Blu-ray fuels DVD sales in the U.K.

January 03, 2009 Demand for the high-definition Blu-ray format drove U.K. DVD volumes up in 2008, according to new figures from trade body the British Video Assn. The figures, based on over-the counter sales data from the Official Charts Co., show that "the home entertainment market is alive and kicking, despite difficult trading conditions across the entire retail sector," the BVA said. The BVA/OCC figures were published after a difficult six weeks for the British entertainment retail sector, hit by the closure of the 815 Woolworths stores in December and problems at 125-store chain Zavvi, which entered administration (roughly equivalent to Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the U.S.) on Christmas Eve after the collapse of Woolworths Group's wholesale distributor EUK.

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