By Patrick Avenell
In a major change of strategy, pureplay online retailer Kogan today began selling name brands, with Apple, Motorola, Samsung, Nikon and Canon all now available.
In an amusing and intriguing development, Kogan is even selling the Galaxy Tab 10.1, which Samsung itself is not selling due to legal action brought by Apple.
In a release to media this morning, Ruslan Kogan said Michael Dell was his inspiration. That makes sense, seeing they both chose their surnames to plaster on all their products.
“We have learned from our friends at Dell, who decided to add to their existing core range of computers with a whole host of complementary products, including Kogan TVs,” he said. “Just as Dell has become synonymous with best value in computers, Kogan is becoming synonymous with best value in other technology products.
“We are experts at finding new innovative ways of delivering the latest technology at market leading prices. Whether it is manufacturing our own Kogan brand of products, or now sourcing the world’s biggest brands, we can cut out all the middlemen to guarantee the best prices and service.”
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Amongst the many name brand SKUs Kogan is selling is the controversial Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. He’s selling the 16GB Wi-Fi model for $499.
Current.com.au has contacted the four brands Kogan is now selling with questions about this announcement. We will publish any response we receive. We have also contacted Kogan to ask where their products are being sourced from.
UPDATE: In response to our questions regarding supply, a Kogan spokesperson provided the following statement:
“To secure the prices we are able to sell these products for, we have cut out more middle men and gone higher up the supply chain. Beyond this, we don't discuss specific details of our supply chain. This is confidential information.”
SECOND UPDATE: Apple has replied to our question of if the local office is supplying Kogan with products. We received the following statement from a spokesperson:
"You will need to speak directly with Kogan in relation to their business."
Comment
Nothing polarises Current.com.au readers more than Kogan. Whenever we publish any story about Kogan – who he is and what's he's up to – I receive multiple emails and phone calls, some more pleasant than others, asking me why I give him airtime. A lot of his announcements are only PR guff, and I ignore these without a second thought. Some, however, such as today's announcement, include some substance amongst the PR guff.
By covering this story, my goal is not to give Kogan a push along – he gets plenty of those from the general press. My goal is to keep our readers informed on what he is up to. He's now not just selling his own brand of products, he also selling the same brands as traditional retailers. To not cover this story would be akin to keeping your head in the sand about this new and evolving retail landscape.
I welcome your comments on this issue, either in the below comment field or by private email.