Electronics Boutique maps out European expansion

High street software chain Electronics Boutique is expanding into Europe with plans to establish a network of 400 stores. The retailer currently has 156 stores in the UK, which its UK head, John Steinbrecher wants to push up to 200. In an article in the London Evening Standard, Steinbrecher said the Scandinavian software market would be one of the easiest to break into. “Outside the UK, the best markets are France and Germany. The easiest market for us to start in will be Scandinavia, because 80 per cent of their software is in English, which means we can shift it from here.” Last year, Electronics Boutique recorded turnover of £124 million, up from £55 million and profit of $7.9 million up from $495,000.