HOME Lulu and Ctroniq team up for Saudi Arabia promotion
Mobile device brand Ctroniq will team up with hypermarket chain Lulu for a ‘Digital Week’ promotion in Saudi Arabia running at the end of April and beginning of May. Sumesh C. Mohan, central buyer at Lulu Saudi Arabia, said: “Lulu has become one of the leading hypermarkets chain in Saudi Arabia and has marked its growth trajectory year-on-year in the consumer electronics segment. We are pleased to continue our association with Ctroniq for the third consecutive year.”
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Periscope identifies retailers’ omnichannel woes
Periscope, a McKinsey Solution focusing on price, promotion, and assortment optimisation, has today announced the findings of its latest retailer research. Only 21% of retailers say they are more confident than a year ago on delivering omnichannel experiences, and 45% say progress is not happening fast enough, according to the research.
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PC World Kenya reveals merger plan
Kenya-based retailer and reseller PC World plans to merge its operations with a group of local investors who have a range of interests in various business sectors. The identity of the investors and the structure of the deal has not been disclosed. Bobby Gadhia, CEO at PC World Kenya, told Channel EMEA: “This merger will see our company grow to the next level and maximise the full potential the market has to offer. After the merger we will have 12 retail outlets spread across the country and a workforce of approximately 100 people, so 2016 is a big year for us.”
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Successful second annual DISTREE #ConnectDays Paris reflects growing interest in smart tech products
The second annual DISTREE #ConnectDays event, organised by DISTREE Events in association with INNOV8 Group, took place on the 12-13th April at the Carrousel du Louvre in central Paris. In total, 110 brands of connected devices, smartphones and high-tech accessories exhibited at the event, meeting 500-plus buyers and senior executives from France’s leading retailers and e-tailers across multiple channels.
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INTERVIEW: Frederic Simard, DISTREE Russia
DISTREE Russia allows technology brands and suppliers to hold pre-scheduled one-on-one meetings with top resellers and retailers inside Russia. The next DISTREE Russia takes place in St. Petersburg on the 22-23 June 2016. This year’s event will see separate business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) channel events held simultaneously for the first time. Frederic Simard, Event Director for DISTREE Russia, recently took part in a Q&A session regarding this year’s event.
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Intel starts retail tour in Nigeria
Technology giant Intel believes there is still significant untapped PC market potential in Nigeria. The company has embarked on the Intel retail tour and launched in-store promotions in both Benin and Ibadan. Intel also has teamed up with partners Microsoft, HP, Lenovo, Acer and Tecno to organise training sessions for retailers and resellers, advising them on the right way to buy and sell devices, as well as the incentives available to them.
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DISTREE Events has confirmed a deadline of Sunday May 1st to enter the four submission-based awards, which form part of the ‘Middle East Retail Academy (MERA): 2016 Awards’ taking place at next month’s DISTREE Middle East. The annual MERA Awards, taking place for the 9th consecutive year in 2016, celebrate excellence in the region’s technology and consumer electronics (CE) retail channel.
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John Lewis opens UK’s largest smart home experience
Retailer John Lewis has whipped the covers off a 1000 square foot retail experience dedicated to smart home technology at its flagship Oxford Street store in London. The retailer says that 18 times more people are searching for smart home products on its website, compared to the same time the previous year. Sales of smart home products as a category at John Lewis have increased by 81% year-on-year from 2014 to 2015
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Orange buys €75m stake in Africa Internet Group
Telecoms operator Orange has acquired a €75m (US$85.5m) equity stake in Africa Internet Group, joining AXA, Goldman Sachs and longstanding investors MTN Group, Millicom and Rocket Internet. Through this investment, which will be accompanied by a series of strategic partnerships between the subsidiaries of the two groups, Orange will help online marketplace Jumia and other websites run by Africa Internet Group to accelerate their growth and seize development opportunities in Africa.
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Office 1 Gulf confirmed for DISTREE Middle East
This year’s DISTREE Middle East event on 10-12th May 2016 will see retailers and e-tailers from across the region gather in Abu Dhabi for three days of one-on-one meetings and professional networking with consumer technology brands. Retailer Office 1 Gulf is confirmed to attend and keen to talk to brands looking to further develop their business in the Qatari market.
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