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Oonagh Reidy

Listen Up Gerry: Minister Offers Lessons In E-tailing

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Harvey Norman to go back to school as Google, eBay give lessons on online savvyness.

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy is to give a seminar later this month on internet know how – with the help of Google,eBay and PayPal – as the online crisis retailers are facing fails to go away, he has announced. 

The Online Retail Forum aims “to encourage and support Australian retailers to explore online business options,” according to the statement.  

The internet lessons looks to be Conroy’s latest attempt to quell the commotion made by a list of retailing giants including Harvey Norman, Myer and Solomon Lew’s owned Just Group about the lack of GST on  foreign goods bought online, which they said is eating into their business. 

Following intense pressure from retailers on GST, the government responded by setting up the Productivity Commission to examine the retail sector in Australia last year. 

However, in its 2011 forecast, analysts Morgan Stanley predicted the Commission investigation into the retail landscape was likely to find that it is ‘uncompetitive,’ despite claims by CEOs that GST was making it more difficult to do business here.    
 
 “Providing an online information and sales channel is clearly an important part of any discussion about the future of Australian retail,” Senator Conroy said.

However, the Minister who is responsible for the Digital Economy might not be telling the retailers what they want to hear, hinting they may have to lower prices and vastly improve their product offering if they wish to get serious about online.  

 Lectures are to be given from internet powerhouses including the likes of Google, eBay, PayPal, Shoes of Prey, Gray’s Online, as well as Australia Post, Temando, DHL,  and the ACCC.

 

“Shopping online can also deliver benefits to consumers in the form of greater customer satisfaction, better product information and, in some instances, lower prices,” he said.

Online purchasing is enjoying a booming trade at the moment and was cited in several retailers in their end of year results as a threat to future sales growth. 

By 2015, it is forecast to account for 22 percent of all purchases.
 
The forum is due to take place in Sydney on 18 February next.
 

Amaysim: Online Good But Retail Still King

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Newest Telco arrival is ‘surprised ‘ at its retail success.

And online only goes so far, says Amaysim.

The newest mobile carrier to hit the market, Amaysim, has said they are ‘surprised’ at their take up in the retail channel, with strong take-up from some of the big names including Harvey Norman, Dick Smith and Woolworths, according to a current.com report.      

“I think we have even more of a chance to build a real integrated, multi-channel distribution here with the combination of online and retail, and that’s a positive surprise we have had,” said one of its founders and CEO Rolf Hansen.

He also said he was in talks with other major names in retailing but refused to get into specifics, although currently available in 2,000 stores. 

However, the market here is unlike others in that it is nuanced towards retail, says its boss, with two thirds of its activity confined to bricks and mortar as opposed to online clicks.

“From all the markets we’ve been into, and we see the same trend here, once you achieve mass market distribution, which I think in Australia you would talk about 4,000 or 5,000 points of sale, it’s skewed towards retail.”

“No matter how good you are at online, and I think our website is a state of the art e-commerce website, you only reach roughly one-third of the population you would like to target, and the other two-thirds obviously are not online savvy and would rather buy the product in retail.”  

The no frills service, which is like the Jetstar of the mobile industry, refutes consumer lock in contracts, offering no fees and low rate deals with post paid and pre paid handsets, offering sim cards for as little as $5.      

 

 

The US backed company unique offering has certainly put it up against the big carriers such as Optus and Telstra although no numbers are yet available on the up-take of the service, which was launched last November.   

“The simple fact is that Australians are paying far too much for their mobile phone bills, largely due to the lack of competition amongst existing providers and a failure to treat customers fairly,” the company declared at the launch. 

Amaysim is a market leader in Germany, Spain and the Netherlands, according to its website.

New Tabs On The Way… Netbooks Over, Says Acer

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It’s bye bye netbooks, hello tabs, says the laptop kings.

Long awaited Acer tabs range to “phase out” netbooks, the Taiwanese giant says.

The tablets which will see the light of day for the first time in Australia most likely in Q2 will push Acer’s well-respected netbooks out in the cold, according to its Sales manager Lu Bing-hsian.

Acer ‘s Tablet OS devices will include a 7-inch and 10.1 model running Android and using Intel’s Sandy Bridge processor.

A Windows 7 model could pre-empt the Android version, although this has yet to be confirmed.

