NEW YORK – Last January, merchants representing the major CE distribution
channels hunkered down with TWICE during International CES to offer their take
on what the new year would bring.
This month we virtually reconvened our
retail panel to provide a midyear industry assessment and a look ahead to the
holiday selling season.
The upshot? Retailers, distributors and buying
group executives are reasonably optimistic that following a lackluster summer,
pent-up demand and hot-button categories like smartphones, tablet PCs, advanced
TVs and motion-sensor gaming systems will bring shoppers back into stores next
season.
Still, closing the deal will remain a challenge as high
unemployment and a still-suffering housing market will continue to tamp down
consumer spending. To help loosen their purse strings, vendors and merchants
will pull out the stops on promotional bundles, and will kick off the holiday
season even sooner than last year.
But in order to stay in the game, dealers
will have to keep their expenses low, their services high (including new
categories like energy management and whole-home control), and their in-store
demos enticing, especially for the nascent 3D TV business.
Please follow
the links to read what our panel has to say:
Summer
Sales Sluggish As Consumers Remain Cautious
Merchants
See Uphill Battle For Holiday Sales
Panelists
Pleased With Early 3D Demand, Suggest Ways To Spur Sales
