dealerscope

  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 eCommerc...

A home audio system is, by definition, a bit of a luxury. There are lots of practical applications for sound in both commercial and residential environments, including privacy, wellness, and notification, but most homeowners think of audio strictly in terms of entertainment. It’s a want, not a need — as such, customers’ appetite for investing in audio tends to be correlated to two things: passion and knowledge. In order to guide customers to the right audio solution, dealers need to help them honestly and accurately locate themselves on the passion scale, and arm them with the knowledge to get the results they truly want. Some people love music, and some people just enjoy it. This same distinction extends to other forms of luxury. There are those who like food and indulge in a n ice cream cone as a treat, and there are those who love food and save up all year for a multi-course tasting menu prepared by a Michelin-starred chef. People who like movies will play one on the living room TV ...

1. What has been happening in the last couple of months in your business sector? Every spring/summer marks the new model year for TVs.  This year’s new TV models have more significant video display technology upgrades and enhancements that exploit the abilities of the new 4K HDR TV Video System.  Brighter OLED TVs not only deliver brighter images and better HDR and improved DCI P3 with good color saturation and full color volume, but it also gives the users another technical advantage that has not been discussed yet and that’s the much larger dynamic tonal range.  The larger dynamic tonal range that is only possible with LG’s G1 Gallery Series and Sony’s A90J Master Series OLED TVs gives the images more detail and the perception is a sharper and more real to life detailed picture. Larger screen sizes with these new high-performance OLED TVs are now available up to 83”, ranging from 55”, 65”, 77” and now the 83” class. Samsung’s new Neo series includes a beautiful range of...

  Voting for  Dealerscope’s inaugural Audience Awards  is now open! For the 2021 Dealerscope Audience Awards, we’re asking YOU, our avid readers, to help us choose which products truly stand out in the consumer tech industry. The products up for recognition this year span a wide range of categories from audio, to smart home, to accessories, and more. All you have to do is go through the list and select the products you feel are innovative, practical, and worthy of a Dealerscope Audience Award. You may choose as many or as little as you’d like. Please make sure to scroll all the way to the bottom of the form so you don’t miss any. Once you’re finished, click “submit” to ensure your vote is counted. Voting closes on Friday, July 23. Vote Now

  By the reckoning of Jeremy Miller,   Smart home   Solutions Commercial Director for GE Appliances, who presented at February’s KBIS virtual show, it is time for a “disruption” in addressing consumers’ changed needs relating to activities centered around the kitchen. And GE is aiming to fulfill those changing needs with new, improved cooking experiences that integrate high-end kitchen design with the cutting edge in appliance technologies. He, along with Senior Merchandising Specialist Michael Earls, related, in the KBIS Connected Living Pavilion, the GE Profile perspective on what more can be done to be a part of the solution in answering the new demands – and the increased expectations – of these consumers. Stats they shared showed that 67 percent of survey respondents reported increased oven usage by the second month of the pandemic, and 47 percent reported increased cooktop usage. And further, 51 percent predicted they would continue to cook more, even in the post-CO...