Acer chief Gianfranco Lanci said late last year that he anticipates that Acer will get between 10 to 20 percent of the Tablet market with 12 months and will take the lead from the iPad later on.

The tabs look set to hit the market retailing between $299 to $699.

“They are aimed at phasing out netbooks. That’s the direction of the market,” said Acer’s Lu Bing-hsian.
   

Pirated.com Take CoverAs Hollywood Begins Internet Streaming

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Online video streamer Youku purchases film rights from Warner Bros.This will allow the Chinese based video provider to show the Leonardo Di Caprio hit move ‘Inception’ one of the highest grossing movies of 2010, for five yuan (75 cents) on Youku Premium service, according to an AFP report.

The premium service allows viewers access to the latest films, TV series and concerts but without the nuisance of ads in between, as shown for free on their mainstream site.

Youku.com, which was founded in 2006, have also licensed content from other broadcasting houses, seeking to differentiate themselves from illegitimate content providers in a nation renowned for its thriving piracy industry.  

“Through building long-term partnerships with copyright holders and communicating with our media partners, Youku Premium is creating a whole new way for people to find and watch the content they want, when they want it,” Youku founder and chief executive, Victor Koo, said.

The Chinese company made its debut US stock market last month and was the strongest New York Stock Exchange Initial Public Offering in more than five years, according to AFP report, highlighting the lucrative industry on-demand content has now become.

 

“Since we launched the paid service last year we’ve discovered there was plenty of demand from our customers for movie content but there was a bottleneck in the payment solutions.  Now we’ve sorted that out and hope that this is a beginning for something new and exciting,” Koo told The Hollywood Reporter.

This deal is the latest move by Hollywood to get in on the online video streaming act, as viewers increasingly turn to online to view content.

No details of the value of the deal for Warnes Bros have been released.

According to Beijing based iResearch, the streaming site accounted for 259 million visitors and held a 40 percent share of all online videos viewed by its Chinese audience in September last.

1.9 m Broadband Connections Roll Out in 2011

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Full steam ahead for mass internet connectivity as 2011 plans are announced.Plans for the provision of fibre infrastructure in new sites will take effect from January 1st as the National Broadband Network (NBN) estimates 1.9 million new premises will be connected to the fibre as they are built.

There will be no additional costs to consumers for the installation of broadband, with the NBN funding the provision of fibre and backhaul to new housing estates, said the Minister for Broadband, Senator Stephen Conroy.

Sub-contracting is also set to begin in the new year and build-operate-transfer arrangements who will install fibre on its behalf.

For infill developments of less than 100 premises, Telstra will continue to be responsible for delivering infrastructure and services.

The telco will largely be using copper infrastructure to provide interim solutions in these developments, pending the NBN rolling out its network.

Developers will be able to select a provider at their own discretion and these arrangements will be subject to existing contracts between providers and developers.

“From 1 January 2011, NBN Co will be responsible for the installation of fibre in all broadacre developments, all infill developments where it has fibre that is ready for service and capable of connection, and newly approved infill developments of 100 or more premises,” said Senator Conroy.

The plans will speed up access to fibre-based broadband services and provide the clarity people have been seeking, and “is a great outcome for new home buyers and Australia’s fibre future,” he declared.

Residential Development Council Executive Director, Caryn Kakas NBN’s announcement is a win for common sense and ensures that new communities can participate fully in the benefits broadband brings.

“This means that homeowners on the urban fringe won’t be hit with a $3000 charge nor will regional Australians face a cost of up to $5000 to pay for the delivery of the National Broadband Network to their communities,” she said in a statement.

“The Government, NBN Co and Telstra will now work closely with stakeholders to communicate and implement the changes,’ the Minister concluded.  

Warning! (Royal) Wedding Crashers On The Prowl

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It’s a case of lock down your PC, rather than your daughters.


Click to enlarge

But royal wedding crashers are on the loose.

The British royal event of the century, the wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton, will have the world eyes glued to both TV and online as audiences are expected to turn out in viral form for this highly anticipated event on April 29.  

And it is, according to Norton, the first e- royal wedding of this age with one fifth of Australians going online for updates and 7 percent watching the event live on a PC, in a survey by the computer security providers.

 And almost 90 per cent of Aussies said they are likely to tune in, aside from the estimated 2 billion that will be switching on to watch Kate and Will’s nuptials globally, according to estimates from the UK culture secretary, Jeremy Hunt.

