Dixons
Type	Part of DSG International plc
Founded	27 October 1937 (as Dixon Studios Limited)
Headquarters	Dixons House Maylands Ave. Hemel Hempstead Herts England HP2 7TG
Key people	Per Bjørgås (Group Managing Director, UK and International Electricals Division since January 2006), Sir John Collins (Group Chairman since September 2002), Image File history File links Dixons. ... The United Kingdom based DSG International plc (formerly Dixons Group plc) is one of the largest consumer electronics retailers in Europe. ... October 27 is the 300th day of the year (301st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 65 days remaining. ... Year 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Statistics Population: 81,143 Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: TL056071 Administration District: Dacorum Shire county: Hertfordshire Region: East of England Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: Hertfordshire Historic county: Hertfordshire Services Police force: Hertfordshire Constabulary Fire and rescue: {{{Fire}}} Ambulance: East of England Post office and... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: God Save the King/Queen Capital London (de facto) Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2006 est. ... Managing director is the term used for the chief executive of many limited companies in the United Kingdom and some other English speaking countries. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... Sir John Collins (born 1941) is an British business executive an director for several corporations. ... For other uses of chair, see chair (disambiguation). ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... John Clare CBE (Group Chief Executive since 1994)
Industry	Retail
Products	White goods, Telecommunications, Information technology
Revenue	n/a (see DSG International plc for group revenue.)
Employees	4,169 (2005)
Slogan	n/a.
Website	http://www.dixons.co.uk/

Dixons is an electrical retailer in the UK and Republic of Ireland, and is owned by DSG International plc (formerly Dixons Group). With its origins in a photographic shop opened by Charles Kalms, the chain now has a store in most towns and cities across the UK and Ireland. On April 5, 2006, Dixons announced that they were removing the brand from the high street (except in Ireland) and would only be using the Currys brand, branded as Currys.digital. A Chief Executive Officer (CEO), or Chief Executive, is the highest-ranking corporate officer, administrator, corporate administrator, executive, or executive officer, in charge of total management of a corporation, company, organization or agency. ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by United Nations. ... A drawing of a self-service store Retailing consists of the sale of goods/merchandise for personal or household consumption either from a fixed location such as a department store or kiosk, or away from a fixed location and related subordinated services (Definition of the WTO (last page). ... A major appliance is a large machine which accomplishes some routine housekeeping task, which includes purposes such as cooking, food preservation, or cleaning, whether in a household, institutional, commercial or industrial setting. ... Telecommunication involves the transmission of signals over a distance for the purpose of communication. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Revenue is a U.S. business term for the amount of money that a company earns from its activities in a given period, mostly from sales of products and/or services to customers. ... The United Kingdom based DSG International plc (formerly Dixons Group plc) is one of the largest consumer electronics retailers in Europe. ... Employment is a contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. ... Look up Slogan in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A website (or Web site) is a collection of web pages, typically common to a particular domain name or subdomain on the World Wide Web on the Internet. ... A drawing of a self-service store Retailing consists of the sale of goods/merchandise for personal or household consumption either from a fixed location such as a department store or kiosk, or away from a fixed location and related subordinated services (Definition of the WTO (last page). ... The United Kingdom based DSG International plc (formerly Dixons Group plc) is one of the largest consumer electronics retailers in Europe. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... April 5 is the 95th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (96th in leap years). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... Currys is an electrical retailer in the UK and Republic of Ireland, and is owned by DSG International plc. ...

Origins

The first Dixons was opened by Charles Kalms in Southend as a photographic studio in 1937. The business flourished during the Second World War, as there was much demand for photographic services and family portraits. By the end of the war Kalms had opened seven more studios in the London area. Unfortunately for Kalms, the demands for portrait services decreased considerably after the war, and he was forced to close all but one studio in Edgware, north London. The company was taken over by his son Stanley Kalms, who was chairman until recently, and remains president for life. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Southend-on-Sea is a resort town in Essex, England. ... Year 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Combatants Allied Powers: United Kingdom France Soviet Union United States Republic of China and others Axis Powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Winston Churchill Charles de Gaulle Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Chiang Kai-Shek Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tojo Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Edgware is a is suburb situated 9. ... Harold Stanley Kalms, now Baron Kalms of Edgware, is the life president of Dixons Group PLC. He was chairman until 2002. ...

Reputation

The retailer has long suffered the reputation that its staff are unhelpful [1][2].

