Kogan Technologies
Encyclopedia
Kogan Technologies is an Australia
n manufacturer and retailer of consumer electronics
devices. The company, founded in 2006 by Ruslan Kogan
, sells products direct from Asia to customers in Australia and the United Kingdom
.
The company competes on price by selling a budget range direct to consumers, bypassing wholesalers, distributors, and retailers.
This business model and some of the company's advertising tactics have resulted in high-profile controversies.
unveiled details of a Kogan invention called LivePrice which he claimed was a world first.
Revealed through a press conference in London streamed all around the world, LivePrice is a dynamic price where customers have the opportunity to buy a product well before it's manufactured for a heavily discounted price. This retail price will increase during the different stages of development and manufacturing until it becomes available to customers at full price.
Kogan claims LivePrice cuts out the hidden cost of finance and gives power back to the consumer, whereas investors who usually fund the production of consumer goods expect a huge return.
After launching LivePrice in Australia, Kogan had sold nearly $330,000 worth of products using the new pricing system in 24 hours.
After being operational in Australia for under three weeks, LivePrice had resulted in over $370,000 of price deductions across the entire range.
LivePrice has a patent pending.
, Canon
, Nikon
, Samsung
, Motorola
and more, claiming to be the cheapest option for consumers. They are shipped from Kogan's Hong Kong operation to customers around the world.
In a statement, the company said:
"We are experts at finding new innovative ways of delivering the latest technology at market leading prices. Whether it is manufacturing our own Kogan brand of products, or now sourcing the World’s biggest brands, we can cut out all the middlemen to guarantee the best prices and service."
revealed plans for the Kogan business to expand to the UK. He said UK operations would begin in November.
On 15 November 2010 Kogan officially entered the UK market with a range of LED TVs and GPS units.
Soon after, Ruslan Kogan
announced a stunt to sell LED TVs on eBay starting at one penny.
The expansion makes Kogan the only Australian-owned international consumer electronics brand.
In July 2011 Kogan attacked high street retailers John Lewis
and [Currys] for selling expensive HDMI cables to UK shoppers.
Both retailers responded through UK media outlet PC Pro.
The disagreement continued when Kogan posted on its blog:
"This appears to be massive hypocrisy by Currys and John Lewis and nothing more than a scam."
Galaxy Tab 10.1 in September 2011. The Sydney Morning Herald reported that:
"Apple demanded Kogan immediately cease all sales, importation and marketing of the Galaxy Tab 10.1, refrain from selling it in future without Apple's permission, deliver all remaining stock to Apple and reveal complete details of who supplied Kogan with the products.
Kogan pulled the product from sale and agreed not to sell it until the patent dispute between Apple and Samsung was resolved. But it has refused to hand over any further information."
David Shafer, Kogan's executive director, said in a statement to Fairfax Media: "There is a fine line between legitimately enforcing your intellectual property on the one hand, and just trying to stifle competition on the other - in our view Apple is very precariously walking that line."
and Currys
, claiming "...it’s extremely unfair for someone who shells out their hard-earned money on a new TV to be shafted on cables and accessories because of a deliberate misinformation campaign by the big retailers."
TechCrunch
said:
"One Australian retailer is fed up with their fellow electronics stores’ habit of trying to sell expensive cables with new TVs and computers, and has decided they’re going to show them by just giving the cables away."
Britain's Daily Mail
published responses from the targeted retailers:
"A spokesman for John Lewis said: ‘Each of our HDMI cables offers excellent quality and value for money, and by providing our customers with a range of different cables which offer different specifications we are able to help them find one to suit their specific needs, with features such as different cable lengths, ultra-slim and high-speed.’
A Currys spokesman added: ‘Our entry-level HDMI cable is currently on sale at £7.99 and our most expensive cable is at £100.99."
