Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/2001/10/02/xmas_sales_kick/

Xmas sales kick in for Electronics Boutique

Cuts first half losses

By Robert Blincoe

Posted in Personal Tech, 2nd October 2001 11:22 GMT

Electronics Boutique has reduced first half losses on the back opening new stores in Europe.

The UK's largest games retailer reported a net loss of £5.5 million for the six months to June 30. It lost £6.4 million in the same period a year earlier.

EB expanded its European chain to 486 stores in the last year, up from 353 at the end on June 2000. It has bought Spain's game chain CentroMail and eight stores in Sweden.

It looks like sales are picking up as the market heads towards Christmas. In the nine weeks to 29 September EB reported sales were up 46 per cent in shops that had been open for more than a year.

It also says Sony PS2s are selling three times as fast as the PS1 did and its shifted 750,000 of them already. The box is now priced at £199.99 after a £70 Sony price cut which should shift more units in the Christmas countdown. ®