However, viewers beware as it looks certain to attract cybercriminals looking to capitalise on the deluge of online activity, claims Norton.

Since March, security researchers at Norton have been tracking “malicious online activity such as spam designed to steal personal information” as well as links to harmful sites hidden in search engine results.

98 percent of Australians are unclear on what search poisoning is, and nearly one in 10 don’t have security software, says the security giant.  

It has released some tips to help them steer clear of cybercriminals:

 

·    Think before you click – Beware of emails or links that promise “leaked” footage, offer “scandalous” pictures, or purport to have “secret” information. Cybercriminals take advantage of sensational and shocking headlines to get you to click on links that could infect your computer

·    Go with what you know – While any site could potentially be risky, it’s best to avoid clicking on sites you’ve never heard of that show up in your search results. Stick to the official royal wedding website or go directly to reputable news sites to get the latest news and videos of the wedding

·    Protect your computer – Use trusted security software on your computer to block threats and make sure you’re keeping it up-to-date. Use  Norton Safe Web Lite and Norton Safe Web for Facebook – free, downloadable tools that identify risky sites before users click on them in search results and on their Facebook news feeds

And for those wishing to know more about cybercrime, hit the Black Market Experience at the Sydney Royal Easter Show.

Laser Appoints New Retail Head

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LASER Corp have just announced the appointment of its new Retail Business Manager, Robert Giannini.Reporting in to Dina Murphy, General Sales Manager, he will be responsible for accelerating retail sales throughout Australia as well as servicing existing customers nationally, the IT accessories giant announced today.

Robert brings over 20 years experience to his role and will be looking to expand and enhance the retail team at Laser as the company strives to strengthen its position in the retail market.

Chris Lau, Managing Director of Laser said, “Robert has a proven track record in the consumer electronics industry and has joined our team at an important stage as we seek to build upon achieving our growth projections.”

Giannini held several positions at Sony his last post being NSW Sales Manager, as well as IT accessories company Audion as Retail Account Manager.

Dick Smith NZ Drops Vodafone

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Electronics giant has dropped Vodafone from its product offering, according to reports.Vodafone products are no longer on its NZ website and are currently phasing out existing stock, reports suggest.

The move comes after a disagreement between Vodafone and Dick Smith, who is thought to be the mobile giant’s biggest independent retailer, outside its own network of stores. 

“We’ve been proactively trying to discuss a business model that would suit both parties for some time,” said Vodafone NZ.

However, despite the cutting of ties, Vodafone hopes it isn’t a permanent break up.              

We’d still like to think that we can find a solution and work together in future,” a spokeswoman confirmed. However, the arrangement won’t have any knock on effect to the two players’ business relationship here, a Vodafone Hutchinson Australia representative told SmartHouse.      

” The arrangement is in relation to New Zealand only and has no effect here,” according to the VHA spokesperson.                  

Speculation among industry is that other NZ carriers, Telecom and 2degrees, were able to offer the Woolworths owned electronics retailer better merchandising support and training. 

 

There are over 50 Dick Smith stores operating in New Zealand.

Lasoo Looks to Mobile Apps for Growth

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Retail comparison site Lasoo is set to overhaul its creative offering account, according to an AdNews report out today.

The self proclaimed “leading pre shopping website” which features catalogues and price comparisons from the likes of Dick Smith,Myer, Big W and mobile computing e-store MLN, as well as brands including Panasonic, and Officeworks,  is reviewing its account, worth over $7 million, as the growth in online retail rockets.

The site generally does not allow purchases to be made on its online turf, instead it redirects browsers to the retailer’s site for purchase.

Whoever bags the lucrative deal will be responsible for the creation of mobile apps on other platforms including Androids, which are now seen as a critical ingredient to the e-commerce marketing mix.

It was among the first to launch a retail application for the Apple iPad in May last.

Sydney-based Lasoo is said to have approached five agencies, with a decision is said to be announced in the near future although mystery surrounds who the winner will be.

The company have been without an agency of record for more than a year and worked with ad agency Twenty20 in a creative capacity from launch in 2007.  

 

The website scores 1.1 to 1.2 million visits a month and more page views than any other shopping site, according to Lasoo MD, Paul Marshall.

Retailers currently pay for the listings, although Marshall earmarked this to be changed to a performance-based operation with payments for each interaction, earlier this year.