Speaking to the BBC
, Ruslan Kogan
responded:
"I think it's a bit misleading what they've said. When it comes to durability, it's an HDMI cable that you'll use to connect your TV to a Blu-ray player, or a Playstation, or another device. You're not using it as a skipping rope or to go rock climbing with."
announced his desire for online retailers to be viewed separately from traditional retail by economists:
“Many economic commentators are today claiming that Australia is in a two speed economy – given the strong mining sector, and the purportedly slow retail sector. But Kogan is not an ordinary retailer – we are online only, and online retail is booming. Why do economists assume that online retail and traditional retail are married – grouping them together under the one family? If we have been grouped with traditional retailers, then we want a divorce!”
Speaking to MTR Radio, he said "We've got two very different types of retail going on in Australia at the moment. We've got the traditional retail and bricks and mortar and then on the other side we've got online retail. And online retail is steaming [ahead] and growing at a very, very fast pace. It's where all the innovation is, and we've got some great companies in Australia that are doing it really well, and they're experiencing huge growth month on month like Kogan is. The other side of retail is reporting a slowdown and I think it's a bit unfair the way the retail sector is being reported at the moment.
Business Magazine BRW noted the similarity of the "divorce" to a campaign by NAB
.
claimed:
"We know we could hide behind our terms and conditions to get out of having to honour these transactions. But, we believe the bug in our website was entirely our responsibility, and as a result will be honouring every single purchase made this morning at a significant cost to our business."
The error cost the company nearly $50,000.
Ruslan Kogan and other leading retailers slammed the scheme for spending far too much. The program has an estimated cost of $308 million, at over $350 per installation. Ruslan Kogan said Kogan Technologies would be able to deliver it for $50 million.
, Australia
, Ruslan Kogan revealed that he had been told 30% of Australian retailer JB Hi-Fi's revenue in 2010 had come from Apple
or Apple related products. He said this meant some of the country's biggest retailers were too reliant on the success of Apple
for their own survival.
Terry Smart, CEO of JB Hi-Fi, responded by saying "That figure is not even close to reality. We don't have a big enough supply that represents such a substantial part of the business."
JB Hi-Fi
Ruslan Kogan
then bet Terry Smart, the CEO of JB Hi-Fi A$1,000,000 that they would not stock Apple hardware by 14 March 2014. The deed for the bet is still available online, though it has not been accepted.
In March 2011, Kogan began giving away free HDMI cables to anyone who had bought a TV from JB Hi-Fi in 2011. This was, Kogan said, a bit to expose that "JB are trying to trick people into thinking they need a $200 cable after buying a FULL HD TV. This is simply not the case."
In October 2011, Kogan took out a full page ad in Australia's biggest newspaper calling for JB Hi-Fi to change their slogan, "Always Cheapest Prices." JB Hi-Fi did not respond to the challenge.
(ACCC) to modify its advertising, after it was accused of possible misleading conduct. The ACCC stated that price comparison's in the retailer's advertisements in the Herald Sun
newspaper and on its website may have misled customers, and the ACCC's chairman Samuel said the advertisements may have breached sections of the Trade Practices Act 1974
. In response, Kogan Technologies agreed that it would not advertise its products at a discount unless that product had been advertised for sale at a higher price, that it would implement a trade practices law compliance program, and that it would not make representations about the savings available to consumers unless the basis by which those savings are calculated was also stated.
to a televised debate. The ensuing "War on cheap TVs" declared by Harvey generated significant national media attention, including much discussion from within the media and marketing fraternity.
The dispute erupted when Ruslan Kogan
challenged Gerry Harvey
to a debate on national TV, which he declined. Ruslan Kogan
claimed Gerry Harvey
"chickened out". Gerry Harvey
replied by calling Ruslan Kogan
a "con" in an interview with a national newspaper.
Kogan responded with two satirical advertisements, criticising Harvey Norman
.
In December 2010 Gerry Harvey
announced plans to follow Myer
and open up an online store based in China in order to avoid GST and cut costs.
Kogan responded by claiming that Harvey Norman and Myer were only posturing to force the Government to change import laws, and that their China-based stores were a complete hoax.
