Umart are taking over PC Byte

Clear on 25/09/2023 - 20:04

Just received this interesting email from PC Byte about them merging with Umart. I knew PC Byte have been struggling for a while and with the closure of their QLD store I thought they were going to close up shop.

Earlier in the year MSY was taken over by Umart too. I wonder how many more will follow? We certainly don't see as many deals from Computer Alliance and others anymore.

Hi Claire

This is a friendly reminder to let you know that your PCByte account will be migrated to Umart Online on or about 27 September 2023. Umart Online is Australia’s No.1 Computer shop that has been in business for 23 years.

Why is this transition happening?
PCByte and Umart Online have agreed to migrate PCByte’s customers to Umart Online as part of its strategy to focus on core services. Founded in 1999, Umart Online has over 20 locations across Australia and offers additional benefits to save customers’ time and money.

You don’t need to do anything right now
After migration, you will receive an email confirmation, then you can access and shop at the Umart Online website.

General Discussion

Related Stores

PCByte
PCByte
Umart
Umart

Comments

  • kerfuffle on 25/09/2023 - 20:07
    +13

    I didn't know your real name was Claire ;)

    • Clear on 25/09/2023 - 20:07

      Clear, Claire it makes sense. Let's say it's my stage name 😏

      (truthfully lyl kept saying it on livestream at a meetup years ago)

      • AustriaBargain on 25/09/2023 - 23:52

        Thought you were just a big Death Note fan.

      • lyl on 26/09/2023 - 10:46

        Sorry for leaking your real name 😭

    • DashCam AKA Rolts on 25/09/2023 - 21:06
      +2

      Clear / Claire - damn auto-correct.

  • RichardL on 25/09/2023 - 20:19

    I wonder what will happen to all their marketplace stores (eBay, Amazon, etc).

    • AustriaBargain on 25/09/2023 - 23:53
      +1

      If they are profitable they'll probably keep them going and maybe rebrand them. Sounds like this is less of a merge and more Umart buying the brand so they can do whatever they want.

      • Clear on 25/09/2023 - 23:57
        +1

        More accurately Umart get the website and customer database. OZB Group continues to exist and they keep the PC Byte stock. We'll see more attention focused on AZAU.

        • AustriaBargain on 26/09/2023 - 00:23

          Who gets the stores? Or did PC Byte not have physical stores?

  • boomramada on 25/09/2023 - 20:33

    Umart sounds like iinet, end up buying everyone. MSY now, PC Byte

    • AustriaBargain on 25/09/2023 - 23:53
      +4

      You mean TPG? Aren't they at the top of the iiNet food chain.

      • skittlebrau on 27/09/2023 - 08:33

        iiNet did acquire a bunch of other ISPs before eventually getting swallowed up by TPG.

        • AustriaBargain on 27/09/2023 - 08:39

          There's always a bigger fish. Until you get to the biggest fish, then there are no more bigger fish.

          • skittlebrau on 27/09/2023 - 10:06

            @AustriaBargain: Then the biggest fish eventually gets dissected and the process starts over again.

            • Loopholio on 27/09/2023 - 10:21

              @skittlebrau: Some fish are so big they cannot be seen.

            • AustriaBargain on 27/09/2023 - 10:26
              -1

              @skittlebrau: Or the biggest fish gets nationalised, then privatised, and then the infrastructure gets nationalised, then gimped. It's the classic story of boy meets telco, telco meets the Coalition and election, infrastructure gets (profanity) up the arse for political point scoring.

  • randomusername2017 on 25/09/2023 - 20:52
    +1

    This is a friendly reminder

    Did I miss the earlier announcement?

    • Clear on 25/09/2023 - 21:07
      +2

      Seems we all did

      • randomusername2017 on 25/09/2023 - 21:16

        Already have accounts at both..see what I end up with..

  • dylanando on 25/09/2023 - 21:05

    idk why but i always thought you were a guy Clear!

    • Nugs on 26/09/2023 - 06:35
      +1

      Are you suggesting that Claire is not a guys name?
      .

      • djsweet on 26/09/2023 - 09:48
        -3

        on ya mate, calling out the transphobia in the room. lets make this a safe place for all

        • Clear on 26/09/2023 - 12:30

          You all need to calm down. As if I'd put my real name there.

