Dell Computer has shut down its business-to-business (B2B) on-line
marketplace "Dell Marketplace" after only four months in operation.
Dell has blamed the failure of its site on the lack of a mature
e-commerce marketplace. Dell’s other B2B e-procurement purchasing
and information portal PremierDell.com remains open.
Dell spokesman Ken Bissell said the e-marketplace was shut down
due to "a limited readiness of customers to make use of an
electronic marketplace."
Dell Marketplace had allowed customers to buy Dell personal
computers, notebooks, servers and related technology along with
other office products from selected suppliers.
Only 3 suppliers signed up to Dell Marketplace to sell their
products directly to customers in the 4 months it was open. These
were Pitney Bowes, Motorola and 3M.
The e-commerce times reported that, "Rather than generate
revenue from selling business products themselves, Dell charged
suppliers on the marketplace both a transaction and a hosting fee.
The site enabled customers to bundle orders from Dell and its
complimentary suppliers into a single purchase." Despite this idea,
customers obviously did not see Dell as the place to buy
on-line.
