Younger buyers driving IT firm’s growth

Buyers 35 years old and younger are helping drive the increased demand for IT-related products such as PCs, mobility devices, and “lifestyle IT” products.

“These empowered consumers are driving growth in certain product categories as they get more connected to the internet,” said Wilson Tan, Thinking Tools Inc. (TTI) president, on the sidelines of the company’s Digital Expo in SM City Cebu Northwing. Thinking Tools has been selling IT products and solutions in Cebu for 30 years.

The Digital Expo is a six- day technology and gadget sale that will run from Aug. 1 to 6. Eighteen vendors and suppliers such as Epson, HP, Asus, Acer, Lenovo, among others, are offering event- exclusive discounts, perks, and other limited offers.

According to Tan, the rapid evolution of technology has made young consumers purchase more often, which pushes retailers to expand their product offerings.

“Before, we were limited to selling desktop computers. Now we are selling almost everything that can be connected to the internet like personal computers, IT solutions, mobility devices and lifestyle products, like drones, action cameras, and dashboard cameras, among many others,” said Tan.

Frequent buyers

“The buying behavior of consumers now has also evolved,” said Chris Tanchan, TTI’s business development manager.

“Before, it took three to five years before a consumer purchased again a new PC or any gadget, but now consumers are willing to purchase an item again after 18 months.”

Competition among IT vendors, he said, has also resulted in prices dropping, which has made these Internet-abled gadgets more accessible to consumers.

Competition among IT retailers here has also pushed business owners to realign their marketing strategies with changes in market conditions and consumer behavior.

“We are leveraging on our excellent customer service. The way of doing business now is focusing on customer relation- ship,” said Tan.

The company, its officials said, will continue to expand its business both in putting up physical stores, tapping online selling sites, and adding more products to their IT portfolio to remain relevant and to expand market coverage.

“This remains a profitable business, not only because of the growing younger population with high spending power but because you have loyal clients who keep on coming back because of the services you rendered,” said Tan.