Actualités

Dataplus opens its own retail chain
2010-04-06
Morocco : known as the Olivetti franchisee in the country, distributor‏ and corporate reseller Dataplus goes retail by opening its own shop‏ chain, named RMC Shop. These shops will sell IT, AV and small‏ appliances. After the first, which has been recently opened in‏ Casablanca, Dataplus plans to open several more shops to cover the whole‏ country before 2014 : 1 fullly owned and 2 franchised each year in 2010, 2011 and 2012, then 2 fully owned and 4 franchised each year in 2013 and 2014.

According to Mohammed Chakib Rifi, director of Dataplus‏, theses shops will not be competitors to traditional resellers : “we have‏ seen that many resellers which do not offer any added value to the‏ clients have more and more difficulties to do business in the country‏. And many of them have indeed closed their doors recently. By opening RMC‏ Shop, we only plan to occupy freed ground, before any foreign company‏ tries to enter the country.” Indeed, Fnac will open its first local‏ Shop in Casablanca in 2011, and will be join by Virgin Megastore which already plans 5 stores in the country (two in Casablanca, Rabat, Marrakech and Tanger). Dataplus also plans to associate its‏ resellers to RMC Shops, as two third of the future shops will be‏ franchisees : “we will ask our best resellers if they want to become RMC‏ Shop. If so, they will benefit from our marketing support and a national‏ identity, and can expect to generate about a monthly €200k turnover‏”, Mohamed explains.

If successful, Dataplus plans will bring RMC Shops to‏ second place in the country, behind Marjane hypermarkets and in front of‏ the other local retail chain, Bestmark. Mohamed Chakib Rifi also adds‏ that institutional investors will help Dataplus reach quickly its goals‏ : an additional proof of the seriousness of the initiative ! “We are‏ even thinking about expanding RMC Shops to other African countries, like‏ Mali or Ivory Coast, as we have had demands from local potential‏ partners”, Mohamed concludes.