No Tech Data surplus marketplace for UK
Tech Data is launching an online excess inventory marketplace for resellers, but its UK subsidiary, Computer 2000, has no such...
The initiative, R2R Central, was developed in the US. However Chris Miles, general manager of e-commerce at C2000, told CW360.com it would only be introduced in the UK if there was sufficient demand.
"The US has the Tech Select scheme in which SMEs and VARs are involved; and feedback from this group of dealers was that they would like to collaborate more, " said Miles. "Tech Data was already the sponsor of Tech Select, it seemed natural that they would develop this system."
Miles said that as yet, there was no demand for something similar in the UK. "The main reason is that the UK market is very different and we have different priorities," he said. "Most resellers here have methods of dealing with their own excess stock."
UK resellers tend to carry less stock than their US counterparts, claimed Miles, which left little room for an R2R Central service. However, Miles did not discount the possibility of R2R Central becoming available to UK resellers in the future.
"We already have access to the technology to implement R2R Central," he said. "If resellers approached us with requests for such a service, we would certainly look to do it."