Category: Esprinet group to start B2C e-commerce
Esprinet SpA, the leading italian distributor of technology traded on the techSTARTM market of the Italian Stock Exchange (Borsa Italiana), today announces the ...
A new company established: Monclick S.r.l. Consumer electronics goods to be sold through www.monclick.it website
2005 sales expected in the range of 18-20 million Euros
An update of the Strategic Plan to be introduced to the Financial community
Esprinet S.p.A., the leading italian distributor of technology traded on the techSTARTM market of the Italian Stock Exchange (Borsa Italiana), today announces the forthcoming start of a new "consumer electronics" products (telephony, photo, audio-video, IT, household appliances) on-line sales activity to the private consumers market.
This new initiative will be active through Monclick S.r.l., a newly established company, fully owned by Esprinet S.p.A., which will be a further step for the group based in Nova Milanese in strengthening its presence in the Digital Technology market segment.
The key specifications of the project imply that the sales activity will be only aimed at consumer end-customers, with on-line sales and cash payment, being explicitly excluded both the opening of physical sales outlets on the street (i.e. shops) and the utilization of the existing Cash&Carry shops of Esprinet Spa which will keep being devoted to business resellers only.
The existing dimension of the Italian market of Internet B2C sales of consumer electronics is estimated in about 300-350 million euros1, being the total consumer electronics market over 18,5 billion euros2, with interesting year-on-year growth rates of about 25-30%. In the first year of activity, being the www.monclick.it website officially open only since May 2nd, a turnover of roughly 18-20 million euros is expected, being that a theoretical market share of roughly 8%.
Alessandro Cattani, C.E.O. of Esprinet, commented upon the project:
"Coherently with the strategic priorities outlined in the three year strategic plan introduced to the financial community last July, we came to the conclusion, after a one-year preparation, to capitalize our Internet marketing capabilities by putting next to our wholesale activity, by means of a dedicated company, a retail activity of consumer electronic goods and particularly of digital technology. We believe the interest in this project comes out of the perception of the existence of a demand for on-line purchase experiences that the existing offer is not fully satisfying. We believe that the success factor of this new initiative is in the innovative sales format that will close this gap".
The economic and financial impact of the new activity will be outlined during the scheduled May 18th presentation to the financial community of the new strategic plan. Since today the press release is available on the Internet site of the company, www.esprinet.com, Investor Relations section.
For further information:
Federica Ronchi Monclick S.r.l.
Sales & Marketing Manager
Tel. 0362/496.397
Fax 0362/496.800
e-mail: fronchi@esprinet.com
Michele Bertacco Esprinet S.p.A.
Corporate Communication Manager
Tel. 0362/496.817
Fax 0362/496.657
e-mail: michele.bertacco@esprinet.com
Esprinet (PRT.MI) is the leading Italian IT distributor, with total revenues of Euro 1.5 billion in 2004 and a market share of 22%, the fifth European distributor and the tenth in the world. Esprinet, founded in the early 1970s, and with its head office in Nova Milanese (Milan), is the result of the merger of the three main IT technology distributors : Comprel, Celo and Micromax. The company actually operates in the market with two separate business areas: IT distribution and micro-electronic components division through its owned company Comprel. The company has been listed on the Nuovo Mercato (New Market) organised and managed by Borsa Italiana S.p.A. (Stock Exchange) since 25th July 2001and it was admitted into the techStar segment in April 2004. Classified among the first one hundred Italian industrial groups, the company supplies 23,000 re-sellers a year, a portfolio of 450 brands supplied by over 200 Vendors, over 800 co-operating people, 14 cash & carries and 225 "Multimedia Planet" shops. The logistics operations are concentrated in the warehouse of 25,000 sm located in Cambiago (MI). During 2002, together with other four European distributors, the company has founded a pan.european consortium called EWG-European Wholesale Group.
(1) Source: company estimates based on "Osservatorio del Politecnico di Milano", "Casaleggio & Associati"
(2) Source : "Osservatorio Indicod-Ecr"
Source: Companynewsgroup (Comunicato Stampa) - Italy
