Big businesses snowballing into Purley Way (From This Is Local London)

Big businesses snowballing into Purley Way

6:00am Saturday 10th April 2010 in

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An influx of successful businesses along Purley Way is drawing other top firms to the area in a “snowball effect”.

American electronics giant Best Buy is the latest in a string of companies attracted to the A23 corridor, following hot on the heels of bellwether department store John Lewis and car showrooms for Seat and Skoda.

More than 350 jobs are expected to be created along Purley Way thanks to the surge in business, while John Lewis alone plans to plough £7.5m into its new ‘at home’ store at the southern end of the strip.

Best Buy, which already accounts for almost a fifth of the North American electronics market, plans to open its Croydon branch in the Autumn following a 50 per cent acquisition of UK-based mobile phone provider The Carphone Warehouse’s retail arm.

The superstore, which will offer consumer electronics, computers and home appliances, will replace the Mothercare and Early Learning Centre which is being relocated to a new site along Purley Way in June.

Paul Antoniadis, CEO of Best Buy Branded Operations, said he looked forward to beginning a recruitment drive for the store at the start of the summer.

He said: “I'm delighted that we have secured a store in such a busy and popular shopping destination as Croydon.”

The new businesses join established superstore such as Homebase, PC World and the largest Ikea in the country, as well as the Wing Yip business centre and Chinese shopping mall.

Ken Sherwood, Croydon Economic Development Company’s district centre manager for Purley, said: “It’s great news that an increasing number of businesses are choosing to set up in the Purley Way area.

“Many leading brands have already chosen to set up here, and this seems to have had a snowball effect – which we, of course, welcome.

“Purley Way is a very important economically to Croydon and this added investment will further strengthen its position.”