News
27 May, 2024
WESTech Group, part of the international IT distributor ELKO Group, implemented its plans for 2023 with flying colours. It was a year packed with challenges and achievements!
Last year, WESTech Group continued to pursue its ongoing projects with success. Turnover up by 14% year on year to USD 352 million, new contracts signed, strategic iStores stores opened in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, exclusive service support for HP Inc., and 17% growth in the B2C segment.
WESTech Group is a successful business group on the Slovak, Czech, and Hungarian markets. It includes WESTech spol. s r.o., the iStores brand – offering a wide selection of premium Apple products, the Play Go Smart gaming stores, SWISS – a company providing authorised servicing for leading IT brands, and Logicworks, specialising in Apple device management for corporate clients.
Integrity in its distribution business is a top priority
In 2023, the focus was on consolidating existing business relationships with major IT players, such as ASUS, Dell Technologies, Lenovo, GARMIN, and Kyocera. WESTech’s distribution arm also added to the positive results by securing new contracts with the likes of ZTE, Thomson, Meross, and Dreame, which diversified its portfolio and bolstered its market position.
The distribution division was actively involved in the government’s Digital Pupil project. Here, it used Apple, Lenovo, Dell Technologies, ASUS, HP, and Samsung products to promote digital literacy and improve access to technology for students from socially disadvantaged backgrounds.
Retailing and e-tailing with stronger stores in the B2C segment
WESTech subsidiaries – iStores Slovakia, iStores Czech Republic, and PGS – increased their retail sales over the previous year and opened new stores. In 2023, iStores Slovakia alone opened three stores under the new Mono AAR concept – in Galéria Lučenec, Tulip Martin, and RGB Liptov in Liptovský Mikuláš. Czech iStores, having been named an Apple Premium Partner, upgraded three stores to the APP concept – at Forum Nová Karolina in Ostrava, Atrium Flora Shopping Centre in Prague, and Futurum Shopping Centre in Hradec Králové. Advantages of the APP concept include a new customer experience, an extension of services catering to SMEs, authorised service support for iOS and MAC OS devices, and group demos.
Retail and e-tail turnover climbed by 17% year-on-year to USD 117 million. In Slovakia and the Czech Republic, this healthy result was driven in part by robust demand for Apple-branded mobile phones and the ability to meet customer demand during the Christmas season.
In 2023, the 13 iStores stores in Slovakia welcomed 1.2 million customers, the 8 iStores stores in the Czech Republic saw more than 600,000 customers come through their doors, and gaming fans made nearly 1.9 million visits to the 22 PGS stores. This amounts to an aggregate of 3.7 million in-person visits to brick-and-mortar stores, resulting in nearly 700,000 sales.
Arašid is the market leader in gaming with 22 brick-and-mortar stores and 4 e-shops. The company posted year-on-year growth of more than 18% after expanding its product range to include computer hardware (PCs and tablets), increasing mobile phone sales, and engaging in the government’s Digital Pupil project.
Amid dynamic developments and changes in the technology industry in the past year, SWISS maintained its position as a leader in the provision of professional and authorised service support for various types of equipment from brands such as Dell Technologies, Lenovo, and HP Inc. It struck up an exclusive and strategic partnership for HP Inc. in Slovakia and the Czech Republic for products aimed at the consumer segment.
In 2023, Logicworks’ Czech team became the first to complete the Apple Professional Services Academy so that it can provide IT support for Apple devices. It was also the first to join the Apple Consultants Network. The Apple Experience Centre pilot project was also launched, giving major corporate clients the opportunity to try out the deployment of Apple products in a real corporate environment.
WESTech Group expectations in 2024
Integrity in its distribution business is a top priority
In 2023, the focus was on consolidating existing business relationships with major IT players, such as ASUS, Dell Technologies, Lenovo, GARMIN, and Kyocera. WESTech’s distribution arm also added to the positive results by securing new contracts with the likes of ZTE, Thomson, Meross, and Dreame, which diversified its portfolio and bolstered its market position.
