LAS VEGAS – TWICE presented its Distinguished Achievement and Excellence In Retailing Awards, while etown.com presented its Consumer Electronics Product Of The Year and Reader’s Choice Awards during International CES at a gala event at the Hard Rock Hotel, which featured music by Michael and Kevin Bacon.
The Professional Audio/ Video Dealer Association (PARA) and executive director Debra Smith received the TWICE Distinguished Achievement Award for “adapting the organization through changing times and developing educational programs and resources that helped specialty retailers adapt to the changing retail environment,” said TWICE editor-in-chief Steve Smith.
TWICE presented Excellence In Retailing Awards to Radio-Shack, Abt Electronics and Ultimate Electronics. In presenting the award to RadioShack, Smith said the chain has “capitalized on the digital revolution” due to its alliances with Compaq, Microsoft, RCA and Sprint.
While accepting his award RadioShack chairman Len Roberts said, “We like TWICE because we get to read about our strategies in it ‘twice.’ The first time when we discuss our new strategies and the second time when TWICE writes about someone else copying our strategy!”
Abt Electronics, the single-location retailer from the Chicago area, received its award in recognition of its attention to value, service and capitalizing on e-commerce as it became one of the first “click & brick” CE retailers.
Ultimate Electronics received its award from TWICE, according to Smith, on the merits of its “focus on high-end, cutting-edge products and knowledgeable service, rather than playing the price game.”
The etown.com Consumer Electronics Product of the Year award for 2000 was presented to Creative Labs for its NOMAD Jukebox. The etown.com review of the product said, “Without hesitation, this is the coolest portable music player on the market. In fact, we believe it’s a category killer.”
The Reader’s Choice award was presented to Sony for its TiVo SVR-2000 digital recorder. Mike Fidler, senior VP of home video and digital media products for Sony Electronics, said while accepting the award, “We’re extremely pleased to accept this award for a product that we envision as a gateway in the development of the broadband home network age.”
