Steve Smith

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‘Nobody Comes Here Anymore. It’s Too Crowded’ – Part 2

As you may have read, the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), owner and producer of International CES reports that the 2012 edition, held last week in Las Vegas, was the largest in its 44-year history . The CEA reported an initial attendance figure of 153,000, which will be verified by an independent audit available this spring. Last year’s audited attendance was 149,529. The... More

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'Nobody Comes Here Anymore. It's Too Crowded'

The words above are attributed to the great philosopher, athlete and Italian-American icon Yogi Berra about his experience working at a local, popular restaurant in his native St. Louis neighborhood. The same can be said about International CES. There have been a few shots taken at CES in recent days in the media. So some of you may take the following with a grain of salt, probably several.... More

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Make A New Year's Resolution

Predictions have been that consumer electronics sales will be up this holiday season, as high as 6 percent. So why are so few people in the industry smiling? It’s all about profitability, or more accurately, the lack of it. Retailers and manufacturers have had to promote more heavily than ever this season to get consumers to buy their products. While everyone loves CE, consumers... More

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A Black Friday Snapshot From Queens, N.Y.

After my wife Marion and I hosted 17 of our hungry relatives for Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, I got up, slightly earlier than usual, to visit two stores in nearby Queens, N.Y., to at least get a feel for what business was like on this year’s Black Friday.   $79 Samsung Blu-ray player at P.C. Richard & Son parking lot in Astoria, Queens. There were... More

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CES Looming With New Dates, Events

Black Friday has come and gone, but the rest of the holiday sales season remains the focus of the CE industry. But, as always, International CES is looming in the near future. Exhibitors and buyers are also planning their strategies and itineraries now for the big show to be held in Las Vegas during January. As always, each International CES is different, but this year there are a few... More