Ruslan appeared on Australian breakfast TV show Sunrise (TV program)
claiming Harvey Norman was "full of it."
In July 2011, Ruslan Kogan
came to the public defence of Gerry Harvey
when he came under fire for Harvey Norman
's alleged logging practices. In a public statement, Ruslan Kogan said:
LCD televisions and LED televisions
make up the bulk of Kogan Technologies' products.
Because Kogan Technologies sells direct to customers through its website, customers are unable to see and feel the product before making a purchase. However, there has been extensive media coverage and in-depth reviews of several products within this range:
, Acer
and other brands.
It is yet to be reviewed by a well-known media outlet, however some customers have begun posting impressions online.
2007 election campaign playfully, dubbing it 'Kevin 37' initially selling at the price of $900.00, the value of the economic stimulus payments made to many Australians in April 2009.
operating system, Android.
Months after the initial announcement, founder Ruslan Kogan announced that the phone
would be delayed indefinitely. No further announcement has been made.
performance and shorter battery life
than comparable models.
The company released Q1 FY11 growth figures, with revenue up 48.12% on the previous quarter.
This growth saw founder Ruslan Kogan
named Australia's 29th most influential person in the technology industry, ahead of Gerry Harvey
.
revealed that he had begun plans to create a Kogan sub-brand, Kogan Lifestyle, that would sell jetskis, boats and potentially cars through an online store.
revealed in an interview with retailing news site Current that the Kogan range would soon expand to include a vacuum cleaner, automatic coffee machine, and microwave.
Kogan launched their home appliance range with two convection microwave models, an automatic coffee machine and a vacuum cleaner.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n manufacturer and retailer of consumer electronics
Consumer electronics
Consumer electronics are electronic equipment intended for everyday use, most often in entertainment, communications and office productivity. Radio broadcasting in the early 20th century brought the first major consumer product, the broadcast receiver...
devices. The company, founded in 2006 by Ruslan Kogan
Ruslan Kogan
Ruslan Kogan is a serial entrepreneur, and founder and CEO of Kogan Technologies.Ruslan Kogan is also one of the founders of Milan Direct, an Australian and UK furniture retailer,...
, sells products direct from Asia to customers in Australia and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
The company competes on price by selling a budget range direct to consumers, bypassing wholesalers, distributors, and retailers.
This business model and some of the company's advertising tactics have resulted in high-profile controversies.
Awards
Kogan Technologies have won the following awards:- BRW 2011 Fast 100 at rank 27, ranking the fastest growing companies in Australia in any sector and any size.
- BRW 2010 Fast 100 at rank 15, ranking the fastest growing companies in Australia in any sector and any size.
- BRW 2009 Fast Starters list at rank 37
- BRW 2010 Fast Starters list at rank 17.
- BRW named Kogan the 15th fastest growing company in Australia, with 106.74% growth.
- Australian Retailer's Association Retail Innovator of the Year 2010
LivePrice
On 1 December 2010 Ruslan KoganRuslan Kogan
Ruslan Kogan is a serial entrepreneur, and founder and CEO of Kogan Technologies.Ruslan Kogan is also one of the founders of Milan Direct, an Australian and UK furniture retailer,...
unveiled details of a Kogan invention called LivePrice which he claimed was a world first.
Revealed through a press conference in London streamed all around the world, LivePrice is a dynamic price where customers have the opportunity to buy a product well before it's manufactured for a heavily discounted price. This retail price will increase during the different stages of development and manufacturing until it becomes available to customers at full price.
Kogan claims LivePrice cuts out the hidden cost of finance and gives power back to the consumer, whereas investors who usually fund the production of consumer goods expect a huge return.
After launching LivePrice in Australia, Kogan had sold nearly $330,000 worth of products using the new pricing system in 24 hours.
After being operational in Australia for under three weeks, LivePrice had resulted in over $370,000 of price deductions across the entire range.
LivePrice has a patent pending.
Hong Kong Expansion
On September 14, 2011, Kogan began selling complementary products from a range of brands including AppleApple
The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...
