The Retail Observer is an industry leading magazine for INDEPENDENT RETAILERS in Major Appliances, Consumer Electronics and Home Furnishings
Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/816252
MAY 2017 RETAILOBSERVER.COM 51 F O R T H E PAST Y E A R A N D A H A LF, W E ' V E B E E N S P E A K I N G A B O U T T H E " S I Z E O F T H E P R I Z E " I N R E G A R D TO T H E C O N N E CT E D H O M E . N O M AT T E R T H E N U M B E R S YO U R E A D O R B E LI E V E , T H E C O N N E CT E D H O M E I S O N E O F T H E B I G G E ST D R I V E R S I N T H E M A R K E T P L AC E , H A N D S D OW N . F R O M C E TO F U R N I T U R E , A P P LI A N C E S TO T H E C U STO M I N T E G R AT I O N M A R K E T, I T ' S A S PAC E I N W H I C H E V E RY D E A LE R CA N P L AY. A t the recent PrimeTime show in New Orleans, the HTSN team took to the show floor with several initiatives around the connected home. The team started with the first-ever experience center on the show floor, highlighting many of the HTSN vendors and bringing them all together to show how different brands can all work together cohesively in an environment. Among topics emphasized were 4K projection, Dolby Atmos and how control and automation can bring it all together in one simple and easy to use application. This high- level connected experience center showed Nationwide's level of commitment to the connected home space and helped educate the appliance and CI dealers to the importance of talking not just in concepts, but in the reality of showing customers how easy it is to add automation and a theater room to a project. We also used the PrimeTime show to lead our CE and appliance dealers to the connected home market via our partnership with Nest and the Works With Nest platform. While it might not seem that CI and the DIY (Do It Yourself) or DIFM (Do It For Me) markets are compatible, the reality is they actually are. Using products like a Nest thermostat, Nest camera, or a Skybell as the perfect opportunity to get your foot into the customers home with cool, easy, and unique products. Tying it all together with a higher level automation system like Elan or Control 4 is a great marketing angle. After all, who doesn't have a thermostat in their home, and who doesn't want to be more energy efficient? Connecting it all via automation is the logical next step. We've all heard the stories about dealers heading to a job site and dropping by to cold call on someone along the way, only to close a sale with easily understood products like a security camera, thermostat or video doorbell. For our appliance dealers, putting a hang tag on every range, microwave, refrigerator that they deliver with a message that says "Think of us for your connected home" with info about a Nest thermostat working with their new appliances is another great way for a dealer to add onto the initial sale. The add-on opportunities in the connected home space are endless, and data shows that customers who purchase in the DIY or DIFM market come back again and again, making you the preferred dealer for all their device purchases. If you let the great connected home opportunity pass you by, your next move just could be toward extinction! RO Hank Alexander Director of HTSN, Nationwide Marketing Group