Sales are an excellent time to grab things cheaper.

Kogan saves Dick Smith, but only the online business

Your local Dick Smith store has been on the chopping block for a few weeks now as it attempts to sell all stock, but good news, because the store has been saved. Sort of.

Almost like a last minute reprieve, Dick Smith has been saved. The store, that is, not the man, with Dick Smith Electronics given another chance at survival by one of Australia’s larger online retailers, Kogan.

This week, Kogan (and owner Ruslan Kogan) has announced that it is buying the Dick Smith online retail business, allowing the name “Dick Smith” to continue trading in Australia and New Zealand, but without the store front presence.

“Dick Smith is an iconic Australian brand and we’re thrilled to be able to keep it alive, as well as Aussie owned and run,” said Ruslan Kogan, Founder and CEO of Kogan.

“I remember as a kid always visiting Dick Smith to look for parts to upgrade my computer,” he said. “There is a strong history of passion in the Dick Smith community for how technology can improve our lives, and we look forward to helping make it more affordable and accessible for all.”

What this means is that the Dick Smith retail stores will still close, with Kogan’s ownership of the online business kicking in from June 1.

Kogan has said that customer information held by Dick Smith will be contacted in the coming weeks with the option of having their details removed ahead of Kogan’s ownership, while recent Dick Smith online customers who provided information after January 4 will not have that information transferred at all.

As for what Kogan will be bringing to the Dick Smith online business, we’ve asked and will hopefully find out soon enough. It will be interesting to see if Kogan manages to release the Kogan-branded gear into the Dick Smith online presence as a way of expanding Kogan’s electronic presence in homes, and if perhaps internationally imported gear — “grey market” — will make its way into the recognised Dick Smith brand.

“We will invest in building and nurturing the Dick Smith community, and honour the great legacy of this Australian business,” said Kogan.