A Plethora Of Accessories Star At RetailVision
By TWICE Staff -- TWICE, 4/17/2000
RetailVision provided a plethora of accessories and related products that retailers can use to add margin to their computer sales. Here is a brief overview of some of the products shown at the event, which was held at the Century Plaza Hotel in Beverly Hills earlier this month.
Belkin debuted several USB-to-legacy-port connections at RetailVision, as well as its first FireWire (IEEE 1394) hub. Belkin's new USB-to-PS2 adapter is aimed to users with USB computers who want to use a standard PS2 keyboard or mouse. It ships in April at $59 and is joined by a USB modem adapter that ships in July at $59 and a USB dual serial port due in June at $89. The units are all designed to fit in modular fashion in the company's BusStation seven-port hub.
Also new from Belkin is a USB DockStation, again designed for computers with USB-only connections. It has a parallel-port adapter, two PS2 adapters, one serial adapter and four extra USB ports and will ship in May at $119. Belkin is also showing a mini, compact, four-port USB hub for both PC and MAC computers (available in five different colors); a FireWire four-port hub; and an add-in PCI card to add FireWire capability to an existing system. Retail prices are $59, $89 and $89, respectively.
The company also debuted a new mouse, called the AeroCruiser, which ships with three exchangeable "wings" for a choice of three iMac colors. The mouse is both USB and PS2 compatible, offers multiple browsing speeds, and ships in May at $24.99.
Allsop of Bellingham, Wash., used RetailVision to unveil its Unifire Division that will sell and market its new lineup of USB connectivity products. According to sales director Bruce Tipton, the Unifire Division is a partnership between engineering teams in the U.S. and Taiwan, with manufacturing being done in the U.S., Taiwan and China.
USB products in the initial launch, which will be shipped by June 1, are 6- and 10-foot A to B cables; 6- and 10-foot extension cables; a four-port powered hub; USB-to-serial converter; and a computer bridge. All Unifire products meet USB 1.0 and 1.1 specifications, and Allsop anticipates that all of its products will also meet the upcoming USB 2.0 standards. Suggested retails for products in the new line range from $14.99 and $69.99.
Diamond Audio Technology, the five-year-old Santa Monica, Calif.-based maker of speaker systems for the multimedia, home theater and automotive markets, has introduced a unique vendor-backed guarantee to consumers. Effective immediately, shoppers may return their Diamond speakers up to two months following the purchase if they should hear a better-sounding system that costs up to 25% more.
According to Diamond VP Paul Tamberelli, consumers will receive a full refund after returning a working product and sales receipt directly to his company, sparing the retailer the paperwork. Also saving stores return costs are Diamond's exceedingly high quality controls, he said, citing its OEM business with NEC that yielded only 45 defective speakers out of 2 million shipped.
i-O Display Systems, the three-year-old Menlo Park, Calif.-based supplier of gaming and Internet viewing systems, came to RetailVision touting its H3D Terminator gaming glasses and H3D Cruiser Internet viewer. The former is a stereographic 3D-shutter-glasses gaming system based on LCD technology that produces a holographic-style image for PC gamers. The product's suggested retail price is $59 for the wired model and $79 for the wireless option.
The Internet viewer embraces the same technology but is designed for viewing web content. The glasses are compatible with nearly any PC with a CRT monitor and Windows 95/98 and are capable of very high resolution and fast refresh rates.
MicroVision Development, the eight-year-old Carlsbad, Calif.-based publisher of software for printed and electronic media including labels, business cards, memos and web pages, has introduced a European edition of its SureThing CD Labeler. The $29.95 package, which comes complete with labeling software, applicator, templates, clip art images and CD label sheets, will now be available in French, German and Spanish versions.
Distribution is being handled by WSKA Editions, and a Japanese version is slated for a second-quarter launch.
