New Web Storefront Draws a Few Takers

Speaking of Ingram . . .

Ingram Micro began selling its personalized Web storefront services two months ago, and while the company said more than 570 retailers have expressed interest in the service, only 15 retailers are up and running.

The company said installation of the $15,000 system takes about a week and it’s taken time for customers to agree to contracts and decide on issues such as the appearance of their site. Now the roll-out is in gear and the company expects to have 12 stores go up every week.

Prime Access equips retailers with Web storefronts that are linked directly to Ingram Micro’s order processes and inventory systems. Through the program, a person could now open an online computer store selling tens of thousands of items by just calling up Ingram Micro, which will handle virtually every part of the shipping, billing and servicing of an order.

Who needs an accounts department, warehouse or even a telephone number?

While Ingram Micro handles all the heavy lifting, online retailers are left to do the marketing and promotion of their store. Ingram Micro’s program allows a retailer to decide exactly which services it wants to contract out and which ones it wants to do itself.

Of course, it also allows Ingram Micro to more discretely charge for those services, instead of selling them as a bundle. It’s called “economic clarity,” said Guy Abramo, the company’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing.

“What we are really good at is managing the dirty work for people in the business,” Abramo said.

So far, many of the retailers signing up for Prime Access are niche players, concentrating on specific computer categories, such as personal digital assistants, Abramo said.

While Prime Access requires a custom installation into the retailer’s system, Ingram Micro plans to launch a smaller, self-serve version of the program within a few months, Abramo said.

Jonathan Gaw covers technology and electronic commerce for The Times. He can be reached at (714) 966-7818 and at jonathan.gaw@latimes.com.