Yoobee eyes commercial and education markets

Apple specialist Yoobee is ramping up its focus on the commercial and education markets, employing both a commercial channel manager and an education manager in the new financial year.

Networking and communications specialist Logical Systems acquired Yoobee's retail operations from Renaissance last March. Nearly a year down the track, Daven Naidu, Logical Systems chief executive and director, says after a year of stabilising the business, Yoobee is now ready for real growth.

"We've completed four major projects in less than a year, with a new POS system, relocating the Newmarket store, building a new website and changing our phone system nationwide.

"There's been a lot of cost involved, but now we're on good ground moving forward.

Naidu says currently Yoobee is 90% retail, but with high demand for Apple products in business, he's keen to see that move to a 60% retail, 40% commercial split.

"We are looking for significant growth in business sales and also on the education side and will be employing a commercial channel manager and an education manager early in Q1, to look after those areas," he says.

The company's new POS system enables commercial customers to buy on account from Yoobee stores, something that wasn't possible in the Renaissance ownership days.

Naidu says the company, which has a nationwide presence, will also be hiring additional staff to work in the business to business space, and technicians will be available for services such as data migration and set up.

"Since last year when we bought Yoobee as a consumer/retail business, we haven't really used our true skills," Naidu says, referring to Logical Systems background as a systems integrator.

"We've got a long history of commercial business experience that we now want to bring into the Yoobee business," he adds.

The company will offer in store and on-site service for businesses and Naidu says turn around on repairs is 'getting faster'.

The company also started handling iPhone repairs late last year.

"At the moment there is quite a bit of a gap in the market. There are not a lot of Apple specialist companies out there that can offer a nationwide presence with the infrastructure and resources, and the networking knowledge, to look after commercial customers.

"We're really looking to grow the commercial business to the next level," Naidu says.