, Canon
Canon
-Culture and arts:*Canon , material that is considered to be genuine*Western canon, the books, music, and art that have been the most influential in shaping Western cultureMusic...
, Nikon
Nikon
, also known as just Nikon, is a multinational corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, specializing in optics and imaging. Its products include cameras, binoculars, microscopes, measurement instruments, and the steppers used in the photolithography steps of semiconductor fabrication, of which...
, Samsung
Samsung
The Samsung Group is a South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea...
, Motorola
Motorola
Motorola, Inc. was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, which was eventually divided into two independent public companies, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions on January 4, 2011, after losing $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009...
and more, claiming to be the cheapest option for consumers. They are shipped from Kogan's Hong Kong operation to customers around the world.
In a statement, the company said:
"We are experts at finding new innovative ways of delivering the latest technology at market leading prices. Whether it is manufacturing our own Kogan brand of products, or now sourcing the World’s biggest brands, we can cut out all the middlemen to guarantee the best prices and service."
United Kingdom Expansion
In October 2010 Ruslan KoganRuslan Kogan
Ruslan Kogan is a serial entrepreneur, and founder and CEO of Kogan Technologies.Ruslan Kogan is also one of the founders of Milan Direct, an Australian and UK furniture retailer,...
revealed plans for the Kogan business to expand to the UK. He said UK operations would begin in November.
On 15 November 2010 Kogan officially entered the UK market with a range of LED TVs and GPS units.
Soon after, Ruslan Kogan
Ruslan Kogan
Ruslan Kogan is a serial entrepreneur, and founder and CEO of Kogan Technologies.Ruslan Kogan is also one of the founders of Milan Direct, an Australian and UK furniture retailer,...
announced a stunt to sell LED TVs on eBay starting at one penny.
The expansion makes Kogan the only Australian-owned international consumer electronics brand.
In July 2011 Kogan attacked high street retailers John Lewis
John Lewis
John Lewis may refer to:* John Lewis Partnership, a United Kingdom worker co-operative retailer** John Lewis , a department store chain in the United Kingdom-Politics:...
and [Currys] for selling expensive HDMI cables to UK shoppers.
Both retailers responded through UK media outlet PC Pro.
The disagreement continued when Kogan posted on its blog:
"This appears to be massive hypocrisy by Currys and John Lewis and nothing more than a scam."
Apple vs Samsung
Kogan began selling the SamsungSamsung
The Samsung Group is a South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea...
Galaxy Tab 10.1 in September 2011. The Sydney Morning Herald reported that:
"Apple demanded Kogan immediately cease all sales, importation and marketing of the Galaxy Tab 10.1, refrain from selling it in future without Apple's permission, deliver all remaining stock to Apple and reveal complete details of who supplied Kogan with the products.
Kogan pulled the product from sale and agreed not to sell it until the patent dispute between Apple and Samsung was resolved. But it has refused to hand over any further information."
David Shafer, Kogan's executive director, said in a statement to Fairfax Media: "There is a fine line between legitimately enforcing your intellectual property on the one hand, and just trying to stifle competition on the other - in our view Apple is very precariously walking that line."
UK Cable Con
In July 2011 Kogan launched its 'Cut the Cable Con' Campaign in Britain, targeting John LewisJohn Lewis
John Lewis may refer to:* John Lewis Partnership, a United Kingdom worker co-operative retailer** John Lewis , a department store chain in the United Kingdom-Politics:...
and Currys
Currys
Currys is an electrical retailer in the United Kingdom and Ireland and is owned by Dixons Retail plc. It specialises in selling home electronics and household appliances, with 295 superstores and 73 high street stores...
, claiming "...it’s extremely unfair for someone who shells out their hard-earned money on a new TV to be shafted on cables and accessories because of a deliberate misinformation campaign by the big retailers."
