FEVERISH excitement, snaking queues, slashed prices and a giant blue and yellow box.

No, not another opening of Ikea, but the unveiling of another retail sensation – electronics giant Best Buy. In the biggest store opening Hampshire has seen since the flatpack furniture phenomenon opened in Southampton 15 months ago, the world’s largest electrical retailer yesterday took the wraps off only its second UK store in Hedge End.

Hundreds queued for the opening, tightly clutching coloured tickets which guaranteed them the best bargains in store.

Front of the queue was upholsterer Tony Jewell, from Gosport, whose determination to bag a 40in Samsung television for £400 – a saving of £150 on the recommended retail price – saw him ditch the comfort of a warm bed to sleep outside the store in just a jacket, running up and down the car park to keep warm.

The 50-year-old arrived at 7.30pm on Thursday with his 19-year-old son Aaron – who enjoyed a cosy night on a mattress in the back of his van.

Tony said: “I thought it was going to be really busy and didn’t want to miss out. It is a great store and definitely worth sleeping here overnight.”

For many it was a chance for a family outing, eager to get a glimpse of what was inside together and more importantly see how much they could save.

And as the countdown to the opening reached its climax there was a frenzy of high-five action as the first customers made their way through the doors, greeted with a round of applause from the sea of blue shirts ready to serve.

Despite all the fuss, for Best Buy it is just a small step in the plan for European dominance similar to that seen in the United States, where it has 21 per cent of a vast market and employs the majority of its 150,000 workforce.

First was a store in Thurrock, Essex, which opened at the start of the month and now Hedge End before a rash of up to 200 others will spring up across the country.

Prices on everything from TVs, games consoles, mobile phones, laptops and cameras have been slashed by up to 50 per cent to lure in shoppers.

The company is reportedly prepared to suffer losses of £45m in its first year of trading in Britain in order to grab market share from rivals such as Currysdigital and Comet, while a price battle looks likely with supermarkets and Marks & Spencer, who are building up their own electrical departments.

It has triggered hopes of an end to the traditional gulf in pricing between America and the UK, with the Brits historically paying inflated prices for technology.

But for all the talk of discounting, Best Buy’s unique selling point is the service from its “Geek Squad” – staff who actually know about the products they are selling thanks to intensive training.