Hotlamps on target with Euro expansion

Inventory gains cross-border economies of scale to benefit UK and European resellers

Tomorrow, the world: Hotlamps plans to be in 16 European countries by the end of the month

Projector lamp distributor Hotlamps is on track to complete expansion across 16 countries in Europe by the start of May, which is tipped to boost inventory for UK resellers as well.

David Johnson, European business manager at Hotlamps, said the greater economies of scale would benefit the UK because stock will be more readily available.

“We have 10 on board now and we will have three more Nordic countries in the next couple of weeks, and soon we will have all 16,” he said.

The aim was to have a central supply chain of products that resellers across Europe could access rapidly, while they dealt directly with their own local distribution arm, he said.

“It is important to supply customers immediately as well as competitively. To achieve this we have placed multi-million dollar orders on our suppliers, driving our aim to have the best stock availability. Having the right balance between depth and breadth of inventory is absolutely vital,” said Johnson.

On Hotlamps.co.uk, lamp SKUs have recently covered runs of more than 800 lines, he said.

Hotlamps’ parent Tech Data recently reported a rise in net profit for 2009-2010 from $117.3m (£76.7m) to $180.1m, but did not offer any break-out figures for its Hotlamps or Maverick businesses, or for the UK.

Bob Dutkowsky, chief executive of Tech Data, said: “Through the downturn, we’ve strengthened our channel position.”