Morrisons buys Best Buy stores

MORRISONS-owned Kiddicare.com is to grow its offline presence with the acquisition of 10 former Best Buy Stores.

Kiddicare will spend £15m converting the shops that will offer its full range of goods mirroring its current Peterborough showroom.

The company was bought by Morrisons last year for £70m in what was seen as a major step by the Yorkshire-based supermarket chain into online retailing.

However the latest deal, which should create around 700 jobs, sees Kiddicare make its first significant step into bricks and mortar retailing.

Scott Weavers-Wright, chief executive of Kiddicare, said: "These 10 flagship stores will put Kiddicare within easy driving distance of nearly a third of the UK population.

"As well as being fantastic destination superstores for families across the country, they are the ideal platform for Kiddicare.com to lead the baby market by giving a true multi-channel experience."

Best Buy is a US chain of electrical stores and the brand was introduced to the UK through a partnership between its US parent and Carphone Warehouse but failed to take off.

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