.littlewoods.com, www.kandco.com, www.woolworths.co.uk
Contact: 0844 292 1000
Meet the team:
John Church – Head of Buying, Technology
Victoria Aldrich – Senior Buyer, Technology
Francesca Hodson – Buyer, Technology
Martin Knight – Junior Buyer, Technology
John Miller – Head of Buying, Consumer Electronics and Accessories
“All of Shop Direct’s brands sell tech and our buying team buy one range that encompasses all of these brands: Very.co.uk, Isme.com, Littlewoods.com, Kandco.com and Woolworths.co.uk. In terms of product categories, my remit covers Computing Hardware and Software, Tablets, Print, Storage, Networking, Telecoms and Consoles and Software.”
John Church, Head of Buying for Technology, Shop Direct
The Hut Group
Websites: www.thehut.com, www.zavvi.com, www.iwoot.com
Contact: 01606 338197
Key buyers:
Leigh Amery – Head of Electronics
Darren Roberts – Head of Electronics and Gifting
Dabs.com
Websites: www.dabs.com, www.dabs.ie. www.dabs4work.ie, www.bt.com/shop, www.bt.com/businessdirect, www.bt.com/publicsectorstore
Contact: 0870 429 3825
Key buyers:
Debra Hooton – Components, Memory, SSD, HDD, NAS, Storage, Headsets and Servers
Fletcher Kusaloka – PCs, Laptops, Tablets, Monitors, Smartphones and Cables
Ann Robinson – Printers, AV, Consumables, Whiteboards and Telephony
Darren Welding – Networking, Software, Services, Peripherals, Cameras, TV and MP3/Audio
Firebox
Contact: 0800 044 5010
Key buyers:
Ben Redhead – Buyer
Rachel Willis – Buyer
Sarah Kabunga – Buyer
MoreComputers
Website: www.morecomputers.com
Contact: 0114 292 2930
Key buyer:
Danny Mason
System builders
Novatech
Website: www.novatech.co.uk
Contact: 02392 322500
Key buyer:
Daryl Farmer – Head of Purchasing
Overclockers UK
Website: www.overclockers.co.uk
Contact: 0871 200 5052
Key contacts:
Steve Ling – Executive Director
Mark Purdy – Marketing Manager
Scan Computers
Website: www.scan.co.uk
Contact: 0871 472 4747
Key contact:
James Gorbold – Technical Marketing
Chillblast
Website: www.chillblast.com
Contact: 0845 4567831
Key buyer:
Ben Miles
DinoPC
Website: www.dinopc.com
Contact: 07533 486001
Key buyer:
Vladimir Kuznetsov – Buyer
Wired2Fire
Website: www.wired2fire.co.uk
Contact: 01306 882211
Key buyer:
Peter George – Buyer
YoYoTech
Website: www.yoyotech.co.uk
Contact: 08444 822 111
Key contact:
CK – UK MD
Utopia Computers
Website: www.utopiacomputers.co.uk
Contact: 01563 574280
Key contact:
Craig Hume – Director
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