eBay marketer Luzern takes to the US


30 Mar 2009

An Irish company that built a European sales empire selling devices such as the Palm Treo via eBay has the US market in its sights.

Luzern Technology Solutions has just announced that it will be a sponsor at the ChannelAdvisor Catalyst Event, running in Raleigh, Northern Carolina next month, from 28–29 April 2009.

Accord to CEO, Ken Doyle, the ChannelAdvisor event will allow Luzern http://www.luzernsolutions.com/ to build its credibility as an e-commerce solutions and service provider “particularly for consumer product companies looking to have an eTail presence in Europe, or to have an alternative, non-competing, revenue-generating sales channel for consumer product returns, obsolete or excess stock”.

Luzern Solutions, which was recently profiled in the Digital Business Guide in Owner Manager magazine, is an Irish electronics company that sells refurbished devices, such as Palms Treos, internationally.

Operating from its head office in Blanchardstown, it has become a leading pan-European company in the e-commerce sphere, selling through LuzernTech, its consumer-facing store.

Luzern has already dipped its e-commerce fingers in US territory, Doyle explains: “Last year, we launched LuzernTech USA on eBay.com as part of our own expansion plans within the US, as well as launching two European stores for leading consumer brands Palm and Jawbone – both companies having their headquarters in the US.”

According to Doyle, the US provides Luzern with a significant opportunity to grow its suite of e-commerce and online sales channel solutions currently offered to clients in Europe.

“Over the past year, we have invested quite significantly into our company infrastructure to keep us at the fore.”

Just last August, Luzern raised €2.5m from Delta Partners.

With eBay currently now accounting for about 60pc of Luzern’s sales, the company is counted as one of the top-five power sellers of goods in the UK, Spain and France. So, Doyle is in a good position to advise on how to use the e-commerce model to sell successfully.

In terms of how to promote Luzern’s eBay model to US companies looking for alternative sales channels within the US, Doyle said the company’s approach will driven by direct networking, referrals and through partnerships.

“We work very closely with Channel Advisor in the UK in running our European operations, so it makes perfect sense to use our European relationship to build and develop new relationships and partnerships with Channel Advisor US and its partners, as well and other US companies.

“We are also very respectful of the relationships we have with many leading brands in Europe, and hope we can recreate the European success with their US counterparts,” Doyle adds.

At the event in North Carolina, Doyle explained that he will use the example of Luzern’s success about how to go about it in a rapidly changing e-commerce marketplace:

“A key message from Luzern, particularly in these recessionary times, is to take the e-commerce model as a sales channel seriously.”

“By outsourcing your e-commerce requirements to a company that has already invested in the required infrastructure, from IT to secure payment options, VAT registration, cash collection, logistics and inventory management, as well as customer support etc, a solution like this can be quite cost effective.

Now in its third year, the ChannelAdvisor Catalyst Event will draw a mixture of e-commerce experts, as well as companies interested in becoming online sellers or e-commerce service providers.

Speakers at the event will include Gary Milner, global marketing director for Interactive Marketing, Lenovo; Dan Schock, head of Retail, East, Google; Dinesh Lathi, vice-president of Seller Experience, eBay; and Sam Wheeler, director of Seller Services, Amazon Services.

As well as Luzern, other sponsors encompass eBay Inc, Google, Bronto, Frooition, SquareTrade, ShipWorks and Like.com.

By Carmel Doyle