Shopfloor DEALER PROFILE: KNEES HOME AND ELECTRICAL INVESTIGATION: THE IN-STORE EXPERIENCE
With the high street still
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struggling in the face of what amounts to a retail revolution, bricks and mortar retailers are working harder than ever to convert footfall into sales. Rob Lane investigates what methods they’re deploying.
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n today’s retail climate, consumer electronics retailers are increasingly adopting new ‘omnichannel’ retail methods to stay buoyant – alongside increased product knowledge and the championing of ‘hero’ brands and products. The continuing expansion of internet shopping – with online giants such as Amazon even starting to open their own high street outlets, adding insult to injury – has combined with continuing consumer uncertainty and stagnating wages to create a perfect storm for the high street. It probably hasn’t been this tough since the 1930s, and is almost certainly worse than in the early 2010s after the financial crash. And although every electrical retail outlet has its online counterpart, the internet continues to influence how consumers buy their kit, with many people getting tactile with products in store, before going home and surfing the web for a better price. Hybrid, or omnichannel, retail sees the high street shopping experience dovetailing with that of the online one: intended to create a seamless shopping experience across all retail platforms.
Of course, the physical, tactile and demo-based
Riding the retail revolution
shopping experience is crucial when it comes to higher-end Hi-Fi or AV outlets. And even though high-end manufacturers have historically tended to protect their retailers with firm pricing, today’s consumers are more resourceful than ever. “With the high street under immense pressure, and the ongoing shift towards online sales, it’s vital that retailers go the extra mile to differentiate themselves to stand out from the crowd,” explains Matt Nimmons, Managing Director, CEDIA EMEA. “The key to this differentiation is creating an
With the high street under immense pressure, and the ongoing shift towards online sales, it’s vital that retailers go the extra mile to differentiate themselves to stand out from the crowd.
experience, and this is what the CEDIA market is all about. A dedicated showroom space, which incorporates everything from intelligent control systems to professionally integrated hi-res audio, media room and home cinema systems, allow customers to lose themselves in their experience.” New and emerging technologies are also making
a difference, and in an industry that moves so fast, it is not only important to keep up to date with the latest advancements, but to stay ahead of them too. “This will allow independent retailers to offer the best possible experience for their existing and potential customers,” says Mr Nimmons. “By embracing design, installation and service as well as product sales, independent retailers are also in a great place to provide a value-added service for their customers.”
Retailers, of course, all have their favourite methods and their own favourite hero products too. CEDIA member, Alex Scott-Simons, Owner of Stone Audio near Poole, champions Roon, and he has designed his beautifully appointed showroom around the technology.
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