A Dublin-based company has struck a deal valued at over €5m over the next three years to be the sole distributor of Europe’s latest iPod and audio accessory products from GEAR4.
CTC, a subsidiary of BPI Telecom, provides mobile accessories and digital lifestyle goods to hundreds of retail outlets across Ireland including O2 stores, Carphone Warehouse, 3G, Three Ireland, Xtra-vision and various independent retailers.
“iPod is a cultural phenomenon and we are delighted to bring the GEAR4 iPod range of accessories to the Irish channel,” explained Graham Doyle, general manager, CTC.
GEAR4 is Europe’s largest iPod accessory brand and top-five player worldwide. The UK-based company and GEAR4 brand owner Disruptive took the move to rebrand its range from PodGear to GEAR4 in January last year to allow its other digital accessories be sold alongside the thriving iPod collection.
The company now has a strong focus on cutting-edge Bluetooth technology products and has struck into the mobile phone accessory channels.
It’s BluEye device for connecting the mobile phone and iPod won Best iPod accessory at the MacWorld awards in London recently.
The company will shortly launch a new business-to-business website called www.celtictc.ie to allow retailers to speedily replenish their stock.
“We are hugely impressed with CTC’s distribution in Ireland as well as its strong service ethos,” said Tom Dudderidge, chief executive of GEAR4. ”Their distribution network is perfect for our brand, as we are moving heavily into the Bluetooth and MP3 mobile phone markets.”
By John Kennedy
