NOVEMBER 2021 RETAILOBSERVER.COM
35
AVB/BrandSource is
Kicking
Butt...
and Plans to Keep it That Way
D
espite a nearly year-and-a-half hiatus from in-person events, the
AVB/BrandSource buying group got back into the swing of
things quickly at its recent Convention21 meeting and product
expo in Nashville.
Setting the tone in his keynote address, Jim Ristow, CEO of
the merchandising and marketing co-op for independent
appliance, home furnishings and consumer tech
dealers, welcomed back members to
BrandSource's first on-site show since March
2020 and recounted their outstanding sales
performance during what he described as
the worst financial and health crisis in a
century.
Despite significant challenges including
supply chain disruptions and price
increases, BrandSource dealers outpaced
the appliance and home furnishings industries
by 15 percent – on top of the prior year's
comparable 15 percent gains, he said.
What's more, members who fully leveraged the
digital toolbox of AVB Marketing – the group's in-house web
design and advertising unit – enjoyed increases of more than 25
percent, Ristow said, while select vendors count BrandSource as their
largest growth account in the country.
But rather than resting on those accomplishments, and underscoring
the show's "Double Down" theme, Ristow said members and AVB
need to redouble their efforts to ensure an unprecedented multi-year
run.
To that end, AVB is taking on the unprecedent tight labor market with
a comprehensive collection of customized recruitment and
employment tools called HRSource, and is addressing
the consumer's preference for an omnichannel
shopping experience by launching the Hub, an
overarching commerce platform and CRM
solution that seamlessly connects dealers'
online and in-store operations.
Reinforcing Ristow's message was AVB
Merchandising VP Chad Evans, who
acknowledged members' travails during
the past 17 months and lauded their
record-breaking accomplishments. Despite
the many privations of the pandemic,
including long hours and a dearth of inventory
and labor, BrandSource member appliance
volume is up 50 percent over the trailing two years, he
said, handily outpacing both big-box and independent
competitors, while the group's year-to-date home furnishings growth is
nearing 40 percent.
"You have figured out a way to navigate these waters," he told
attendees. "You are doing an amazing job."
Images: Top — A ruptured Achilles tendon couldn't keep Jim Ristow from attending to attendees. Bottom — Fourteen businesses were honored as BrandSource Dealers of
the Year. Inset — There were enticements aplenty on the Expo floor.