dealerscope

  A recent survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Commerce found that the United States is facing a daunting shortage of semiconductor chips , which are used to manufacture cars, electronics, medical devices, and other products. At the moment, median inventory among chip consumers in the U.S. is down to just five days from 40 days prior to the start of the pandemic. This means that if something unforeseen were to happen to current chip production, such as another COVID-19 outbreak, most companies would only be able to manufacture products for 5 days before being forced to shut down.  Between 2019 and 2021, demand for chips has grown a whopping 17 percent while the supply of chips saw no relative growth. Increasing chip-making capacity is a process that requires significant amounts of lead times and financial investment. For example, Intel has announced that it is investing $20 billion to create chip plants in Ohio, but the factories are only set to begin product

  THE DAILY SCOPE, 1/19/22: BodyGuardz, a device protection solutions provider, released its new Pure 3 screen protector for the Apple iPhone 13. According to BodyGuardz, it is the first and only screen protector to be awarded the Green Product Mark by TÜV Rheinland . The Pure 3 is made up of 30 percent recycled glass and is five times stronger than the stand-alone phone screen. BodyGaurdz also utilizes post-consumer recycled cardboard and biodegradable components in its packaging of the Pure 3 to make sure that every aspect of the wrapping can be curbside recycled . The Green Product Mark certification by TÜV Rheinland is based on three areas of criterion: Prevention of pollution, sustainable use of resources, and climate change mitigation. TÜV Rheinland only awards the certification to companies that responsibly manage their energy usage as well as their air and water pollution footprint. The Green Product Mark is recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agenc

  CES is to PC gaming hardware what E3 is to console gaming software: ground zero for all the newest, most cutting-edge products the consumer electronics industry has to offer. Interestingly, perhaps the most exciting trend at this year’s show was a spate of monitors and televisions designed with gaming in mind: new display technology, more interesting form factors, and faster refresh rates (thanks in part to HDMI 2.1 integration  — more on that in a bit). Of course, this year’s show was another big one for gaming hardware in general, with manufacturers showing off a slew of gaming laptops, VR headsets, and more. We combed through this avalanche of unveilings to come up with some of our top picks from the show. Displays Display technology feels like it’s reaching new heights at a regular clip these days, and manufacturers had an impressive range of gaming monitors at CES 2022. Samsung, for one, showed off the world’s first QD-OLED display in the form of its Odyssey G8QNB 34-inch gamin

  The smart home is progressing quickly in 2022, and CES covered this topic in a conference session called “Building a Resilient Smart Home .” Hosted by Mitch Klein, executive director at the Z-Wave Alliance, the panel included both security and lighting professionals, including Dr. Haim Amir, CEO and Owner at Essence, Avi Rosenthal, partner at Blue Salve partners, and Melissa Andresko, chief corporate brand ambassador at Lutron Electronics Co., Inc. Security, both from outside threats and from breaches of privacy, were at the forefront of this talk. Homeowners want to know that their homes and their belongings are safe, and they appreciate full control of their home’s entrances and exits. There is now technology from Lutron that enables the home to randomly lower shades and turn lights on and off to mimic someone being home, which reinforces the security system’s motion sensors and cameras. There is also emerging security for inside the home when it comes to safety. Technology can m

  The onset of the pandemic set off a huge move towards eCommerce, since that’s all that was available for a huge chunk of time in 2020 and some of 2021. That’s led to some fascinating and innovative new forays into online shopping experiences. Even so, brick-and-mortar is far from dead, and some are doing intriguing, nontraditional things — everything from VR to NFTs to the metaverse — with their online and in-store retail presences. That’s the takeaway from “ Experiential Retail ,” a CES 2022 panel on Thursday that took place live and in-person in Las Vegas and was also streamed on the event’s digital. ces.tech streaming portal. It began with a presentation by NPD Group Chief Commercial Officer Tim Bush, who was clear about one thing: “Brick and mortar is not dead.” Bush listed several reasons why: Stores have “raised their digital game,” while instituting such omnichannel practices as buying online and picking up in-store (BOPIS). This has especially become the case as eCommerce sh

  THE DAILY SCOPE, 1/3/22: As they enter the post-holiday season fog, retailers can expect some previously overzealous customers to come back to earth and return products bought in the midst of shopping frenzies. Returns are part of the territory and should come as no surprise for retailers . Last year, a study by the National Retail Federation (NRF) estimated that 13.3 percent of products sold during the holiday season were returned , meaning that in 2020 roughly $101 billion worth of merchandise was sent back. With total retail sales increasing 8.5 percent year-over-year for the 2021 holiday season , the 2021 holiday season returns are expected to be larger than last year’s figure. If returns continue at last year’s pace and retailers reach the NRF’s originally projected $843.3 to $859 billion in sales, then retailers can expect some $112 to $114 billion in products to be returned this year. This should come as no surprise to retailers. According to a study conducted by Inmar Inte