Lexington, Ky. –
has added
Amazon to its short list of online retailers.
The
high-end speaker supplier
in May 2007 when it began
selling through Crutchfield. Thiel later added Audio Advisor as its second
online retailer. With the latest distribution announcement, Thiel will sell
seven models of architectural speakers, bookshelf speakers and subwoofers on
Amazon to U.S. consumers.
The
decision to add another online retailer reflects changing consumer shopping
habits, and it will help promote the high-performance audio industry, said
North American sales VP Ken Dawkins. Selling through Amazon “will position Thiel
advantageously for the future as more consumers rely on the Internet to
research and purchase premium products,” he explained. In addition, he said, “Because
Amazon.com offers goods within almost every category that people shop for, the
online retailer also has the unique ability to cross-merchandise Thiel with
other high-performance products from any category, promoting growth for the Thiel
brand as well as providing increased visibility for the high-performance audio
marketplace as a whole.”
Dawkins
also contended that increased brand exposure provided by Amazon will help
existing Thiel dealers. “Amazon has the unique ability to exhibit and sell any
product at any price point, making Thiel visible to every demographic in all
communities throughout the U.S.A,” he said. In addition, selling through Amazon
will expand the company’s potential customer base. Amazon will reach “numerous
potential customers who may not be close to a local Thiel retailer but have an
existing comfort level with Amazon,” he said.
Amazon has
begun selling
: the PowerPlane 1.2 and
HigherPlane 1.2 in-wall and in-ceiling speakers, the PowerPoint 1.2 aluminum
on-wall/on-ceiling speaker, the DewPoint outdoor speaker, the SCS4 and MCS1
bookshelf/center-channel speakers, and new subwoofer product to be unveiled
later this year.
