Dell to start selling PCs at Asian retail chains

Dell, the world's second-largest computer maker, recently started selling their products through retailing stores in the US market, breaking from its 23-year practice of direct sales to customers via the Internet or phone. Continuing its retail push, the company has announced plans to start selling its laptop and desktop computers at Asian retail chains and stores.

Paul-Henri Ferrand, who heads Dell's operations in the Asia-Pacific region, excluding Japan, China and South Korea, said the company was in talks with some retail chains and specialized stores across Asia.

"Asia is a diverse region so the indirect (retail) approach in the region will come sooner in some countries and later in others," Ferrand claims. "What we want to make sure is that we customize our approach by country and target via these (retail) channels the customers that we want to go after," he said adding that different chains and stores would be used for selling low- and high-priced computers in different Asian countries.
Dell is hard at work to regain the number 1 PC maker spot it lost to rival HP last year. According to Ferrand Dell's product shipments in the Asia Pacific region, excluding Japan, China and South Korea, are growing at around 20 percent a year, higher than the industry average of 14 percent.