dealerscope

How To Solve Consumer Problems With Augmented Reality - Dealerscope Five years ago, augmented reality (AR) entered the mainstream via phone-based applications. Despite mainstream hits such as Pokemon Go, which was a rudimentary workaround compared to today’s implementations, AR in general struggled with slow adoption and education hurdles. Even as the early hype subsided, retailers looked for practical use cases for AR, realizing that it had the potential to increase sales conversion by enabling consumers to see how a product or experience — furniture, clothing, consumer electronics — would look in the context of a home or other real-world setting.

  Nothing is more soothing than natural light. The calming green glow of sunlight as it passes through newly budded leaves on a spring day. The fiery pink, orange, and yellow rays of a fresh sunrise burning their way across the sky are magnificent, yet awe-inspiring. Natural settings such as these provided the inspiration for BioLite’s new AlpenGlow camp lantern series.  “It’s right there in the name: we were inspired by those breathtaking color blends you catch at daybreak or moments like the Northern Lights,” said BioLite CEO Jonathan Cedar via press release, “with our design, users can select colors to match their mood – lighting plays a huge role in creating a sense of space and place and the AlpenGlow will help you feel at home, whether it’s the backyard or the backcountry.” The USB rechargeable AlpenGlow lanterns provide more than seven light modes utilizing ChromaReal LED Technology, which emits broad-spectrum light for daylight-quality illumination even in

  Unsurprisingly, stay-at-home digital device sales across the world grew in 2020 as a result of the pandemic. The global community as a whole spent more time inside and consistently sought ways to entertain itself from home. The pandemic provided the ideal conditions for a global gaming sales boom , as people sought to disconnect from their immediate reality and socialize with friends online. Data from a study conducted by Growth from Knowledge (GfK) , a market research firm specializing in data collection for the consumer electronics field, shows that the rise in sales of gaming-related hardware consistently outdid the elevated performances of non-gaming hardware across the globe.  GfK’s new in-depth report shows figures from the international gaming industry not including the United States, but it parallels sales trends stateside as well. Both US and global sales of gaming hardware and accessories have grown at exorbitant rates as a result of the pandemic.  Data for t

  Five years ago, augmented reality (AR) entered the mainstream via phone-based applications. Despite mainstream hits such as Pokemon Go, which was a rudimentary workaround compared to today’s implementations, AR in general struggled with slow adoption and education hurdles. Even as the early hype subsided, retailers looked for practical use cases for AR, realizing that it had the potential to increase sales conversion by enabling consumers to see how a product or experience — furniture, clothing, consumer electronics — would look in the context of a home or other real-world setting. Today, we’re at the beginning of a new golden age of technology. AR, AI, Edge Computing, 5G — it’s all converging. Amid rapid changes, the key to integrating technology into retail in ways that drive sales is to focus on constants. Trends come and go, but the biggest consumer problems remain constant. The AR industry’s value proposition also remains constant: We help people see things

  One of the biggest misconceptions when it comes to social media is that, in order to achieve your brand’s full potential, you need to be active everywhere, all the time. As new social media platforms pop up on what feels like a yearly basis, brands are left questioning whether they should create an account to capitalize on new territory. But without taking a hard look at a few key factors, seeking to be omnipresent on social media can actually be one of the biggest recipes for failure. At Social Media Week New York earlier this year, Falcon.io’s senior strategist, Casper Vahlgren, referenced Reebok’s 2012 Facebook strategy as an example of how easily brands can go overboard with the number of accounts they have. Almost a decade ago, the footwear and clothing company had a whopping 616 Facebook pages under its brand name. Not only was this approach putting a strain on the social team in charge of these accounts, but it was also confusing for consumers as well.