TechCrunch
TechCrunch
TechCrunch is a web publication that offers technology news and analysis, as well as profiling of startup companies, products, and websites. It was founded by Michael Arrington in 2005, and was first published on June 11, 2005....
said:
"One Australian retailer is fed up with their fellow electronics stores’ habit of trying to sell expensive cables with new TVs and computers, and has decided they’re going to show them by just giving the cables away."
Britain's Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
published responses from the targeted retailers:
"A spokesman for John Lewis said: ‘Each of our HDMI cables offers excellent quality and value for money, and by providing our customers with a range of different cables which offer different specifications we are able to help them find one to suit their specific needs, with features such as different cable lengths, ultra-slim and high-speed.’
A Currys spokesman added: ‘Our entry-level HDMI cable is currently on sale at £7.99 and our most expensive cable is at £100.99."
Speaking to the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, Ruslan Kogan
Ruslan Kogan
Ruslan Kogan is a serial entrepreneur, and founder and CEO of Kogan Technologies.Ruslan Kogan is also one of the founders of Milan Direct, an Australian and UK furniture retailer,...
responded:
"I think it's a bit misleading what they've said. When it comes to durability, it's an HDMI cable that you'll use to connect your TV to a Blu-ray player, or a Playstation, or another device. You're not using it as a skipping rope or to go rock climbing with."
Divorce from Traditional Retail
In August 2011 Ruslan KoganRuslan Kogan
Ruslan Kogan is a serial entrepreneur, and founder and CEO of Kogan Technologies.Ruslan Kogan is also one of the founders of Milan Direct, an Australian and UK furniture retailer,...
announced his desire for online retailers to be viewed separately from traditional retail by economists:
“Many economic commentators are today claiming that Australia is in a two speed economy – given the strong mining sector, and the purportedly slow retail sector. But Kogan is not an ordinary retailer – we are online only, and online retail is booming. Why do economists assume that online retail and traditional retail are married – grouping them together under the one family? If we have been grouped with traditional retailers, then we want a divorce!”
Speaking to MTR Radio, he said "We've got two very different types of retail going on in Australia at the moment. We've got the traditional retail and bricks and mortar and then on the other side we've got online retail. And online retail is steaming [ahead] and growing at a very, very fast pace. It's where all the innovation is, and we've got some great companies in Australia that are doing it really well, and they're experiencing huge growth month on month like Kogan is. The other side of retail is reporting a slowdown and I think it's a bit unfair the way the retail sector is being reported at the moment.
Business Magazine BRW noted the similarity of the "divorce" to a campaign by NAB
National Australia Bank
National Australia Bank is one of the four largest financial institutions in Australia in terms of market capitalisation and customers. NAB is ranked 17th largest bank in the world measured by market capitalisation...
.
Website Glitch
On 10 August 2011, Kogan's Australian Online store experienced a glitch allowing shoppers to incorrectly combine special promotions,. Ruslan KoganRuslan Kogan
Ruslan Kogan is a serial entrepreneur, and founder and CEO of Kogan Technologies.Ruslan Kogan is also one of the founders of Milan Direct, an Australian and UK furniture retailer,...
claimed:
"We know we could hide behind our terms and conditions to get out of having to honour these transactions. But, we believe the bug in our website was entirely our responsibility, and as a result will be honouring every single purchase made this morning at a significant cost to our business."
The error cost the company nearly $50,000.
Australian Government Set Top Box Scheme
In May 2011 the Australian Government announced a plan to provide Set Top Boxes to pensioners free of charge.Ruslan Kogan and other leading retailers slammed the scheme for spending far too much. The program has an estimated cost of $308 million, at over $350 per installation. Ruslan Kogan said Kogan Technologies would be able to deliver it for $50 million.
Apple
At a technology media conference in QueenslandQueensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Ruslan Kogan revealed that he had been told 30% of Australian retailer JB Hi-Fi's revenue in 2010 had come from Apple
Apple
The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...
or Apple related products. He said this meant some of the country's biggest retailers were too reliant on the success of Apple
Apple
The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...
for their own survival.
Terry Smart, CEO of JB Hi-Fi, responded by saying "That figure is not even close to reality. We don't have a big enough supply that represents such a substantial part of the business."
