DSG International, parent company of Currys, PC World and online brand Dixons, is to open 25 new 'megastores' in the UK by Christmas.

The retailer already has eight megastores currently trading and has identified a further 70 potential megastore locations in the UK.

In addition, it will also open 60 2-in-1 stores this year. These hybrid stores will combine the Currys and PC World formats, and form part of DSG's 'renewal and transformation plan'.

The plan has seen underperforming businesses sold off and a refurbishment of stores retained. 152 stores have been closed across the group and 139 of the remaining stores, representing one third of UK and Ireland total sales, have been reformatted. DSG estimates this transformation work benefited like-for-like performance over the Christmas peak trading period by approximately 3%/

The expansion plans come as the world's largest electricals retailer Best Buy arrives into the UK next month.

The US chain's first European Best Buy store will open in Thurrock retail park, Essex, just a few months after a Currys megastore opened there last November.

DSG chief executive John Browett is positive the new megastores will do well, despite the threat from this new rival. He said: "The renewal & transformation plan is making significant changes to the Group and we have started to see the benefits of this work. The new store formats are popular with customers, particularly the megastores and the combined 2-in-1 stores. The next twelve months will be another busy period as we roll out the improved proposition and introduce more services to more of our customers with an unbeatable combination of value, choice and service."

The new megastores are double the size of a normal store and sell products from washing machines to computers to fridges. They will start selling 3D televisions within weeks.

Last month, Home Retail Group confirmed that Best Buy was looking to acquire two Homebase stores in Enfield and Aintree.

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