  This week, the CE industry mourns the loss of one of our own. Jeff Caton, CEO of High-Tech Networks, passed away unexpectedly at his home in Norris, Tennessee on Saturday, July 31st. Jeff was 62 years of age.    Jeff’s 43 years in the consumer electronics business began when he was 19 with a job at Harvey’s Warehouse in Knoxville, Tennessee. Over the next few decades, Jeff worked his way up to becoming retail store manager before joining Teal Marketing, where he worked in the sales department in a manufacturer’s representative role. Jeff branched out and created his own rep company, Network Sales and Marketing, which eventually merged with High-Tech Network in 2005.  “Jeff will be sorely missed by our team and the AV community in the Southeast,” said Dave Robinette, President of High-Tech Network, in the company’s press release. “His leadership, sense of humor and big personality left a positive impact with everyone who worked with him. His passion and love for o

 Jay Penney has joined  Element Electronics  to spearhead the organization’s new private-label appliance initiative. The lineup available exclusively to members of Nationwide Marketing Group currently includes refrigerators and freezers but is looking to expand to even more categories. “Throughout my career, I have always loved working with independent dealers, helping them win in a very competitive marketplace,” says Penney, senior vice president / general manager of Element Appliances. “In this new role, I get to continue feeding that passion while also introducing consumers to a high-quality line of appliances at a very fair price.” Penney’s 30-year career in the appliance industry began at Sears Amana Refrigeration in the Chicago area where he was an inside sales associate. He later served as manager of buying groups, sales manager and senior account manager for Sears Amana; vice president of sales and marketing, and senior vice president of sales for Electrolux;

  SUMMARY   •  Distributors have acted adroitly through the yearlong pandemic, swiftly tailoring programs to get dealers up to speed in digital, and in streamlining their just-in-time delivery processes.   •  An especially challenging issue for dealers early on was securing adequate inventory to meet exceedingly high demand for certain categories such as networking products, replacement appliances and large-screen TVs – but distributor tools that aided dealers in accurate forecasting and product cycle planning proved to be invaluable resources .  • Having successfully adjusted to the “new normal,” distributors say they foresee business eventually settling down in the post-COVID period to a combination hybrid digital and in-person model – and add that they now have the resources in place to manage all aspects of it, moving forward. Dealerscope: What will be the most salient features of your product and program presentations moving through the balance of 2021 and

Around the United States, COVID-19 restrictions are being lifted and the population is getting vaccinated; however, the mental impact of a year spent in a germ-conscious pandemic society remains. Consumers are increasingly conscious of the germs present on the surfaces of the phones, keys, wallets, and other daily accessories and gadgets they carry around all day. Retailers and manufacturers who filled the need for hygiene-conscious products such as UV-C sanitizer devices , smart face masks , and air purifiers during the pandemic are continuing to utilize this increased awareness in the post-pandemic world.    In July, the second-generation Coral UV 2 , an LED UV-C sanitizer and dryer system, will be released for sale directly to consumers. With a sleek stainless steel design, the Coral UV 2 can be placed in any room in the house and eradicates 99.9 percent of bacteria in just 10 minutes. Compared with the original Coral UV sanitizer and dryer that was first unveiled

Launched by a mix of photographers and technology entrepreneurs two years ago, Berlin Photo Week (BPW) will be held again for the second time since 2019 on August 26-29, 2021 at the Haubentaucher, a multipurpose events venue with exhibition spaces, restaurants, clubs, and a swimming pool in Berlin’s Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg district. In addition to booths and installations by major photography brands such as Sony, Panasonic, FujiFilm, and Leica, the three-day event will offer workshops, Instagram-friendly shooting stations, photo tours, lectures, and even opportunities to buy both used and the latest new cameras. In addition, exhibitions of work by established and emerging photographers alike will be held at satellite locations in galleries, museums, and other points of interest across the city. Even though one of its major partner exhibitions, IFA Berlin, won’t take place again until 2022, BPW will continue as scheduled. While it was originally meant as a more art-and-lifestyle-focuse

High demand for smart mirrors from the automotive industry, new and innovative features offered by smart mirrors, increasing number of internet users and growing adoption of smart devices in connected homes according to consumer preferences, surging demand for AI-powered and IoT-enabled smart home appliances, increasing trend of context-aware signage, and growing adoption of smart signage in retail sector are the key driving factors for the smart display market. However, high risks of theft and breach of customer data hampering the growth of the market. Smart signage to account for largest share  The smart signage market has witnessed various technological advancements and registered remarkable growth over the last few years. Smart signage is among the most demanding and growing platforms that empower many people to access product information and promotions. Various industries are encouraged to deploy smart signage solutions owing to their user-friendly and customer-centric features. D