In November 1998 Dixons came under fire because of the prices it was charging for personal computers. Peter Mandelson said he was worried that consumers were getting a "raw deal" because of the store's dominant position in the market [3]. Intel's chief executive at that time, Craig Barrett, said that Dixons charges "ridiculous margins" [4]. The Intel Architecture Business Group said "Dixons has classic channel presence and can determine what gets sold at what price." Dixons responded that it could not make sense of the comments. The Consumers' Association said "Dixons controls over half of the high street distribution of PCs and they seem to be using this enormous market power to keep prices to consumers high" and has a "monopoly position in the high street" [5]. Dixons finally responded in 1999 by offering the lowest priced personal computer in the UK market priced at £399 [6][7]. Criticism continued into 2000 when competitor John Lewis, with the support of two Members of Parliament, accused Dixons of stifling competition in the market by striking anti-competitive deals with suppliers [8]. 1998 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... The Rt Hon. ... This article is about the year 2000. ... One of John Lewis flagship branches in Glasgows Buchanan Galleries mall The John Lewis Partnership is a major United Kingdom retailer, operating department stores and, through its Waitrose subsidiary, upmarket supermarkets. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ...

The retail chain was criticised by the Consumers' Association in 2003 for the way staff pressured customers (through "dodgy sales tactics"[9] and "dubious practices"[10]) into purchasing poor value extended warranties [11][12], an issue which was widely reported in the press [13] [14][15][16][17][18][19], with Dixons facing particular criticism by virtue of supplying one-in-four of all extended warranties [20] accounting for 40% of the store's profits [21]. Which?, until September 2004 known also as the Consumers Association, is a consumer rights organisation in the UK, founded in 1957 by Michael Young. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Also in 2003 The Daily Telegraph and The Independent reported that the chain had been selling used goods [22]. Dixons had been investigated by more than twenty-two of thirty county trading standards offices; in the previous two years thirteen counties had prosecuted the company and five had issued formal cautions, another 12 were contemplating prosecution [23]. Furthermore the chain has made a number of advertising claims which the Advertising Standards Agency judged were misleading [24][25][26] and advertised in-store credit in a way that the Office of Fair Trading ruled unlawful [27]. In January 2006 the BBC1 consumer rights programme Watchdog reported that Which? magazine had found Dixons the 5th worst retailer in Britain. This article concerns the British newspaper. ... The Independent is a British compact newspaper published by Tony OReillys Independent News & Media. ... The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is an independent British regulatory body set up by the advertising industry to monitor advertisements in print and broadcast media. ... The Office of Fair Trading or OFT is a UK statutory body established by the Fair Trading Act 1973, which enforces both consumer protection and competition law, acting as the UKs economic regulator. ... January 2006 : ← - January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December- → Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad accuses European nations of trying to complete the Holocaust by creating a Jewish camp Israel in the Middle East. ... BBC One (or BBC1 as it was formerly styled) is the oldest United Kingdom, and indeed, the world. ... Watchdog is a BBC television series that investigates viewers reports of problematic experiences with traders, retailers, and other companies around the UK. It has had great success in changing the awareness consumers have of their purchasing rights and in changing policies of companies, closing businesses down and pushing for law... Which? is a subscription-only magazine and website run by Consumers Association in the UK. It campaigns on various consumer issues and aims to promote informed consumer choice in the purchase of goods and services, by testing products, highlighting inferior products or services, and raising awareness of consumer rights. ...

Departure from the High Street

On April 5, 2006, Dixons announced that they were removing the brand from the high street and would only be using the Currys brand, branded as Currys.digital. This was said to signal a shift to more internet based selling and to "reduce confusion". Dixons stores would be retained in Ireland, and other locations such as airports, whilst also retaining its website.Dixons has also been working with the affiliate network Tradedoubler and has seen an up lift in online sales of around 50% since being online. Image File history File links Currys_digital_logo. ... April 5 is the 95th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (96th in leap years). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... Currys is an electrical retailer in the UK and Republic of Ireland, and is owned by DSG International plc. ... Currys. ... TradeDoubler is an Internet marketing company based in Stockholm, Sweden. ...

External links

• Dixons official site
• Details about Dixons UK
• Digital Cameras
• Television Equipment (CRT, LCD, Plasma, Rear Projection)
• Home Appliance (Cookers, Fridges, Dishwashers, Washing Machines)
• Digital Camcorders
• BBC News release about Dixons High Street departure