JB Hi-FiJB Hi-FiJB Hi-Fi is an Australian CD, DVD, Blu-ray disc, video game and consumer electronics chain store.-History:JB Hi-Fi was established in Melbourne suburb of Keilor East by John Barbuto in 1974...
Ruslan KoganRuslan Kogan
Ruslan Kogan is a serial entrepreneur, and founder and CEO of Kogan Technologies.Ruslan Kogan is also one of the founders of Milan Direct, an Australian and UK furniture retailer,...
then bet Terry Smart, the CEO of JB Hi-Fi A$1,000,000 that they would not stock Apple hardware by 14 March 2014. The deed for the bet is still available online, though it has not been accepted.
In March 2011, Kogan began giving away free HDMI cables to anyone who had bought a TV from JB Hi-Fi in 2011. This was, Kogan said, a bit to expose that "JB are trying to trick people into thinking they need a $200 cable after buying a FULL HD TV. This is simply not the case."
In October 2011, Kogan took out a full page ad in Australia's biggest newspaper calling for JB Hi-Fi to change their slogan, "Always Cheapest Prices." JB Hi-Fi did not respond to the challenge.
2009 advertising controversy
In April 2009 the company was ordered by the Australian Competition and Consumer CommissionAustralian Competition and Consumer Commission
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is an independent authority of the Australia government. It was established in 1995 with the amalgamation of the Australian Trade Practices Commission and the Prices Surveillance Authority to administer the Trade Practices Act 1974...
(ACCC) to modify its advertising, after it was accused of possible misleading conduct. The ACCC stated that price comparison's in the retailer's advertisements in the Herald Sun
Herald Sun
The Herald Sun is a morning tabloid newspaper based in Melbourne, Australia. It is published by The Herald and Weekly Times, a subsidiary of News Limited, itself a subsidiary of News Corporation. It is available for purchase throughout Melbourne, Regional Victoria, Tasmania, the Australian Capital...
newspaper and on its website may have misled customers, and the ACCC's chairman Samuel said the advertisements may have breached sections of the Trade Practices Act 1974
Trade Practices Act 1974
The Competition and Consumer Act 2010 is an act of the Parliament of Australia. On 1 January 2011 the Trade Practices Act 1974 was renamed the Competition and Consumer Act 2010. The act provides for protection of consumers and prevents some restrictive trade practices of companies. It is the key...
. In response, Kogan Technologies agreed that it would not advertise its products at a discount unless that product had been advertised for sale at a higher price, that it would implement a trade practices law compliance program, and that it would not make representations about the savings available to consumers unless the basis by which those savings are calculated was also stated.
Ruslan Kogan vs Harvey Norman
In 2010 founder and CEO of Kogan Technologies, Ruslan Kogan, challenged well known Australian retailer Gerry HarveyGerry Harvey
Gerry Harvey is an Australian entrepreneur best-known for being the executive chairman of Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd., a large company which runs Australian retail chain Harvey Norman...
to a televised debate. The ensuing "War on cheap TVs" declared by Harvey generated significant national media attention, including much discussion from within the media and marketing fraternity.
The dispute erupted when Ruslan Kogan
Ruslan Kogan
Ruslan Kogan is a serial entrepreneur, and founder and CEO of Kogan Technologies.Ruslan Kogan is also one of the founders of Milan Direct, an Australian and UK furniture retailer,...
challenged Gerry Harvey
Gerry Harvey
Gerry Harvey is an Australian entrepreneur best-known for being the executive chairman of Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd., a large company which runs Australian retail chain Harvey Norman...
to a debate on national TV, which he declined. Ruslan Kogan
Ruslan Kogan
Ruslan Kogan is a serial entrepreneur, and founder and CEO of Kogan Technologies.Ruslan Kogan is also one of the founders of Milan Direct, an Australian and UK furniture retailer,...
claimed Gerry Harvey
Gerry Harvey
Gerry Harvey is an Australian entrepreneur best-known for being the executive chairman of Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd., a large company which runs Australian retail chain Harvey Norman...
