HOME DISTREE Middle East 2016 opens with 500-plus delegates attending retail channel event
DISTREE Middle East takes place from May 10-12th at the Fairmont Bab Al Bahr in Abu Dhabi, UAE. This week’s event gathers together hundreds of senior executives and buyers from the region’s leading consumer technology retailers and e-tailers in one place at one time. During the three-day event, exhibiting vendors and distributors will hold thousands of pre-scheduled one-on-one meetings with buyers from across the region.
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DISTREE Middle East 2016 opens online voting for Retail Executive of the Decade Award
DISTREE Middle East has announced the shortlist of seven candidates for the new consumer technology Retail Executive of the Decade Award. The overall winner of the special achievement award will be announced at the DISTREE Middle East Gala Dinner and Awards ceremony on Wednesday May 11th at the Fairmont Bab Al Bahr in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
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INTERVIEW: Neelesh Bhatnagar, Emax
This week’s DISTREE Middle East channel event is the ‘must attend’ regional event for retailers, e-tailers, distributors and vendors of consumer technology products. Regional retail colossus Emax is one of hundreds of retailers present at this week’s event in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Channel EMEA caught up with Neelesh Bhatnagar, CEO at Emax, to learn more about the company’s strategy and plans.
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Souq.com opens Microsoft online store for Saudi Arabia and UAE
Souq.com, a Middle East online retail and marketplace platform, has announced the launch of the Microsoft online store, providing consumers in the Saudi Arabia and UAE with a destination for Microsoft’s ecosystem of products, ranging from devices to software, including third-party products. Accessible at the Souq.com website in Saudi Arabia and UAE, the Microsoft online store will offer shipping, 24x7 online site access and customer support for all of Microsoft’s category-leading brands, including Xbox, Surface devices and Lumia smartphones.
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Linksys debuts in-store Wi-Fi clinic in UAE
Help is now at hand for UAE residents whose home Wi-Fi networks are not as healthy as they should be, thanks to a new innovation from networking vendor, Linksys. The new Wi-Fi clinic, first introduced in collaboration with retail giant Carrefour, offers quick and easy troubleshooting with highly trained Wi-Fi doctors on hand to offer advice and make sure home networks are fit and healthy. Linksys is a Platinum Sponsor of next week’s DISTREE Middle East retail channel event, which takes place in Abu Dhabi from May 10-12th.
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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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