- When aqipa came to us, with all their brands, but a weak sales organisation in the nordics and benelux, where we have our entire organisation, we quickly realised that we have a common interest here, says are pedersen, main owner and daily leader at response nordic.
We meet him in september at aqipa's premises at the ifa fair in berlin.
- Why have you entered into this collaboration?
Annonse
- As a distribution company, we work with many brands, and we always want to add new ones. We have actually been looking for quite a while for a partner with whom we can develop a business collaboration, purely commercially, where together we represent a much larger market in europe, pedersen tells the trade magazine elektronikkbransjen.
Win-win situation
Olle Papec-Friis (left) and Arianit Dervishi at Nordic Response, and Samuel Baker at GoPro with GoPro Hero Lit and GoPro Max 2. Photo: Stian Sønsteng
While aqipa has a turnover of around 2.5 billion kronor, response nordic is at 600 million.
- Will you be comfortable in a little brother position?
Annonse
- Since this is not an ownership integration, but a purely commercial collaboration, it will go very well, says pedersen.
Response nordic will strengthen the sales organisation in connection with the new collaboration, especially in the nordics.
There is still pressure on margins, both from customers and brand owners
- The collaboration also means that aqipa will sell our brands, so this is a win-win situation.
Pedersen has good expectations for the collaboration.
- There is still pressure on margins, both from customers and brand owners. As a distributor, we sit in the middle, where we essentially function as a bank for both, so we therefore always want to find new products and increase volume, says Pedersen to the trade magazine Elektronikkbransjen.
Fluid Pro AI Gimbal. Photo: GoPro
25 years this year
Annonse
The collaboration with Aqipa means that Response Nordic is now starting to sell audio and video products.
Fluid Pro AI Gimbal. Photo: GoPro
- This is completely new for us, and a bit exciting, says Pedersen.
Response Nordic was founded in January 2000, with clothing and equipment for the more active part of the sports industry.
- Then we were drawn more into consumer electronics, not least when we started with GoPro in 2008. This makes us their longest-living distributor in the world, says Pedersen.
Response Nordic AS is headquartered in Trondheim, and is divided into the active and electronics divisions, where the turnover is distributed to one and two-thirds respectively.
GoPro Max 2
At IFA, Response Nordic is showcasing two new cameras from GoPro.
We see growth in the entire category, and it is precisely the 360 cameras that are growing the most
- GoPro Max 2 takes image optimisation to a new level, with 8K recording and 10-bit colour. An important competitive advantage with the new Max 2 is that you can change the lenses, says Arianit Dervishi at Response Nordic.
He says that the predecessor Max has done well in the market, but that they now have high expectations for the successor.
- The resolution goes up from 5.7 to 8K, and in 4K you get up to 100 fps (frames per second), says Dervishi to the trade magazine Elektronikkbransjen.
- Who buys these?
- This is very exciting. We see growth in the entire category, and it is precisely the 360 cameras that are growing the most. Max lives on, but now gets a big sister who can do a little more, says Dervishi.
GoPro Hero Lit
The second news is GoPro Hero Lit.
- We already have GoPro Hero on the market, and the small camera has surprised us a lot, with a larger share of the total sales than we had expected. Now GoPro Hero Lit comes with built-in light, which among other things allows you to get retro-style images. If you are out in dark environments, camping or travelling, you also have access to a strong flashlight directly on your GoPro, says Dervishi.
- Why haven't you had lights on your action cameras before?
- We have had external lights as accessories. Now we have taken it a step further, so customers always have it with them.
Dervishi says that GoPro in October will also come with a gimbal, or stabiliser as it is also called.
- You can use this on all devices, both GoPro and also mobile phones.
The article was previously published in the print edition of the trade magazine Elektronikkbransjen no. 5/2025, which was distributed in week 41. Here you can read the article and browse through the digital edition of the magazine. You can read all editions of the magazine digitally, from issue no. 1/1937, at elektronikkbransjen.no/historiskarkiv.
