Update: On-Demand Softwide Retail Growing in the UK

In January I visited with Daniel Doll-Steinberg of  Tribeka Ltd., an innovative UK software retailer with a new idea for the channel, and posted An Old New Channel for Software on this blog. I was impressed. I’ve been following software retail since 1993, and there certainly seems to be some room for change.

So here’s an update on that story. PC Retail Magazine says On demand will change UK retail.

On demand retail is set to explode in the UK over the next year according to a report by Screen Digest. It suggests that the DVD side of the industry will be worth $1 billion alone by the end of 2012.

The report comes out just months after On Demand opened its first concession in Border’s Oxford Street Store, while Tribeka COO Stephen Precious stated that the firm is aiming to have the increase in the number of stores operating its SoftWide technology into double figures before the end of this year.

“At the end of the year we’re hoping to have installations reaching into double-digits in the UK and Europe.” And it’s looking increasingly likely that it will succeed with Precious telling PC Retail that it is currently in negotiations with some of the biggest names in UK and European retail, with some expected to be rolled out before the end of summer.

It’s nice to see something solving real problems: a compromise between giving customers software to browse in person, in the store, but without requiring normal inventory handling. It really is “on demand” and I think it makes sense.

Comments

  • Kristian K. Holst says:

    Hi Tim Berry,
    It's a really great idea that solves a lot of the problems with handling software. Do you know if they will carry web-based and subscription software as well? I think it would make it a lot easier to sell some of these web-based software products if you could hold a physical package in you hands – there would of course be no need for a installation cd just some sort of serial-key for setting up the account with the web-based software provider.

    – Kristian K. Holst

Leave a Reply to Kristian K. Holst Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *