Electronics Boutique Enters Europe
By Alan Wolf -- TWICE, 5/28/2001
WEST CHESTER, PA. — Electronics Boutique (EB), the international software and video game hardware chain, will open its first European stores as part of an ongoing global expansion.
Its first continental move will be Scandinavia, where the company has signed definitive agreements for the acquisition of eight existing retail stores in Denmark and Norway. The purchase also includes several existing e-commerce web domain names that operate under the acquired stores. EB plans to consolidate those web sites into one common destination under its own URL, www.ebgames.com, and will rebrand the physical stores with the Electronics Boutique moniker.
EB currently operates 761 stores in 46 states and Puerto Rico, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea. The new Scandinavian units will go toward meeting the retailer's goal of opening 175 stores by year-end as part of a worldwide expansion initiative.
"We look forward to servicing our new Danish and Norwegian markets, which will significantly expand the breadth of our global operations," said EB CEO Joseph Firestone. "Denmark and Norway have a high proportion of households interested in interactive electronic products. This acquisition will allow EB to tap into these progressive markets and capture new game enthusiasts by delivering the popular games enjoyed by millions in our existing markets."
EB, which ranked 21st on the TWICE Top 100 CE Retail Registry with volume of $679 million last year, specializes in video game hardware and software, and PC entertainment, productivity and educational software and accessories.
