Epicentre Holdings

[yaosheng]

APR (Apple Premium Resellers) are given strict sales quotas by Apple. If they miss the targets, they might be moved off the APR list. This forces APRs to be constantly expanding to increase sales

[RBM]

Many thanks for sharing your insights VestedInterest and Yaosheng - I had not fully appreciated the APR list pressures. I am now coming to the same conclusion as you - there are safer and better retail counters to invest in than EpiCentre. I'm reading dydx's recent posts on Challenger.

Not Vested,
RBM

[Contrarian]

Apple intention is not to rely on any1 for sales - own stores and own products. If they give u business, u are likely to cry because the terms are so demanding... But they know some1 will take it up. Foxconn gets price down of 9% every quarter... according to my chinese friend

A colleague who used to work at Apple, he said the culture is anything but fun...

[RBM]

One of the great things about this web-forum is that VB's write objective postings - mentioning the negative, the challenges and the issues of particular counters rather than solely focusing on perceived positives. I believe this EpiCentre VB thread is a great example of this - about seven weeks ago there were some very useful, telling and timely insights from Contrarian, Yaosheng and VestedInterest - it is interesting that EpiCentre's share price is currently languishing at its 52 week low (S$ 0.39) - it appears to be "unloved" and did not enjoy the upward swing that many other counters have seen in Q1 2012.

I am not vested ................ and I'm grateful to Contrarian, Yaoshend and VestedInterest. Thank you.

I wonder if EpiCentre is nearing its bottom or if it is capable of unleashing a turnaround?

[simonsaysjump]

One of the great things about this web-forum is that VB's write objective postings - mentioning the negative, the challenges and the issues of particular counters rather than solely focusing on perceived positives. I believe this EpiCentre VB thread is a great example of this - about seven weeks ago there were some very useful, telling and timely insights from Contrarian, Yaosheng and VestedInterest - it is interesting that EpiCentre's share price is currently languishing at its 52 week low (S$ 0.39) - it appears to be "unloved" and did not enjoy the upward swing that many other counters have seen in Q1 2012.

I am not vested ................ and I'm grateful to Contrarian, Yaoshend and VestedInterest. Thank you.

I wonder if EpiCentre is nearing its bottom or if it is capable of unleashing a turnaround?

Virgin post.

As Contrarian said, and from my personal experience, Apple is a very difficult company to work with.

While their products sell well, they make the bulk of the profits. They know they are the boss, and so their partners make very slim profits (suppliers, retailers, telcos, etc.)

Even so, that is OK - unless they decide they want to compete with you. The day Apple open their own telco or retail store ... bye bye SingTel Mobile, M1 Shop, iStudio, etc.

[shanrui_91]

that's why they are setting up epilife. Saw a store at somerset, the retail space is quite small while it's rather packed. Not a bad move in diversifying though its still not a wonderful piece of business. They also have iWorld, their "very own proprietary brand of accessories targeted at young, savvy consumers"

The more dangerous thing is not when Apple refuses to work with them but the one day when Apple is no longer that popular and hot as a product and brand

[dzwm87]

Anybody who knows the biography of the late Steve Jobs will know that their culture is different from Google.

Epicenter idea does sound good qualitatively - pure play for Apple products - but looking at financials, it is pretty average and it is selling at a relatively higher p/e though I am not sure how it is now

[smallcaps]

Profit warning...

'Due to, amongst others, market and operating conditions in the PRC, the Group has decided to
cease operations in the PRC, and close all its PRC outlets.'

[palantir]

Nowadays there are so many shops selling apple products.... Challengers, iStudio, courts....

If epicentre is the sole distributor then is another story

[felixleong]

this one really sinking ship... gg