Thierry Falque-Pierrotin

If Thierry Falque-Pierrotin ever gets frustrated at the sometimes Anglocentric world view of the British media and some investors, he does a good job of concealing it.

As chief executive of electricals group Kesa, which includes Darty in France and Comet in the UK, it is natural that most questions directed to him on this side of La Manche are about the British chain - even though Darty’s sales and profits dwarf those of Comet.

Perhaps it is partly just the hangover of the historic rivalry between the two nations. Last week, the dapper Falque-Pierrotin was even asked how he felt about being French - Kesa’s results came soon after France’s humiliating exit from the World Cup in the wake of bitter team infighting. Proud, he answered, although not of how the squad behaved.

But Falque-Pierrotin - who previously held senior roles at retail and brands conglomerate PPR - is attempting to change the perception of Kesa. He took over from veteran Jean-Noël Labroue - described by one investor as “charming but disarmingly offhand” - at the start of 2009 and there are signs that he intends to change perceptions of the retailer, which some think has fallen behind arch-rival Dixons.

Analysts say they detect some signs of change. Falque-Pierrotin’s apparent commitment to forge a better relationship with investors is appreciated. However, there is a distance still to go.

One analyst says: “I have been slightly disappointed to date. You don’t get to be chief executive of divisions at PPR unless you’ve got something about you - PPR is not above booting people out who are not up to the task - and what I have been disappointed by is the lack of detailed strategy relative to what you might have expected given his pedigree.

“There hasn’t been as much detail as there’s been, for instance, from Dixons. There’s increasing willingness to engage on Kesa’s part, but it still needs to be more open.”

Falque-Pierrotin certainly has a business story to tell about changes under way, including at Comet. He said last week that Comet will refresh its brand. The new look - including a change to the logo and marketing style - will be unveiled in September.

The shift is designed to give Comet a “more contemporary” appeal to shoppers and establish a more “emotional” connection in keeping with the chain’s service-oriented positioning.

The switch in approach comes as Dixons reaps the benefits of boss John Browett’s renewal and transformation programme and US giant Best Buy rolls out its big-box stores in this country in partnership with Carphone Warehouse.

Despite Comet’s second fiddle position to Dixons in UK electricals, Falque-Pierrotin is confident that its business model works. He sees Comet’s comparatively small stores in convenient locations as a differentiator from his competitors’ big boxes, especially when combined with the complementary opportunity of online.

He says: “When you enter a mid-sized store, sales people can give you advice. When you’re in a bigger store, it’s difficult to have the staff. Why would you get in your car and drive 45 minutes to a big-box store if you can have the same prices, the same ranges and better service 15 minutes away?”

The pace of transformation in UK electricals is picking up. As the big players slug it out, observers ask whether there is space for all three of them. As this country emerges from recession Falque-Pierrotin does not expect market growth, but he remains confident his business has enduring appeal.