Pebble smartwatches to ripple UK and Benelux market

Widget UK expands wearables offering across Europe in time for Christmas

Consumer peripherals specialist Widget UK has announced distribution contracts to supply smartwatches made by Pebble to retailers and resellers in the UK and across Benelux.

The deal, via Widget's Eindhoven, Netherlands-based associate company Now Mobile, will make Pebble Steel smartwatches for iOS and Android, as well as the original Pebble, available immediately.

Mark Needham (pictured), founder and chairman of Stevenage-based Widget UK, said wearables could provide strong retail sales this Christmas.

"I'm in Paris this week at the World Retail Congress, and it seems that wearable technology has been mentioned in most speeches," he said. "The Pebble range is wearable technology which is available now."

Kristen Regelein, head of global sales at US-based Pebble, said: "Pebble's been growing tremendously this past year."

"Healthy preorders" had been made via a number of launch partners, including Amazon UK, Dixons Carphone, O2, and Firebox in the UK, as well as Coolblue, MediaMarkt and Wehkamp in the Netherlands.