Dixons Retail, which owns Currys and PC World, is pulling the shutters down on its Dixons.co.uk online business tomorrow as part of plans to harmonise its Internet and high street presences.
The company took its eponymous chain off the high street and put it online six years ago in an attempt to take on price-competitive challengers such as Amazon.
But with the online shops of Currys and PC World witnessing a rise in sales through click-and-collect services – a strategy that Argos has pioneered – the Dixons site now appears surplus to requirements.
Dixons Retail UK chief executive Katie Bickerstaff said: “We want customers to have a seamless, multichannel experience that’s device-agnostic, whether they’re at home or in-store or on the move.
“We don’t see a place for Dixons.co.uk where we have our Currys.co.uk and PC World UK.
“We have done fantastic amounts of work to make sure we have fantastic pricing. I’m confident it’s the right thing to do.”
Dixons last month reported a 7% increase in like-for-like sales in the first quarter in the UK and Ireland as sales of TVs grew due to the Olympics.
Multichannel sales also climbed 48% in the retailer’s core market in the first quarter, but online-only sales such as through Pixmania and Dixons.co.uk have been declining.
