Electrocomponents Makes a Further 80,000 Products Available Locally to Customers in Asia Pacific Region

OXFORD, England, February 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Substantial stock enhancement provides optimum availability of high demand products to customers

Electrocomponents plc (LSE:ECM), the world's leading high service distributor of electronics and maintenance products, trading under the brands of RS Components (RS) and Allied Electronics, has announced the addition of over 80,000 products stocked across its Asia Pacific warehouses in Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore. The company's 200,000 customers in the region will enjoy faster delivery from its portfolio of locally-stocked electronics, maintenance, and automation and control products.

The 80,000+ new products were selected from RS' global best-selling products demanded by engineers from the company's portfolio of 550,000.  These products include world-leading brands such as TE Connectivity, Molex, Microchip, Texas Instruments, Schneider Electric, Siemens, and ABB.  From automation and control to electronics to products that sit on engineers' workbenches, Electrocomponents is well placed to provide the widest product range and a next-day delivery service across most major cities in the region for locally-stocked items.

Customers across Asia Pacific can instantly access, search and browse these products through their local RS websites at http://www.rs-components.com. The 13 fully transactional websites in six languages provide customers with the latest inventory information and pricing details before placing their orders.

Electrocomponents enjoyed a healthy 12 percent revenue growth in Asia Pacific for the six months ended 30 September 2011. The company's continued investment and expansion in the region is driven by a diverse set of customers from many industries, including electronics design, manufacturing, oil and gas, transportation and renewable energy; and a shift towards innovation and high value-added manufacturing and engineering activities. Research and Development (R&D) spending in Asia is growing at a fast rate, accounting for 35.3 percent of the global spending on R&D^[1].

Ian Mason, Group Chief Executive, Electrocomponents, said: "We have recognised for many years, the huge growth opportunity in Asia Pacific, a market which is now estimated to be worth £8bn. This is driven by our customers there, who have the same needs as those we serve in the UK, Continental Europe and the US - a very high availability of products and the highest service levels. In the 25 years we have been in Asia Pacific, we have developed a substantial business through our reputation as a trusted and reliable source for engineers and procurement specialists."

The substantial stock investment follows a series of strategic initiatives made by the company last year aimed at enhancing service delivery in the region. These include doubling the size of its new warehouse in Shanghai, boosting its automation and control product range and the revamping of its websites in the region.

About Electrocomponents plc

Electrocomponents is the world's leading high service distributor of electronics and maintenance products serving 1.6 million customers worldwide. Through operations in 32 countries and 17 warehouses, the Group distributes 550,000 products ranging from semiconductors and optoelectronics to power tools and protective clothing. The product and service portfolio supports the entire product lifecycle from R&D through pre-production to maintenance and repair, shipping more than 46,000 parcels on the same day the orders are received.

In Asia Pacific, there are 1000 employees in 17 offices located in 12 markets.

RS Components and Allied Electronics are the trading brands of Electrocomponents plc. The Group is listed on the London Stock Exchange and in the last financial year to 31 March 2011 had revenues of £1.18bn. For more information, please visit the website at http://www.electrocomponents.com.

Further information is available via these links:
Twitter: @RSElectronics; @alliedelec; @designsparkRS
Tweet: RS Components
Hashtags: #ecommerce #electronics
RS Components on Linkedin
http://www.linkedin.com/company/rs-components

Relevant Links:
Electrocomponents plc: http://www.electrocomponents.com
RS Components: http://www.rs-components.com
DesignSpark : http://www.designspark.com

1. 2011 Global R&D Funding Forecast: Stability Returns to R&D Funding, Battelle and R&D Magazine