Sony Introduces E-Tail Site In Japan
Internet Venture Expects $93.3 Million In Sales The First Year By Jon Herskovitz, Daily Variety
In a move expected to have major repercussions for e-commerce and the retail business in Japan, electronics giant Sony Corporation has become the countryís first major manufacturer to set up an Internet site for sales of its mainstay products. The companyís Sony Style.com Japan (www.jp.sonystyle.com) went online Monday, and Sony expects sales of about 10 billion yen ($93.3 million) in its initial year. Some of the first products to be placed on sale on the site will be Vaio personal computers, Handycams and Walkmans. ""A new relationship"" The net retailer, which will operate only in Japan, wants eventually to sell entertainment software on the Web site. ""The Sony Style site will forge a new relationship between the company and its customers through the integrated provision of products and related Internet services, application software and information,"" a company statement said. E-commerce in Japan has been stymied by the strong network of retailers affiliated with major manufacturers. Retailers have balked at having companies undercut their business by slashing prices online, while manufacturers have operated under the threat that retailers will respond to Internet sales by not placing manufacturersí products on store shelves. Share prices in retailing groups plunged on the news.