HOME GameSeek picks Mirakl for marketplace push
Online marketplace management platform provider Mirakl has announced that UK online store, GameSeek, has chosen its business-to-consumer (B2C) marketplace platform. The new platform is part of GameSeek’s aim to build the biggest and best consumer marketplace for gaming, electronics, books, clothing, toys and gadgets.
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ELKO Group unveils new brand identity
Emerging markets distributor ELKO Group has whipped the covers off a new brand identity. Svens Dinsdorfs, CEO at ELKO Group, said: “The necessity to empower the exchange of knowledge and technology has become crucial. In both directions: from manufacturers to partners, and from the market back to the manufacturers. We believe that our future success as a company depends on the learning process of our team and the ability to effectively transfer knowledge along the supply chain.”
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Amazon reaches agreement to buy Souq.com
NASDAQ-quoted Amazon has reached an agreement to acquire SOUQ.com, a major e-commerce player in the Middle East. The move ignites an intriguing battle for e-commerce supremacy in the fast-growing region, with Noon.com, which has financial backing from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, due to launch in the coming weeks.
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Tech Data recognised for excellence in EMEA distribution
Tech Data today announced that it has been named Distributor of the Year in five regional categories in the ‘EMEA Channel Academy: 2017 Awards’. The awards were held in conjunction with the DISTREE EMEA event, which was held recently in Monaco. Stephen Nolan, senior VP broadline, mobility, CE and services at Tech Data Europe, said: “The fact that these awards are decided on the votes of our channel partners is especially pleasing, as it demonstrates Tech Data’s strong relationships, excellence in execution and ability to drive growth through end-to end distribution services and solutions.”
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Mobile growth continues in MEA markets
Research company Counterpoint reckons that mobile handset shipments in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region were up 16% year-on-year in the fourth quarter of 2016. Smartphones represented 80% of the handset shipments in the region. The MEA region accounted for 14% of total global shipments in the fourth quarter of 2016. In comparison, China and India combined accounted for 37% of global handset shipments, according to Counterpoint.
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Comet ‘buoyant’ on floating smartphone demand
Comet will showcase ‘the world’s first buoyant smartphone’ at this week’s DISTREE EMEA event in Monaco, bringing distributors from across the region up to speed on the product’s features and technology. Comet has been working on testing and manufacturing processes for the last 12 months and is now ready to build out its routes-to-market. A pre-order campaign resulted in orders from 42 countries and interest from distributors in Europe, Asia and North America. In total, Comet has already secured orders for 500,000 devices, according to the vendor.
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XTOUCH recognises Redington’s role
Consumer electronics brand XTOUCH has named Middle East and Africa distribution giant Redington as its best strategic partner of the year for 2016. XTOUCH recognised Redington for its outstanding contribution it has made towards the growth of XTOUCH brand in the region. Since 2013, the two companies have been working closely to build XTOUCH’s brand in the smartphone market and increase market share.
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Game, set and channel match for QLIPP
New smart tech products will take centre stage at this week’s DISTREE EMEA channel event in Monaco. Brands from around the world will hold pre-scheduled meetings with top distributors as they look to launch, build or manage routes-to-market across the region. Singapore-based QLIPP is hoping it will be game, set and channel match for its smart tennis dampener as it looks to recruit new channel partners.
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INTERVIEW: Soum Rakshit, MysteryVibe
Have you heard the saying sex sells? The crossover between sex toys and connected technologies has created a fast-growing sextech sector, that represents a significant growth opportunity for forward thinking distributors. Channel EMEA caught up with Soum Rakshit, CEO & Co-Founder, MysteryVibe, ahead of the company’s participation at this week’s DISTREE EMEA in Monaco, to find out more about the channel opportunity and market potential.
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CONTEXT identifies omnichannel opportunities
Research house CONTEXT will deliver a keynote speech as part of next week’s DISTREE EMEA regional channel event in Monaco. In the run-up to the event, CONTEXT has identified five key distributor opportunities in an omnichannel world. For today’s consumers, omnichannel is their ’new normal’, according to CONTEXT. They now shop and purchase anytime and everywhere. What this means for traditional retailers is that they must become more flexible and ‘seamless’.
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