PCR Tech and IT retail, distribution and vendor news
A manufacturer with 35 years experience in the military and industrial sectors has its sights set on the High Street.
Peli Products, known for its high-performance watertight cases and portable lighting systems, is now launching a new line of Pro Gear crush-proof iPhone cases and other mobile accessories in the UK.
“There is more of a need to protect a smartphone or tablet today than there was for phones a few years ago,” Peli’s EMEA MD Piero Marigo told PCR.
“People are carrying more critical items with them nowadays, and that’s where our heritage of protecting important things comes into play. We’re a very reputable world leader in military/industrial protection and we have a lot to offer in the consumer space.”
Where Peli currently provides products for specialists such as mining engineers, geologists, scientists and the military, it is now also targeting tech heads, smartphone users and even students, tapping into an increased demand for tablets in the education sector.
Peli Pro Gear products include laptop, tablet and smartphone accessories, such as the CE1180 and CE1150 iPhone 5 cases, as well as iPad and Samsung Galaxy cases and more.
“One area we’re targeting is education and high-end schools,” added Marigo. “Students need protection for their tablets, especially when bringing them into schools and back home again.”
Peli says it is working with a number of distribution partners in the UK and has been “very selective” in its distribution model. It is specifically targeting IT retailers with its range of products.
The company has a three-prong strategy.
“Firstly, we are launching our consumer product range and expanding this quickly,” explained Marigo.
“The second part of the strategy is to identify and nurture the correct commercial channel, which we’re in the process of doing. We’ve made contact with distributors willing to supply our product; we’re working with them to bring products onto the market."
“The last part of our strategy is to invest in our brand name, which very strong in the industrial/military market. You talk to any military person and they will know Pelican, but we’re not as well known in the consumer market. That’s something we are tackling now to increase our brand awareness.”
Peli, which is based in the US, also has operations in Australia, Canada, China, Japan and EMEA.
