Aliso Viejo-based Buy.com Inc., which runs an online store that competes with kingpin Amazon.com Inc., is launching Web sites for international shoppers.
The company is expanding its offerings to online stores in Canada, France, Germany and Britain.
By the year’s end, Buy.com is set to open similar shopping sites for Italy and Spain.
As part of its international expansion, Buy.com also will sell on eBay sites in Europe and Canada.
The new Web sites will have customized product information in local languages and currencies.
Local warehouses are set to allow for speedier delivery times, the company said.
“We plan to replicate our successful online retailing model throughout the world,” said Chief Executive Neel Grover.
The international sites should initially sell consumer electronics, the company’s biggest product category. More products will be added later.
For its U.S. site, Buy.com said it has some 12 million registered customer accounts.
The company sees some $500 million in yearly sales.
Fast 500
A handful of Orange County technology companies landed on Deloitte Services LP’s annual Fast 500 list, which is a ranking of the 500 fastest-growing technology companies in the U.S. and Canada by sales.
Telogis Inc., an Aliso Viejo -based maker of GPS software for delivery fleets, came in at No. 163 with 850% sales growth in five years.
Smith Micro Software Inc., an Aliso Viejo-based maker of software for cell phones and other mobile devices, came in at No. 210 with 639% sales growth.
Costa Mesa’s MegaPath Inc., a technology services outsourcing company, landed at No. 364 with 339% sales growth in five years.
Life After Sale
Costa Mesa’s Semicoa Semiconductors Inc. is continuing to build up its business after it was bought by Los Angeles private equity firm Vance Street Capital LLC in August.
Semicoa spent the past year as part of Irvine-based chipmaker Microsemi Corp.
Microsemi, a larger competitor, bought Semicoa for $25 million in 2007.
A few months ago, Semicoa regained its independence as part of a settlement the Department of Justice struck with Microsemi, which faced an antitrust lawsuit after the government looked into the deal as creating a monopoly on a certain type of chips.
Microsemi agreed to undo the deal to settle the suit and sold off Semicoa to Vance Street Capital in August.
Semicoa is busy hiring executives and workers—many who were laid off after the acquisition.
Since August, Semicoa has hired more than 40 former and new employees.
The company recently added Harry James, a technology manufacturing veteran, as vice president of quality.
James is set to head up Semicoa’s quality assurance group as it expands its production capabilities, the company said.
He has previously worked for Texas Instruments Inc., Fairchild Semiconductor International Inc., Hewlett-Packard Co. and Apple Inc.
Semicoa makes rugged chips for military, aerospace and industrial uses where failure can be costly.
Blizzard a Top Seller
Five different titles by Irvine’s Blizzard Entertainment Inc., the biggest maker of online video games, landed on a ranked list of the 20 best-selling computer video games in September, according to data from Port Washington, N.Y.-based market tracker NPD Group Inc.
Blizzard had more top games than any other game publisher on the list, including Redwood City-based Electronic Arts Inc.
Blizzard’s “World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King” expansion pack landed at No. 4 on NPD’s “hitslist,” down from No. 2 in August.
“World of Warcraft: Battle Chest” came in at No. 8, down from No. 6 in August.
“World of Warcraft” came in at No. 10, down from No. 8 and the “World of
Warcraft: Burning Crusade” expansion pack landed at No. 15, down from No. 13 a month earlier.
This year, Blizzard is set to mark the 15th anniversary of the “Warcraft” series.
Some 12 million people play the game, which centers around an epic battle between two imaginary races.
Holiday Lists
The Consumer Electronics Association, an Arlington, Va.-based trade group that tracks consumer spending and trends, sees tech gadgets being big on holiday wish lists.
CEA found that consumers plan to spend an average of $222 on consumer electronics, up 8% compared to last year, according to the trade group’s holiday purchase patterns study.
“There are signs of optimism in our holiday forecast,” said Shawn DuBravac, CEA’s chief economist.
The study also tracks electronics that consumers intend to give as gifts, as well as those they hope to get.
Consumer electronics comprise four of the top 10 items on adults’ holiday gift wish lists, the study showed. PCs ranked No. 2 on the list and video games ranked No. 3, the study showed.
