Zcom Computer Wholesale is taking over Bluechip Infotech’s failed New Zealand operation from next month.
The Penrose, Auckland-based distributor has acquired Bluechip’s customer base. It will provide warranty support and will employ two of the company’s staff members in warranty support and product manager roles.
While Zcom will not take over Bluechip’s premises, the company’s former phone lines will be diverted to Zcom.
According to Zcom managing director Jimmy Chang the wholesaler will also not automatically take on all of Bluechip’s brands.
“We have so many products already and don’t want them to conflict with each other,” he says.
While the two companies share a number of brands, such as Apacer, some of Bluechip’s products will however clash with existing Zcom offerings, says Chang.
Zcom will take on Pioneer optical drives and media, which it will a source from Bluechip Infotech in Australia, a master distributor of the range.
It is also in talks with LG in Australia over the scope of products it will represent here.
“We do Lite-On, which is actually LG’s biggest competitor worldwide, but LG does not want to lose market share to Lite-On in New Zealand,” he says.
Negotiations are also underway around Bluechip’s BenQ relationship.
Chang believes the brand’s notebooks and optical drives are not receiving enough focus in New Zealand from BenQ’s main distributor Ingram Micro, which mainly concentrates on the brand’s monitors.
“The problem is Ingram Micro is too big and not concentrated enough,” he says.
Chang also wants to build on Bluechip’s strong base in the consumer market.
“We have a good source of cameras. Bluechip has 25 camera stores as customers,” says Chang.
Bluechip Infotech is shutting its New Zealand operation, which has not showed a profit since it was established in 1998 originally as BBF Components and Peripherals, at the end of this month.
