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Yamaha Kemble, the UK importer and distributor of Yamaha musical

instruments, has launched Yamaha's first UK web site which will sell a

range of its products (www. yamaha-music.com). It will act as the

forerunner to a general music portal.

The site enables users to purchase musical peripherals such as clothing,

software and accessories, but not musical instruments, although this is

a possibility in the future.

'Yamaha relies on its network of retailers throughout the UK, so it

doesn't want to affect that by selling instruments online at first, but

that will be reviewed,' said Laurence Hale, consultant at IDnet, which

has been appointed to design, host and manage the site. 'If it happens,

we'll make sure that it strengthens the relationship with the retailers,

to best combine online and offline sales.'

As well as an online store, the new site will include links, information

and news bulletins, and will enable Yamaha to target customers with

online promotions.

'There are plans to evolve the site into a music portal where music

lovers go to find out generic information about music, but this will

happen after the site is fully launched in six months' time,' said

Hale.

Other online plans include a distributor extranet to provide sales and

marketing support to the network of UK retailers, giving them access to

online promotional tools. 'We might also look at facilitating retailers

which want to sell online themselves, via re-branded e-commerce

offerings,' said Hale.

Yamaha hopes to develop a marketing campaign in the next three to six

months. IDnet will also be responsible for any online marketing.