Page 14 - Digitaltech Magazine Cybersecurity

fEaTuRE STORY

higher configurations and the product at the right
mobile workstations.” price and no unnecessary
Pankaj Goenka, Head price escalations were
— Strategy and Marketing, done. “We worked with
ICONS reiterated the minimum margins and
same view that the thanks to the OEMs they
unprecedented demand too supported us both on
for laptops was fuelled by of any movement & challenges. the continuous availability
work/ study from home. logistics, local warehouses “Panic buying was of stocks requested and
“The demand has already being in the Red Zones observed from large the price,” said Ketan.
doubled & I expect it to could not function, and corporates during the It was only during
continue for at least 2-3 manpower shortages. initial lockdown and then the Unlock 2.0 that
month more till Diwali,” he Most importantly, many there was a second wave competition started
says. businesses were not ready during the lockdown 2.0 faring in the market and
Vimesh Avlani, digitally and this hampered which came from SMB and hence Bluecom Infotech
Managing Director – the sale of laptops in the SOHO. The third wave was had to roll out a few
Graftronics recalled that initial lockdown days,” seen during the lockdown schemes to capture the
since there was no sale explained Ketan B Shah, 3.0 which came from attention. “I have known
happening for enterprise Director – Kruti Comp students and individual partners who had taken
servers, storage or India. “The golden lining purchases. Online classes undue advantage of the
networking, he had to here was all the existing have really boosted the situation and sold laptops
pivot to selling laptops as stocks lying unsold in the entry level laptops sale,” at exaggerated price. But
it was the only segment market which were 60 days observed Biren Yadav, for us ethics matter and
that did good business to 90 days old were picked Managing Director -
during the lockdown. “We up by the companies Bluecom Infotech.
could manage to sell many who had anticipated the Though there were
of the older stocks from extended lockdown and no special schemes
the inventory, even those planned WFH,” he added. announced, partners
with 7th, 8th generation There also have been tried to offer some
processors. Laptop sale had a few instances when value additions to their
seen a 3-4x sharp increase panic buying happened, customers over and
and it is something never as due to shortages in the above the product that
seen before in history.” availability of laptops, the they were selling. For
However, when the demand and supply gap instance, Graftronics tried
lockdown was first increased. Market tracker to help its customers by
announced around 18- IDC India said that while all delivering laptops at their
19th March, there was categories faced demand doorstep so that they do KetAn b ShAh,
no laptop sale happening challenges, laptop is one not unnecessarily have to Director,
which continued till about segment that faced supply come out of their house. Kruti Comp India
end of May. But once it “Since no shops were open
started easing out, the in the first two months, we so we stuck to availability
demand shot up and like tied up with a few courier and timely delivery of the
Pankaj Goenka put it, companies and ensured products to the customers
laptop sales have been that the laptops are picked and market during the
at their lifetime high. from the warehouse and crisis,” said Biren.
“In fact because of this delivered at the doorstep With the demand for
huge demand from the of our customers. By doing laptops on a rise, factors
consumer side, there was so we managed to build like the price and latest
a time when we were a good rapport with our technology went for a
not able to cater to the customers, both existing toss for many with users
demand,” Pankaj recalled. VImeSh AVlAnI, and new,” said Vimesh. looking for only basic
“The sale got affected Managing Director. Kruti Comp ensured features and minimum
due to factors like lack Graftronics that the customers got specs that can meet the

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14 AUGUST 2020