Sixth Avenue Electronics Opens 12th Store
By Alan Wolf -- TWICE, 12/3/2007
BRICK TOWNSHIP, N.J. — Sixth Avenue Electronics, the New York metro area A/V specialist and customer installer, officially inaugurated its 12th showroom last month with a store-opening gala for vendors and other guests.
The 25,000-square-foot showroom, located in a densely retailed corridor within this suburban New Jersey community, is the chain's southernmost location and portends its eventual expansion into nearby Philadelphia.
The opening follows the recent launch of Sixth Avenue's second Long Island store, both of which are leading the chain in sales volume, president Mike Temiz told TWICE. More Long Island stores are expected to follow.
The $250 million PRO Group dealer has tripled in size over the past four years, and has an aggressive but controlled growth strategy designed to make it a billion-dollar business by 2012. "We're well aware of the mistakes others have made by growing too fast," Temiz said. "If we don't feel we're ready to open a store, we won't."
Like its latest locations, the Brick store is designed to showcase a selection of wired and wireless home networking solutions, including Control4 technology, an IP-based home control and distributed entertainment system. That, plus an intensively trained sales staff, carefully selected real estate and a rich advertising budget has helped Sixth Avenue gain market share in a competitive marketplace.
"This business is very, very tough," Temiz said. "You've got to go after it. If you wait for it to come to you, there is no business."
The store follows the layout of the chain's most recent iterations, with a central showcase area for small electronics surrounded by separate showrooms for flat-panel LCDs, plasma TVs, rear-projection TVs, and audio and 12-volt products. There are also dedicated showrooms for Monster Cable, Panasonic, Pioneer Elite and Sharp Aquos; two car installation bays; and a 4,000-square-foot warehouse that draws inventory three times a week from the chain 's three New Jersey distribution centers.
Nearly 70 percent of the total TV mix and more than 90 percent of all large-screen panels are in 1080p format, Temiz said.
In an emotional ceremony, Temiz, along with his brother Billy Temiz, chairman, and marketing VP Rudy Temiz, presented operations VP Tom Galanis with a plaque for his 20 years of friendship and service to the company. The foursome also thanked their staff and vendor partners for helping the chain realize its best year in business.