"chickened out". Gerry Harvey
Gerry Harvey
Gerry Harvey is an Australian entrepreneur best-known for being the executive chairman of Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd., a large company which runs Australian retail chain Harvey Norman...
replied by calling Ruslan Kogan
Ruslan Kogan
Ruslan Kogan is a serial entrepreneur, and founder and CEO of Kogan Technologies.Ruslan Kogan is also one of the founders of Milan Direct, an Australian and UK furniture retailer,...
a "con" in an interview with a national newspaper.
Kogan responded with two satirical advertisements, criticising Harvey Norman
Harvey Norman
Harvey Norman is a large Australian-based retailer of electrical, computer, furniture, entertainment and bedding goods. It is effectively a franchise and the main brand owned by Harvey Norman Holdings Limited...
.
In December 2010 Gerry Harvey
Gerry Harvey
Gerry Harvey is an Australian entrepreneur best-known for being the executive chairman of Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd., a large company which runs Australian retail chain Harvey Norman...
announced plans to follow Myer
Myer
Myer is Australia's largest department store chain, retailing a broad range of merchandise including women's, men's and children's clothing, footwear and accessories; cosmetics and fragrance; homewares; electrical; furniture and bedding; toys; books and stationery; food and confectionery; and...
and open up an online store based in China in order to avoid GST and cut costs.
Kogan responded by claiming that Harvey Norman and Myer were only posturing to force the Government to change import laws, and that their China-based stores were a complete hoax.
Ruslan appeared on Australian breakfast TV show Sunrise (TV program)
Sunrise
Sunrise is the instant at which the upper edge of the Sun appears above the horizon in the east. Sunrise should not be confused with dawn, which is the point at which the sky begins to lighten, some time before the sun itself appears, ending twilight...
claiming Harvey Norman was "full of it."
In July 2011, Ruslan Kogan
Ruslan Kogan
Ruslan Kogan is a serial entrepreneur, and founder and CEO of Kogan Technologies.Ruslan Kogan is also one of the founders of Milan Direct, an Australian and UK furniture retailer,...
came to the public defence of Gerry Harvey
Gerry Harvey
Gerry Harvey is an Australian entrepreneur best-known for being the executive chairman of Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd., a large company which runs Australian retail chain Harvey Norman...
when he came under fire for Harvey Norman
Harvey Norman
Harvey Norman is a large Australian-based retailer of electrical, computer, furniture, entertainment and bedding goods. It is effectively a franchise and the main brand owned by Harvey Norman Holdings Limited...
's alleged logging practices. In a public statement, Ruslan Kogan said:
Televisions
High DefinitionHigh-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
LCD televisions and LED televisions
LEd
LEd is a TeX/LaTeX editing software working under Microsoft Windows. It is a freeware product....
make up the bulk of Kogan Technologies' products.
Because Kogan Technologies sells direct to customers through its website, customers are unable to see and feel the product before making a purchase. However, there has been extensive media coverage and in-depth reviews of several products within this range:
- TweakTown review of 32" Deluxe LCD TV
- Gizmodo review of 32" ELITE LED TV
- GoodGearGuide review of 40" Full HD LCD TV
- TweakTown review of 32" ELITE LED TV
- CNet review of 42" 1080p
- GoodGearGuide review of 47" 1080p
- PC Authority review of 22" PRO
- Gizmodo review of 42" 1080p
- TechBuff review of UK model 32" LED TV with PVR
Kogan Agora Laptop powered by Google's Chromium OS
On 17 June 2011, Kogan released the world's first laptop featuring Google's Chromium OS, beating SamsungSamsung
The Samsung Group is a South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea...
, Acer
Acer
Acer may refer to:* Acer , the genus of trees and shrubs commonly known as Maple, from the Latin word ācer meaning sharp* Acer Inc., a Taiwan-based international computer company...
and other brands.
It is yet to be reviewed by a well-known media outlet, however some customers have begun posting impressions online.
