Jobs concern as Best Buy closes
Jobs are under threat in Dudley after Carphone Warehouse announced it would axe its UK Best Buy stores.
The electronics retailer said it would close all 11 of its Best Buy stores, the first of which only opened in April 2010, after the chain posted a £62m loss in its first year-end.
Analysts predicted the chain could hit a £70m deficit by the end of 2011.
Carphone Warehouse, which owns the brand alongside US company Best Buy, said it would begin to sell more electrical items through its own stores.
It added that "the majority" of Best Buy staff would be offered alternative employment.
The chain, part of Best Buy Europe, employs a total of 1,100 people in the UK.
Best Buy Europe said: "Since 2008, the consumer electronics marketplace has changed substantially as a result of the economic times, the progress of online retailing and the growth of new products such as smartphones, tablets and apps."
Stores are located in Liverpool, Derby, Bristol, Nottingham, Rotherham, Dudley, Thurrock, Southampton and three in London.
Best Buy Europe was formed in 2008 when the US chain paid £1.1bn for a 50 per cent stake in the retail division of Carphone Warehouse.
