5th of May is D-Day for Officeworks and Dell

by Alex Zaharov-Reutt

Thursday, 01 May 2008

Page 1 of 2 ! The day Dell really goes retail down under is the 5th of May, in partnership with Officeworks, and while they’ll be the only partner for now, the deal is not exclusive. It also follows similar moves in the US, Europe and China, seeing Dell go direct to retail, while still selling directly online. Will retail sit well with Dell? Dell going retail is something that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago, so strong was the “Dell Direct” mantra, although strict adherence to that philosophy has obviously now gone directly into the wastebasket. Obviously unwilling to continue passing up on the retail purchaser any longer, Evan Williams, Dell’s GM of consumer sales and marketing in the South Asia region explained said the retail move catered for people that like to see, touch, try and then buy a computer on the spot. Dell already sells computers in the US through Wal-Mart and Best Buy, and through Tesco in the UK, Ireland, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. 1200 stores in China are set to carry Dell retail stock by the end of the year, with over 900 “Gome” stores in China already doing so – and Australia can now finally be added to the global list. Officeworks say they have purchased a “lot of stock” so as to be able to offer 10 different configurations (include differently configured XPS M1330 laptops, Inspiron laptops and desktops), while also selling selected Dell printers, ink and LCD screens. Dell obviously expects it will still sell a lot of product through its existing online store, especially as consumers and businesses are well used to Dell’s direct way of doing business, but is clearly acknowledging the very benefits of the retail world it has eschewed from the beginning. Officeworks staff have been in training for six months, preparing for the day Dell would land on the retail store floor, with the 10 PC configurations different to Dell’s own online offerings. Prices will range from AUD $999 to $1,800, with Officeworks setting their own pricing, meaning Dell has, in a way, created its own competition, through Officeworks, to its online store. Will price battles emerge between Dell online and Officeworks, between similarly equipped machines? Surely these questions have entered the minds of both parties, but it’s all yet to be seen as Dell’s – and Officeworks’ – new retail experiment unfolds. With 104 Officeworks stores across Australia, Dell is massively expanding its presence ‘on the ground’, and with Officeworks such a popular retail outlet, challenging the mighty Harvey Norman and every other office supplies retailer, Dell certainly looks to have chosen the right first partner to partner with. So, will Dell bring Ubuntu to retail stores in Australia? Please read onto page 2. << First page <   1 2 Next page > Last page - Post your comment >>

 

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