HOME CONTEXT data highlights distribution growth
The IT channel has had a strong start to 2018 with a combined first half year-on-year growth rate in distribution of 5.1%, according to CONTEXT, the IT market intelligence company. Resellers in most countries more optimistic about the coming 12 months than they were a year ago. CONTEXT’s ChannelWatch 2018 report is compiled from interviews with a representative sample of over 7,000 resellers to provide key insight into market trends and channel priorities across 14 territories: Australia, New Zealand, Baltics, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Turkey, and the UK.
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Dixons Carphone and GfK agree information partnership
Dixons Carphone and GfK have today announced the signing of a partnership to share physical and online sales information. Under the terms of the deal, Dixons Carphone will become part of GfK’s point of sale (POS) tracking solutions for their sectors, which underpin GfK’s prescriptive analytics around market Insights, consumer insights, marketing effectiveness and sales effectiveness.
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Audio device sales hit US$5.23 billion in first half of 2018
Research house GfK has announced that global sales of audio devices hit US$5.23 billion in the first half of 2018 – an increase of 5% year-on-year. GfK also claims that there is still growth potential in smart devices with embedded voice assistants or high-performance features that enhance the listening experience. Revenues for headphones and headsets contributed US$2.33 billion with 59 million units sold in the first half of 2018. Europe (without CIS) and APAC accounted for more than 85% of the global headphone and headset revenues.
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i-Life signs distribution deal in Pakistan
Fast-growing device brand i-Life has signed Muller & Phipps (M&P), a subsidiary of Techsirat, as a distribution partner in Pakistan. i-Life is one of fastest growing PC brands in the region with presence across 50 countries spanning the Middle East, Turkey, Africa, CIS, India, Bangladesh and Nepal. Deepak Bhatia, i-Life’s global director for sales and marketing, said: “M&P unparalleled reach it a natural choice for Pakistan market. We are happy to partner with M&P to continue bringing world-class yet affordable products for consumers across Pakistan.”
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Emerging markets distributor ELKO boosted sales in Poland 60% in the first half of 2018, compared to the previous six months. ELKO Group started operating in the Polish market in 2017, recruiting a local sales team for IT and consumer electronic goods. The rapid growth rate means that ELKO’s Polish branch is now among the top 15 largest wholesalers in the region, according to ELKO.
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Thermaltake partners with SYNNEX
Hardware and peripherals brand Thermaltake has announced a partnership with distributor SYNNEX. The partnership with SYNNEX creates an opportunity to close the gap between manufacturer and community, and to provide a one-stop complete solution for Thermaltake’s case modding and e-sports brands, according to Thermaltake. SYNNEX carries more than 300 brands in its portfolio.
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Rashi Peripherals launches consumer roadshow
Fast-growing Indian distributor Rashi Peripheals has kickstarted a series of consumer roadshows. The events are called ‘Touching Everyone’s Life (TEL)’ and organised in collaboration with Western Digital, SanDisk, Plantronics, Fitbit, Belkin and Lenovo. TEL aims to offer hands-on experience of latest product innovations in lifestyle tech to end-users. Starting in Mumbai, TEL is set to reach out to over 30 ‘B’ and ‘C’ class cities and towns across India. TEL will explore untapped markets and help the brands increase their footprint in the country.
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Tech Data forms European agreement with Schneider
Distributor Tech Data has announced a pan-European agreement Schneider Electric, a specialist in energy management and automation for homes, buildings, datacentres, infrastructure and industries. Through this partnership, Tech Data customers will have improved access to the APC by Schneider portfolio.
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The Global Technology Distribution Council (GTDC) has announced the addition of three new members: CMS Distribution, Siewert & Kau and Tessco Technologies. The new members support the GTDC’s continued global expansion while further demonstrating the success and growth of distribution worldwide, according to the association. Tim Curran, CEO at GTDC, said: “The role of distribution is as important as ever at the center of technology ecosystems.”
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Emerging markets distributor Elko increased sales 18% year-on-year in the first half of 2018 to hut US$749m. Gross margins came in at 4.6% compared to 5.1% a year earlier. Net profits for the first half of 2018 were down 28% year-on-year at US$3.8m – a net profit margin of 0.5%. Sales in the CIS region climbed 25% to hit US$390m.
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