          • ChatCPT on 11/10/2023 - 12:25

            @Clear: not your real name but swapped genders too?

  • DrDogRespect on 25/09/2023 - 21:16
    +1

    sucks cause umart warranty/customer support is dogwater

    • randomusername2017 on 25/09/2023 - 21:18
      +2

      PCByte and their associated companies have had their own issues with support & warranty.

    • Loopholio on 26/09/2023 - 12:18
      +1

      Umart's warranty and service has been excellent when I've used it.

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 25/09/2023 - 22:09
    +1

    Will be interesting to see umart eventually eat up computer alliance. Will be like Thanos getting the last infinity stone.

    Umart: Now, reality can be whatever I want.

    • Clear on 25/09/2023 - 22:11

      When I think about it a lot of the CA deals were through eBay and back then eBay were taking the hit for the majority of the 15/20% discount. These days the sellers take most of the hit, hence why price jacking happens so much.

      • Jimothy Wongingtons on 25/09/2023 - 22:12

        Haha I must admit, I have umart and computer alliance equal distance driving from my work place and 95% of the time i still end up at umart.

    • lookingforTV on 26/09/2023 - 00:03

      I hope this never happens. I used to like Umart and Computer Alliance equally pre-covid. Simply enter the store, place an order, pay and walk out. In Brisbane, CA is the only store where I can walk in and buy stuff immediately. Burnt by Umart many times about "In Stock" but collection email not coming for 2-3 days.

      • Jimothy Wongingtons on 26/09/2023 - 10:02

        idk i found their (CA) warranty process on pre-builds was painful to deal with, in the end decided to fix the issue myself at own cost and not shop with them anymore if i have the choice.

        Dont get me wrong, umart is also annoying to deal with, but at least i saved money at the start lmao

    • dcep on 26/09/2023 - 01:16

      I thought CA is huge , not store-front wise , other than retail sales channel , they also move huge volume supplying in bulk and they got a big warehouse somewhere else too.

      I remember someone here ex-employee said they were too busy awash with sales profit that they don't care about dealing with some disgruntled customer by simply blacklisting them.

      Couldn't find the thread that discuss buying experience with CA.

  • xylarr on 26/09/2023 - 08:30
    +2

    I didn't know about MSY. For all their "customer service" faults, I still bought from them. Quick. Convenient. Cheap.

    • frugalbat on 27/09/2023 - 10:28

      think of them like kmart :)

  • Sleeqb7 on 26/09/2023 - 09:49

    As much as I am doubting outing myself here; I worked at Computer Alliance for a number of years.

    I would be very, very surprised if they were bought by U-Mart.
    In part because the owner is the world's most stubborn human being. At least when I was working there, he was still deeply involved with the day to day operations, so I can't forsee him letting go of his baby.

    If we're talking buyouts, I would say Ed's PCs or Gamedude is far more likely. Mostly because they are both a joke to everyone else in the industry.

    • Jimothy Wongingtons on 26/09/2023 - 10:03

      gamedude

      woah gamedude is still around? i assumed they had died off years ago…

      • Sleeqb7 on 26/09/2023 - 10:09
        +1

        Somehow, yes.
        If you ever want a laugh, check out their customer reviews and the owner responses.

        • Jimothy Wongingtons on 26/09/2023 - 10:12

          I haven’t been in prob nearly 15 years… always thought msy and umart 8mp was a dive, that place was just as bad lol

    • Clear on 26/09/2023 - 11:42

      I assume the owner is involved in the business arm ABTechnologies or was that another partner? Do you know how well that side of the business went?

      • Sleeqb7 on 27/09/2023 - 08:28

        ABT and Digital SI (Who I think are folded into ABT now) are both the same fella, yeah.
        It's still going, my friends working there haven't been concerned about doom and gloom or anything, so presumably it's fine.