Keyspan, the computer connection division of Richmond, Calif.-based InnoSys, came to RetailVision bearing a new line of FireWire expansion cards. Its PCI card, model FPCI-3, adds three high-speed FireWire ports to computers, making it simple to connect to DVC camcorders, disk drives and other FireWire devices. The suggested retail price is $89. Keyspan is also offering a $139 CardBus card, model FCB-1, that adds a FireWire port to any CardBus-equipped laptop for easy connection to FireWire devices. Shipping for both begins in mid-April.
Flair Industries, based in Providence, R.I., touted its recently introduced Compupad, an ergonomically designed pivoting mousepad that attaches to the armrest of a chair, enabling users to surf the Internet and operate a computer in comfort. When partnered with a wireless mouse -- although compatible with any pointing device -- the pad frees users from the restrictions of the desktop, along with the head, back, neck and shoulder pains associated with poor workstation posture.
Carrying a suggested retail of $49.95 and a street price of $39.95, the Compupad can deliver retailers a 37.5% margin, explained sales rep Dick Rizzo, who honchoed the product's soft launch at Comdex last fall.
Campaigners of Manhattan Beach, Calif., has partnered with Tech Data to provide its sales, marketing and sales training skills to the distributor's vendors and retailers, according to president Melissa Orr and chief marketing and strategy officer Robert Watson.
Campaigners will offer sales training to retailers for vendors and SalesStars University, which is online group or one-on-one instruction. Among the other services offered by Campaigners are mystery shopping, consumer shopping, a telemarketing program, in-store sales force call, sales demonstrations and trade show/special event coverage.
Upgradebase.com of Newport Beach, Calif., is offering product content and intelligent search capabilities to e-tailers and click & mortar retailers. The company's Dynamic Content Library houses detailed specifications, pictures and features of products being sold by these retailers, such as IT products, office supplies and consumer electronics.
This service organizes the product information, and then aggregates and redistributes the content, said Doug Mitchell, business development director.
Fellowes is debuting a line of outboard Glidepoint touchpads developed in conjunction with Cirque. Called the Touch Pad, the product is offered as an ergonomically superior alternative to a mouse, as it lets users scroll with their finger rather than their wrist or hand.
Shipping in May, the basic Touch Pad will have a suggested retail price of $29.95. An Internet version will be available with three fully assigned shortcut buttons (including a button that launches the Internet with one touch). It will carry a suggested retail price of $59.95. A step-up version that includes a keyboard as well as the Touch Pad will carry a price of $69.95.
In the Power Protection category Fellowes is introducing a new Split Surge series. The new eight- or 10-outlet strips are each split into two strips joined by a cord to allow easier access to multiple office machines in different locations. The eight-outlet version has a suggested retail price of $24.99 and the 10 outlet unit is $34.99. Both also offer surge and lightning protection.
Kantek presented several computer accessories under the Spectrum brand, including the Flipside Multifunction Workcenter that attaches to the side of a monitor to act as a copy holder and mini storage locker. It comes with a mirror and a whiteboard and has several clips, hooks and compartments to hold office items. Estimated retail price is $19.99.
Another new Kantek accessory is the SuperStor, a mini shelf system that sits on top of a computer monitor. It has several compartments for pens, paper, scissors, etc., and fits all monitors. Estimated retail price is $16.99 to $17.99. The item is joined by the SuperStor shelf that sits on top of a monitor.
Motion Systems, which sells IBM-brand of laptop computer cases, debuted two new cases at RetailVision. The BCLS60 is a large computer carrying case on wheels with a detachable hidden handle at a suggested retail price of $89.99.
The FM100 IBM case is designed to resemble a woman's handbag. It has long shoulder straps in black microfiber and is available at select Staples stores at $59.95.
Digital Innovations, maker of the DataDoctor scratch remover, introduced the first removable labels for CDs, DVDs or CD-Rs.
Called Write-Away removable disc labels, they require no adhesive on the part of the label that sits on top of the data zone of the CD, so as not to cause interference. Write Away kits come with 20 labels at $11.95.
No related content found.
VIEW ALL GALLERIES