News

Distree XXL 2010 : bigger than ever
2010-02-09
Monaco : the latest edition of Distree XXL has opened its doors in Monaco, with more than 800 attendees. This year, 129 vendors – a 15% rise year-to-year – will meet about 325 distributors and, for the first time, etailers from 65 countries.

Announced as the main news of the event, about 25 etailers are indeed present. Many of them come from France, with big names like Cdiscount, Expansys, JM Bruneau, MacWay or Surcouf. This is all the more interesting, as French distributors tend to be more difficult to move to Monaco : major names like Banque Magnétique are still absent from an event where they definitely have their place. Etailers from other countries have hopefully also joined Distree, like ePrice from Italy, Coolblue or Office Depot from the Netherlands, Deltatecc from Germany, Emag from Romania, MultipleZone from Portugal, Play.com from the UK or Verkkokaupa from Finland.

On the distributor side, if Eastern Europe and Middle-East are still very well represented, more and more Western Europe distributors have found their way to Monaco. This year should have seen Italian Esprinet come for the first time : their last-minute cancellation will be easily forgotten, as Italian distributors are much more numerous than last year. Swiss companies also came “en-masse”, with Alltron, Littlebit or Wyscha. Scandinavia is now better represented : EET, Jumbo or Aurora Group from Denmark, SweDeltaco from Sweden or GNT, Anglo Nordic or Dacco from Finland are on the event. Norway is the only major Western European country not to be present yet. Beside vendor meetings, Distree Events organizes for the first time distributor-to-distributors meetings, allow them to discuss more formally about market or business problems or questions : Russian and Middle-East distributors seem to have plebiscited the initiative.

Among vendors, 40 new companies are present, among which major vendors like Cisco, Iomega or Microsoft, and several new software editors (Serif, TuneUp or Webroot). 80 signed from last year, thanks to a good return on investment, like PowerTraveller or Urban Factory. The Discovery Lounge, which was launched last year, is even more a success with 17 companies. Some, like Franklin, have switched from Discovery Lounge to main exhibition area, which allows them to meet more distributors. Among interesting new companies, one may site Spanish Inoitulos (iDapt chargers) or Cirkuit Planet (Disney licensed IT products), Dutch AC Ryan (media players) or Innergie (mobile chargers), Swiss Pat Says Now (design accessories) or French Qdos (mobile accessories).

Aurora loses its corporate sales director
2009-07-08
Danmark : Odd Vaagan, who was corporate sales director for consumer electronics Aurora Group, has resigned from his post at the end of May to continue its business in the family's real estate activities. The name of his successor is yet unknown (source : Computer Reseller News Danmark).