Converging with the new guy
The long-awaited introduction of fresh competition into the UK tech retail sector is nearly upon us, with Best Buy set to open its first UK stores next month. They are expected to focus on convergent consumer technologies, so it seems logical for companies that provide such offerings to want to be associated with Best Buy.
Virgin Media announced today that it will be partnering with Best Buy to showcase the good old digital home concept in-store. Virgin is one of the few UK companies to offer a genuine ‘quad-play' offering of fixed line, mobile, broadband and TV but we feel it could do more to promote its advantages over the likes of Sky. This seems like a great opportunity to do just that.
As well as offering quad-play packages, Virgin will be able to show-off its advanced video-on-demand (VOD) service, made possible by its unique fibre-optic cable network. There are also things like the V+ HD boxes and Virgin Mobile offers.
"Central to creating the fully-connected digital home is the availability of super-fast home broadband," said Harry Parmar, merchandising director at Best Buy UK. "We know that customers want to be able to watch, share and access their entertainment at home and on the go, so I'm confident that together with Virgin Media we'll help our customers to get the most out of their technology through ultra-fast connection speeds and fantastic content."
"We're passionate about bringing new technology and our products to life," said Peter Taddeo, Virgin Media's executive director of consumer sales. "Best Buy's mould-breaking stores will provide a perfect environment in which to do this. Virgin Media's products and services will feature across the store, giving customers the chance to try before they buy and to get a real idea of the high quality and range of experiences that we can offer."
