A PRICE war erupts in Hampshire later this week when the world’s biggest electrical retailer opens its second UK store.

Queues of shoppers eager to pick up a bargain are expected when Best Buy opens its doors at Hedge End Retail Park at 10am on Friday.

The American chain, a household name across the Atlantic, has slashed £300 off the price of its Samsung 32in LED HD TV, down to £399.

There’ll also be offers on laptops, with the Toshiba L500-IXL on sale for £249 and the Dell Inspiron 1564 at £399 – both down £100. And over the Spring Bank Holiday weekend they’ve also taken £500 off the price of the retro-design Xero eScooter, which usually sells for £1,499.

The firm, which had record sales at the opening of its first store in Essex last month, poses a major challenge to the dominance of the DSGi group, which includes Currys and PC World.

Currys has already hit back by slashing 20 per cent off the price of selected deep fat fryers and food processors for this weekend at its nearby Hedge End store.

A spokesman said there will also be an appearance by celebrity chef Simon Rimmer, from Saturday Kitchen, as well as other instore promotions.

Best Buy CEO Paul Antoniadis said Hampshire shoppers were well placed to make the most of the highly competitive technology market. “We picked Southampton because it’s a big trade area and I expect we’re going to attract people from all over the south of England. We are the world’s largest electronic retailer and we are going to be bringing the best value to the market, but what will make us different is that we will engage with our customers.”

The chain is famous for its army of Blue Shirts – staff who have undergone an intensive nine-week training programme on the latest gadgets. A staggering 3,000 applied to work at the 35,000 square foot Hedge End store, 120 of whom were hired.

Branch manager Susan Finlay said a major difference was that Best Buy staff weren’t paid commission and wouldn’t pressure customers into unnecessary purchases. The former Asda store manager, who was flown to Philadelphia as part of her training, said: “People want to learn about technology, but they are worried that if they start to ask questions they will be under pressure to buy. We are here to take the fear away.”

Customers will be offered a free 15 minute tutorial on how to make the most of their new laptop, camera, mobile phone or sound system.

Best Buy also operate a “Walk Out Walking” system so that customers who buy any portable gadget can have it set up by store staff so it is ready to use.

Blueshirt Deena Jones, 42, from Bitterne, Southampton, left her job as a secretary to join Best Buy. “It was something I knew I wanted to be a part of,” she said. Her colleague Simon Passaway, from Fareham, added: “There is an amazing vibe.”