Brand signs new distribution deal after success in the prepaid market
Mobile manufacturer Verve Connect has signed a distribution agreement with Tech Data Mobility as it targets European expansion for the IMO (In My Opinion) brand.
IMO, the mobile brand of Verve Connect, has grown its prepaid share of the market to 12 per cent in recent months and recently added Carphone Warehouse to the list of retailers that the brand is sold in.
According to Verve Connect head of sales and propositions Nigel Whitehead, the agreement with Tech Data is key to next year’s strategy.
“Their presence in other European territories will enable us to roll out our 2019 strategy and develop our business in other key markets in Europe and drive our market share over the next 12 months.”
Speaking to Mobile News, IMO European business development director Chris Edwards said Tech Data is “well positioned” to help target the European market and is a “good fit” for IMO.
“We feel as though we’ve done well in the UK market but we need to look further afield, and looking for a supplier with end-to-end services and Tech Data’s pan-European reach fits in well with our future aspirations.”
Handsets
Last month, Vodafone exclusively launched two prepaid IMO handsets, the IMO Q2 Plus and Q3 Plus.
Edwards expects its network deal with Vodafone to increase its prepaid market share further, while Whitehead believes the expansion into Europe through Tech Data will help with postpaid: “This agreement will help us with the prepaid target, but in terms of us moving to postpaid, there are extra requirements and we believe Tech Data can help facilitate this.”
