PCR Tech and IT retail, distribution and vendor news
UK tech etail giant Ebuyer.com is considering launching a system building service, allowing shoppers to customise their own PC and buy it online.
System building is currently a focus for indie retailers and specialist sites – the likes of Scan Computers and Chillblast – plus B2B firms supplying offices and schools with several units of similar PCs. Large chains and websites such as Tesco and Amazon have veered away from such a service.
When asked if Ebuyer.com would launch its own system building offering, MD Stuart Carlisle told PCR: "We’re trying to look at doing it. It’s something we need to do I think in the future. Even if it looks bespoke and we have 100 variants of the computer in the background.
"The problem is to get some of the specifications with Microsoft, they have to test them thoroughly for a month on each different specification. If you change the memory size or hard drive, it still has to go away for testing. But that’s important to us."
Although Ebuyer doesn’t yet offer such a service at the moment, Carlisle stressed the number of PCs it already sells online provides its customers with a wide choice, similar to that of a system building service.
"We have a lot of bespoke ones and we’re the major supplier for many manufacturer’s products," he added. "All we’ve got to do is get things a bit more bespoke.
"The only thing with system building is sometimes the testing of the products – to make sure it works with the software – is an issue. We sell pre-tested systems at the moment to make 100 per cent sure every system that goes out of the door conforms to Microsoft’s testing."
Ebuyer celebrated its biggest ever Black Friday in 2014 and Ebuyer recently signed a £2.8 million sponsorship deal with TV channel Dave.
Read the full behind-the-scenes look at Ebuyer.com and interview with Stuart Carlisle in the January 2015 issue of PCR