Kogan Portector
Kogan Technologies voiced its opposition to the Australian government's proposed Internet filter by releasing a fictional parody product, the Kogan Portector on 17 June 2010.Kevin 37
Kogan Technologies received media attention when it marketed a 37” television using the Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd'sKevin Rudd
Kevin Michael Rudd is an Australian politician who was the 26th Prime Minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010. He has been Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2010...
2007 election campaign playfully, dubbing it 'Kevin 37' initially selling at the price of $900.00, the value of the economic stimulus payments made to many Australians in April 2009.
Digital Internet Radios
Kogan Technologies sell two models of Digital Internet Radios, a standard and deluxe model. The following media outlets have reviewed the Deluxe model:- CNet
- YourTechLife
- news.com.au
- Neerav Bhatt
- GoodGearGuide
Kogan Agora
In 2008 the company announced it would be the second company in the world after HTC to release a mobile phone compatible with Google'sGoogle
Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
operating system, Android.
Months after the initial announcement, founder Ruslan Kogan announced that the phone
Kogan Agora
The names "Agora" and "Agora Pro" are now used for laptops, tablet PCs and Google TV devices produced by Kogan.-History:The Kogan Agora was a planned Internet-enabled smartphone running the Android operating system for mobile devices...
would be delayed indefinitely. No further announcement has been made.
Kogan Agora Netbook
Kogan announced the intention to sell Australia's "best value netbook in the market" in March 2009; the design and specifications were chosen after extensive community feedback through the Kogan online blog. The product was well received by some reviewers, but was noted by other reviewers for below-average wirelessWi-Fi
Wi-Fi or Wifi, is a mechanism for wirelessly connecting electronic devices. A device enabled with Wi-Fi, such as a personal computer, video game console, smartphone, or digital audio player, can connect to the Internet via a wireless network access point. An access point has a range of about 20...
performance and shorter battery life
Battery life
Battery life can refer to*How long a mobile device can work on a single charge of a rechargeable battery.*Battery lifetime degrading of battery quality over time....
than comparable models.
Blu-ray player
In March 2007 Kogan Technologies released Australia's cheapest Blu-ray player. It was also one of the first Blu-ray devices in the world to offer region-free playback. However, the unit requires constant, though simple, region swapping via the remote when going from region A to B and vice versa.Kogan financial results
In October 2010, BRW ranked Kogan as Australia's 15th fastest growing company with yearly revenue of $12.22 million.The company released Q1 FY11 growth figures, with revenue up 48.12% on the previous quarter.
This growth saw founder Ruslan Kogan
Ruslan Kogan
Ruslan Kogan is a serial entrepreneur, and founder and CEO of Kogan Technologies.Ruslan Kogan is also one of the founders of Milan Direct, an Australian and UK furniture retailer,...
named Australia's 29th most influential person in the technology industry, ahead of Gerry Harvey
Gerry Harvey
Gerry Harvey is an Australian entrepreneur best-known for being the executive chairman of Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd., a large company which runs Australian retail chain Harvey Norman...
.
Kogan Lifestyle
In a November 2010 interview, Ruslan KoganRuslan Kogan
Ruslan Kogan is a serial entrepreneur, and founder and CEO of Kogan Technologies.Ruslan Kogan is also one of the founders of Milan Direct, an Australian and UK furniture retailer,...
revealed that he had begun plans to create a Kogan sub-brand, Kogan Lifestyle, that would sell jetskis, boats and potentially cars through an online store.
Whitegoods
In August 2010 Ruslan KoganRuslan Kogan
Ruslan Kogan is a serial entrepreneur, and founder and CEO of Kogan Technologies.Ruslan Kogan is also one of the founders of Milan Direct, an Australian and UK furniture retailer,...
revealed in an interview with retailing news site Current that the Kogan range would soon expand to include a vacuum cleaner, automatic coffee machine, and microwave.
Kogan launched their home appliance range with two convection microwave models, an automatic coffee machine and a vacuum cleaner.