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
