The big-box blues

Aside from the stark fact that the division lost £62m in its first year of operation the only things Carphone said were that it was delighted with customer feedback and next steps were being evaluated.

There is no doubt Dixons, reinvigorated despite taking a profit hit amid tough trading conditions, remains king of the hill as far as shed electricals retail is concerned.

The 10 Best Buy big boxes have been at worst a flea on the hide of an elephant and arguably their long-trailed launch did Dixons a good turn by adding urgency to boss John Browett’s revival programme.

Best Buy and Carphone bosses have expressed irritation in the past that the outside world’s fixation on the sheds ignores the fact that the European joint venture between the pair comprises much more, including Best Buy Mobile in the US and Carphone Warehouse here.

Given the poor numbers from the big boxes, it’s obvious why they should accentuate the positive. But, even though they are as guilty as anyone of hyping Best Buy’s debut here, they have a good point.

Increasingly, life is led and organised through mobile devices, whether smartphones, e-readers or tablets. And they happen to be small. You don’t need a shed to stock a comprehensive range.

The shed skirmishes have brought drama to the electricals arena, but are only one front in the campaign. Small stores will play a prominent role in future and, as Comet reels, Carphone has that geography to itself.

What Dixons and Best Buy in all its UK guises will increasingly be fighting over is the market in all the services that accompany today’s must-have technology.

That’s the context in which the launch of Dixons’ Knowhow division should be seen. Service and services, not just sheds, will be the scene of one of the biggest showdowns between Best Buy and Dixons.