The distribution division was actively involved in the government’s Digital Pupil project. Here, it used Apple, Lenovo, Dell Technologies, ASUS, HP, and Samsung products to promote digital literacy and improve access to technology for students from socially disadvantaged backgrounds.
Retailing and e-tailing with stronger stores in the B2C segment
WESTech subsidiaries – iStores Slovakia, iStores Czech Republic, and PGS – increased their retail sales over the previous year and opened new stores. In 2023, iStores Slovakia alone opened three stores under the new Mono AAR concept – in Galéria Lučenec, Tulip Martin, and RGB Liptov in Liptovský Mikuláš. Czech iStores, having been named an Apple Premium Partner, upgraded three stores to the APP concept – at Forum Nová Karolina in Ostrava, Atrium Flora Shopping Centre in Prague, and Futurum Shopping Centre in Hradec Králové. Advantages of the APP concept include a new customer experience, an extension of services catering to SMEs, authorised service support for iOS and MAC OS devices, and group demos.
Retail and e-tail turnover climbed by 17% year-on-year to USD 117 million. In Slovakia and the Czech Republic, this healthy result was driven in part by robust demand for Apple-branded mobile phones and the ability to meet customer demand during the Christmas season.
In 2023, the 13 iStores stores in Slovakia welcomed 1.2 million customers, the 8 iStores stores in the Czech Republic saw more than 600,000 customers come through their doors, and gaming fans made nearly 1.9 million visits to the 22 PGS stores. This amounts to an aggregate of 3.7 million in-person visits to brick-and-mortar stores, resulting in nearly 700,000 sales.
Arašid is the market leader in gaming with 22 brick-and-mortar stores and 4 e-shops. The company posted year-on-year growth of more than 18% after expanding its product range to include computer hardware (PCs and tablets), increasing mobile phone sales, and engaging in the government’s Digital Pupil project.
Amid dynamic developments and changes in the technology industry in the past year, SWISS maintained its position as a leader in the provision of professional and authorised service support for various types of equipment from brands such as Dell Technologies, Lenovo, and HP Inc. It struck up an exclusive and strategic partnership for HP Inc. in Slovakia and the Czech Republic for products aimed at the consumer segment.
In 2023, Logicworks’ Czech team became the first to complete the Apple Professional Services Academy so that it can provide IT support for Apple devices. It was also the first to join the Apple Consultants Network. The Apple Experience Centre pilot project was also launched, giving major corporate clients the opportunity to try out the deployment of Apple products in a real corporate environment.
WESTech Group expectations in 2024
WESTech continues to focus on long-term goals, delivering positive results, and doing business with integrity. We place particular emphasis on building awareness of our brand as a technology and process innovator. We are growing our business and portfolio and adding new customer segments.CEO
This year, WESTech Group is again working hard to hold on to its position as Apple’s main partner in both countries.
For WESTech, 2024 is a pivotal year not only from a business perspective, but also because of WE LOVE HOPE, a charitable initiative that aims to improve the quality of life for socially vulnerable and disadvantaged members of society. This year-round project supports a children’s home, an animal shelter, the National Transfusion Station in Bratislava, people with visual impairments, tree planting, environmental beautification by cleaning streams and forests, and the disposal of electrical and electronic equipment in accordance with legislation applicable in the Slovak Republic (SEWA certification).
Media contact:
Katarína Štefánková
Marketing Director, WESTech, spol. s r.o.
stefankova@westech.sk
For WESTech, 2024 is a pivotal year not only from a business perspective, but also because of WE LOVE HOPE, a charitable initiative that aims to improve the quality of life for socially vulnerable and disadvantaged members of society. This year-round project supports a children’s home, an animal shelter, the National Transfusion Station in Bratislava, people with visual impairments, tree planting, environmental beautification by cleaning streams and forests, and the disposal of electrical and electronic equipment in accordance with legislation applicable in the Slovak Republic (SEWA certification).
Media contact:
Katarína Štefánková
Marketing Director, WESTech, spol. s r.o.
stefankova@westech.sk