BrandSource Focused On Dealer Growth, Profitability

By Alan Wolf On Mar 12 2012 - 4:01am

ORLANDO, FLA. – A pilot program with Costco and national in-house distribution of major appliances are among a raft of new initiatives BrandSource is bringing to bear in 2012.

The $14 billion buying organization for independent dealers said the new and augmented programs are designed to help its 4,500 members grow their businesses and increase profits – its two main goals for 2012 – by driving traffic, lowering costs, and providing the tools to compete with online and big-box competitors.

 

Siras: Quicker Returns Seen For Digicams

By TWICE Staff On Mar 12 2012 - 4:01am

REDMOND, WASH. — In a comparison of consumer return attempts for digital imaging products over the last three years, Siras reports that more consumers attempted to return products in the first 15 days in 2012 than in the two previous years.

“Return policies have been getting tighter and consumers are paying closer attention,” said Peter Junger, Siras president. “This is the kind of change retailers should be happy to see, since it means that consumers who make returns are generally doing so more promptly.”

PriceGrabber: Online Shoppers Plan To Spend On CE In 2012

By John Laposky On Mar 12 2012 - 4:01am

LOS ANGELES — In a survey of online shoppers, 72 percent said they plan to spend the same amount of money or more in 2012 as in 2011, according PriceGrabber, and more than half intend to spend more on electronics products.

Fifty-one percent of respondents plan to spend the same as last year and 21 percent plan to spend more in 2012 than last year, while 28 percent plan to spend less.

Online Research Influences 40% Of Offline CE Sales

By Alan Wolf On Mar 12 2012 - 4:01am

MIAMI — More than 40 percent of consumers research CE products online before purchasing them in stores or in person, a recent consumer survey shows.

According to “The Path to Consumer Electronics Purchases,” a new report by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and BIGresearch, 41.2 percent of adults ages 18 and older regularly research their CE purchases online, and nearly half (49.6 percent) do so occasionally.

Distributors See Positive Trends For New Year

By Steve Smith On Mar 12 2012 - 4:01am

NEW YORK – Major changes have hit the CE industry, many of them positive, which have provided some optimism for distributors as they take a look at 2012.

Unilateral pricing plans, which were revealed in private meetings and the media last month, have given distributors and retailers some hope that margins will stabilize and possibly increase for at least top-tier, higher-end TVs.

As part of this new manufacturer-driven plan, distributors are hopeful that vendors will be even-handed in pricing and in the channel management of their lines.

New Price Policies Should Curb Profit Erosion

By TWICE Staff On Mar 12 2012 - 4:01am

TWICE: Several top brands have set new pricing policies, especially for TVs, which manufacturers say will be strictly enforced. Will new policies stem typical price erosion on TVs, and maybe other CE categories, this year?

Demand Building In Select Categories As The Economy Shows Improvement

By TWICE Staff On Mar 12 2012 - 4:01am

TWICE: The economy seems to be turning around. Have your customers seen it begin to translate into consumer demand yet?

Michael Flink, ADI Americas: Yes, we are beginning to see improvements in consumer demand but there have been some inconsistencies. There is definitely strength in residential security and home automation, along with commercial CCTV and commercial A/V. In general, the commercial market has been stronger than the residential market.

New Channel Strategies Are Critical To Restoring Industry Profitability

By TWICE Staff On Feb 28 2012 - 8:24pm

Noah Herschman, eBay: It’s interesting to see how the manufacturers are evolving or not evolving their channel management strategies, as the case may be.

Retailers Further Sharpening Their Multichannel Skills

By TWICE Staff On Feb 28 2012 - 8:35pm

TWICE: How does Best Buy look at its various distribution channels?

Mike Vitelli, Best Buy: We have dot-com and then there’s bricks, but consumers are in this kind of multichannel life. They don’t call it that — they just live it. It starts with my phone, and then I’m on my tablet, and now I’m on my computer, and then I go into the store. My expectation is that all of that is kind of integrated.

AmTrust Financial Names New Warrantech Management Team

By Alan Wolf On Feb 13 2012 - 6:01am

BEDFORD, TEXAS – AmTrust Financial Services has put a new management team in place at its Warrantech subsidiary, effective at the end of January.

The executive team is led by former Warrantech CEO Stuart Hollander, a senior VP of AmTrust North America, who has been promoted to chairman of Warrantech. Joel San Antonio will remain the chairman of Warrantech's holding company, AMT Warranty Corp.