  • Look Up on 26/09/2023 - 10:48
    +2

    Everyone in the industry has been on notice since Umart rolled out Amazon style automation at their warehouses

    QLD (Computer Alliance / GameDude) and west coast (PLE / Austin / Storm / NetPlus) will be fine

    The bigger issue is for the remaining NSW (Mwave / Scorptec / JW / i-Tech/Skycomp / CCPC) and VIC (Centre Com / BPC / PCCG) outlets

    Amazon is the only player who can shake up the entire market but based on the local distributor pricing they are receiving, the distributors still want to protect and keep alive local Australian retailers

    • tekisei on 26/09/2023 - 11:38
      +1

      I am worried that eventually there would be a east coast [physical store] monopoly by Umart and we'd see awful pricing all around like what Bunnings did.

      Plus the way Umart does business is so annoying in that walk in purchases are forbidden.

      • Clear on 26/09/2023 - 11:43
        +1

        Everything Umart is annoying. Their website is a hot mess and I'd argue that the new MSY website was easier to navigate than what it is now.

        • tekisei on 26/09/2023 - 11:57
          +1

          They messed with the holy text of MSY: parts.pdf

          The new formatting is difficult to read.

      • Jimothy Wongingtons on 26/09/2023 - 11:52
        +2

        walk in purchases are forbidden

        I guess that’s how they kept the business lean though, don’t have time for randoms to come in and umm and arr and compare 50 different things and poke around.

        • tekisei on 26/09/2023 - 12:02

          Since the pandemic I don't think I've spotted anyone at a PC parts shop who did not know exactly what they wanted.

          • Jimothy Wongingtons on 26/09/2023 - 12:04

            @tekisei: true, been a while since i actually went in store with CA, I usually shop their ebay sales which are all delivery only.

      • Look Up on 26/09/2023 - 13:28
        +1

        I am worried that eventually there would be a east coast [physical store] monopoly by Umart…

        MSY used to have the east coast monopoly but playing games with the ACCC was not conducive to running a successful long term business

        Umart don't seem as stupid in that regard so with their AI and automation investments, they are clearly trying to grow scale and keep up with Amazon rather than competing with Mwave, Scorptec etc

        Umart's current success is also a reflection of Australia - people don't care about poor locations and shit service if prices are cheap

        … in that walk in purchases are forbidden.

        You have obviously never run a business before

        No walk ins = not having to employ staff to answer questions and make recommendations
        All payments electronic and prepaid = secure cash flow and no payment theft
        Shops located in industrial and run down locations = cheap to buy/rent which is balanced by the increasing cost of human staff

        • tekisei on 26/09/2023 - 13:47
          +1

          No walk ins = not having to employ staff to answer questions and make recommendations

          There's no need to employ additional staff when every time I go into Umart there's 2 guys in the front just playing on their phones. Clearly there is excess man-hours to do some extra customer service.

          All payments electronic and prepaid

          1.5% electronic payment fee already baked into the price. Something something costs of transporting money to the bank - see above excess labour. On theft, CCTV exists, also if the only role of the staff is to play fetch then obviously eventually the shopfronts will also be automated with a scanner, a robotic arm, and a conveyor belt, and the theft problem will solve itself.

          Shops located in industrial and run down locations

          Dodgy places are usually cheaper. When your business is mainly promoted online, foot traffic is not important. A place with no foot traffic will have less walk-in impulse customers, this is true. They would still lose some proportion of those customers though, since the chances of making a impulse sale will only decrease the longer the customer has to think about it.

    • skysky on 26/09/2023 - 22:05

      not that it matters… but Scorptec brand originated in VIC, not NSW =Þ

  • Loopholio on 26/09/2023 - 12:23
    +1

    I didn't know Umart now own MSY. There's an MSY down the road from me that I refused to return to that could be handy now.

    Edit Google maps says my local MSY is temporarily closed.

    • McFly on 26/09/2023 - 14:58

      It's been almost a year already…

      • Loopholio on 26/09/2023 - 18:37
        +1

        I haven't been back to that MSY in over 10 years. Weird that it's temporarily closed for almost a year, unless you mean Umart bought MSY almost a year ago.

  • boretentsu on 02/10/2023 - 10:20

    Guess PC Byte Newington NSW branch will be closing. Only down the road from Auburn MSY.

    • Quarter Pounder on 02/03/2024 - 14:43

      Looks like it is now a Umart store. Under renovation

  • ChatCPT on 11/10/2023 - 12:26
    +1

    this is so bad for competition and pricing. Umart monopoly means only one sector will suffer = customers!

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