Epos distributor Geller sells up

Consolis claims acquisition makes sense for Geller's 140 partners

Shake out: Epos specialist Geller Business Equipment has agreed an undisclosed deal with Consolis

Consolidation in the UK distribution arena continues apace with electronic point of sale (Epos) specialist Geller Business Equipment the latest to sell up.

Geller, which claims to be the UK’s largest Epos and cash register distributor for the retail and hospitality industries, has been bought by retail management software outfit Consolis Systems for an undisclosed sum.

Consolis said it would retain all of Middlesex-based Geller’s staff and its brand name.
The deal will enable Geller’s 140 dealers to buy hardware and Consolis’ CES Software from a single source, it added.

Peter Moore, managing director of Consolis Systems, said: “Geller has been working closely with our subsidiary CES Software for about 12 years. It became apparent that there are a lot of synergies between Geller’s hardware innovations and the new software we are developing.

“When the opportunity arose to acquire Geller, it made sense to bring the two companies’ complementary skills together.”

Geller managing director Norman Geller, who will stay on with the firm, said: “We have been working on this great move forward for the company for some time. It marks the next step in the evolution of our business.”

Mike Pullon, managing director of rival distributor Varlink, said Geller was a well-respected brand but was unsure if resellers would want to single source hardware and software.

“It is quite interesting to see a distributor adding software to its portfolio as many of the customers we sell to have created their own software,” he said. “We try to be software neutral as it is more accepted by the reseller community.”