Best Buy UK online managing director DeVere Forster is to leave the electricals retailer just two months after the launch of its transactional website, Retail Week has learned.
Forster, who joined Best Buy less than two years ago and formerly worked for Dixons, will exit at the end of next week is to take up a senior role at Middle Eastern giant Alshaya. He will lead multichannel development at the group, which runs 55 brands in 18 countries.
He led the development of Best Buy’s transactional UK website, the launch of which last November was a key milestone in the retailer’s race to establish itself in this country in partnership with Carphone Warehouse.
A Best Buy spokeswoman confirmed his departure and said: “We are grateful for his efforts in developing our exciting and differentiating website and his contribution to the overall success of Best Buy in the UK. We are sorry to see DeVere go and wish him every success in the future.”
Forster’s responsibilities at Best Buy UK will be taken up by services director Matt Kelleher.
Best Buy only has six of its big-box stores trading in the UK at present so the website gave it nationwide coverage for the first time. Its success was flagged by Carphone Warehouse chief executive Roger Taylor in his third quarter update last week, when he said it had delivered “a strong performance”.
Forster’s departure is the latest senior management change at Best Buy UK in the last year. Last July, Best Buy branded operations chief executive Paul Antoniadis made a shock exit just three months after opening the first of the retailer’s UK big boxes.
Best Buy is attempting to take on established UK market leader Dixons, owner of Currys and PC World, which has improved strongly under the leadership of john Browett.
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