LAPTOP CHARGERS
Charging ahead In April, the EU brought in common charger rules, which means new laptops ship without a charger included and every laptop sold in the channel now carries a charger attach opportunity for resellers – and there are plenty of options available.
On April 28, the EU Common Charger Directive came into force, which mandates USB-C as the universal charging port for all small- and medium- sized electronic devices – mainly laptops. The idea behind the legislation is to increase consumer convenience as it means one charger can power all their devices, as well as reducing electronic waste. It also presents opportunities for resellers. “This is one of the most significant new attach opportunities the channel has seen in years,” says Darren Calow, Acer Gadgets & Lifestyle — new business development, Acer UK. “Every laptop sold now carries a charger opportunity that simply didn’t exist as a default sale before, it’s no longer an occasional upsell, it’s
built into every transaction. For resellers who get the conversation right at the point of sale, that’s a meaningful, recurring revenue line, not a one-off promotion.” Jonathan Colbourne, marketing communications manager at Verbatim, agrees that standardising USB-C across a wide range of consumer devices opens new sales opportunities for the channel. “Although the legislation applies to the EU, UK consumers are seeing many of the same benefits as manufacturers increasingly adopt USB-C across their global product ranges,” he notes. “With more devices now being sold without a power adapter, demand for standalone chargers is only going to grow. That gives retailers the chance to help customers choose the right charger
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Although the legislation applies to the EU, UK consumers are seeing many of the same benefits as manufacturers increasingly adopt USB-C across their global product ranges.
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