High-flying Toshiba mobile computers soar up the sales charts

Latest official figures from IDC - the independent market research specialist - show that Toshiba recorded massive sales increases in the UAE, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia during 2002, despite barely featuring on sales charts there less than three years ago.

And the company's own estimated figures indicate the same emphatic growth pattern in Lebanon, Kuwait, Jordan, and Oman - making the Japanese manufacturer the fastest-growing supplier in the region.

The new IDC figures for the full 2002 year show Toshiba products with 117.7 percent annual growth in the UAE, 52.4 per cent in Egypt, and 178 percent in Saudi Arabia.

Market share has grown to 21,2 per cent in the UAE (17,7 percent in 2001), in Egypt to 23.8 per cent (18.9 per cent) and in Saudi Arabia to 13.2 per cent (7.8 per cent).

Growth in the last quarter of 2002 was even more impressive compared to the corresponding period of the previous year. In UAE, volumes rose by 183.4 percent to give market share for the period of 23.3 per cent (17.3 per cent).

In Egypt volumes were up 202.4 per cent giving a 22.9 per cent market share (5.7 percent), and in Saudi Arabia by 365.8 percent taking market share from 4.8 to 19.8 percent.

IDC's quarterly report singles out Toshiba in Saudi Arabia for "turning in an aggressive performance during Q4 2002, with promotional campaigns running weekly in major local newspapers".

Ahmed Khalil, regional manager of Toshiba's Middle East computer systems division, says sales volume and market share have been growing since the latter part of 2000.

"This upward trend is accentuated in the figures for the entire 2002 trading period, especially so in the last quarter," he added. "Our aim is to be number one across the entire region and we're all on the way to achieving that."

Since October 2000, Toshiba's total Middle East market share has soared from barely 10 per cent, firmly establishing the brand in the Number 2 position and rapidly closing on the market leader.

The phenomenal growth was first triggered by a decision to focus on the Middle East as a prime growth market. As a result, control of the region was shifted in April 2000 from Singapore to the company's European headquarters in Germany, thus shortening the supply chain and moving closer to customers.

Since then, Toshiba's Middle East computer division has launched a succession of innovative new products and set up a network of service partnerships across the region, catapulting the brand to market prominence.

Toshiba products are now released in the Middle East at the same time as they first reach European markets, giving customers instant access to the latest technology. And all Toshiba mobile computers carry a three-year warranty, an assurance of quality that significantly influences purchasing decisions and creates a huge competitive advantage.

"Several factors have been critical to our success," says Khalil. "Being part of the European operation slashes lead times, our series of new products deliver unprecedented mobile computing performance across the market spectrum, and our growing network of authorised distributors means that customers have full back-up service.

"We have also focused specifically on servicing small and medium-sized businesses which we rightly predicted as being one of the fastest-growing market sectors.

"As a result, our market share in the Middle East is now higher than the international figure - even although Toshiba is the world leader in mobile computers."

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