Electrical retailer DSG International is shutting 77 of its 177 store Currys.digital in the UK.
John Browett, DSG's new Chief Executive said, "customers have become increasingly promotion and deal driven, impacting margins".
I think he's wrong.
(1) Currys historically sold washing machines, vaccuum cleaners and such. Sister company Dixons sold TVs, videos, camcorders, computers etc. In April 2006, DSG axed the Dixons brand and renamed the whole group Currys.digital. Now, I was never a big fan of Dixons, but they knew what their niche was and they sometimes attracted the odd geeky store assistant whose opinion you could trust (indeed in 1989 I was one over the Christmas holidays..).
Who in their right mind, though, wants to buy a computer in a store where they sell washing machines? I often pay a premium to buy an item in a store as opposed to online if I can get some good advice I trust (eg Micro Anvika). How can a customer possibly believe that the minimum-wage, disinterested teenage sales assistant is an expert on DV camcorders as well as dishwashers?
(2) DSG took the low-rent "Currys" name, then added ".digital" in a lime green italicised Arial font and placed it against an unfeasibly bright-red background. It is by a very long way the worst logo I have ever had the misfortune to cast my eyes upon.
I cannot imagine any reason why, given a choice, I would ever entrust this retailer with my custom.
And clearly I'm not alone.
Stu ;-)
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