Johannesburg, 22 Nov 2011
Digital lifestyle product distributor Esquire has launched a virtual reseller network (VRN) that allows its partners almost real-time access to its stock levels and product listings.
Esquire, which sells gaming and networking technology, aims to bring about 2 000 resellers online in the next year, and is designing Web sites for its partners that update in almost real-time, and can be accessed through mobile devices. The company has about 12 000 resellers in total.
CEO Mahomed Cassim says the company's distributors now have full access to its stockholdings, which allows them to put together quotes while meeting with clients. He says the company's brands are now more accessible to its partners.
As Esquire acquires new products, the system is automatically updated, and participating resellers' Web sites are also updated with the additional products, says Cassim. The system took eight years to develop.
Cassim believes the concept is a first within the IT sector. He says Esquire has beta-tested the VRN solution for the past year, and 80 resellers will now be linked up to the system.
Esquire has already spent about R8 million on developing the solution and will continue to add its resellers to the network and expand functionality, says Cassim. He adds the sites designed for the resellers allow them to add their own contact details and mark-ups to Esquire's pricing.
The software solution, run by e-commerce firm ImproWEB, replicates Esquire's stockholding on the Web sites of participating resellers, giving them virtual access to its entire stockholding, says Cassim.
“When an end-user places an order with a reseller, the purchase request is seamlessly routed to our back-office system, which then automatically informs the courier company,” says Cassim. The courier then fetches the items from its warehouse and dispatches it directly to the end-user.
As a result, explains Cassim, resellers don't have to hold any stock. “This is really empowering our resellers and enables them to compete head-on with larger resellers, including multinationals and franchise stores.”
Esquire has signed up with payment gateways such as Virtual Card Services, PayPal and Internet Express to facilitate online transactions.
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