Sharp Electronics has opened a Sharp product gallery on the mezzanine level of Harvey Electronics’ flagship store on West 45th Street, here.
The gallery, which will be open through September 2005, replaced a merchandising area formerly used for Loewe televisions before that manufacturer’s recent departure from the U.S. market, said Franklin Karp, Harvey Electronics’ president.
Karp said he approached Sharp to take over the space for its Aquos LCD TV line, which has done exceptionally well in a number of Harvey retail locations.
The showcase was designed to give Harvey customers an opportunity to review “the breadth” of the Aquos LCD TV, Sharp said. Featured are 20 different Aquos SKUs and three different 1-Bit Audio SKUs. The digital audio systems feature a slim, vertical styling design to complement the look of the Aquos flat-screen TVs.
Sharp’s 1-Bit technology produces high-resolution sound, enabling the systems to sample audio signals at a rate of 5.6MHz, or 128 times faster than a CD.
Models include the Aquos, LC-45GX6U; LC-26GA4U; LC-45/37/32/26GD6U; LC-37/32G4U; LC-13/15/20S1U; LC-15S1U-B; LC-13/15/20B6U; LC-45/37/32/26GD4U; and the LC-15L1U. Included 1-Bit systems are the SD-HX-500, SD-HX-600 and SD-PX2.
The galley, which was called an extension of the Harvey showroom, features custom displays with seating, and small props to present “a retail experience that is anything but retail,” Sharp said.
Bob Scaglione, Sharp Consumer Electronics’s marketing group senior VP, said “We are looking forward to helping Harvey better serve customers by creating this gallery, which will not only serve as a product showcase, but also as a relaxing way to shop and fully experience the superior performance level of Sharp’s home theater products.”
Shoppers visiting the gallery are accompanied by a Harvey salesperson.
