Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM FEBRUARY 2022 54 W e're kicking off 2022 with a bang! The two greatest shows in the US for Luxury Appliances start the same week in early February. What shows am I referring to? Nationwide Marketing Group's PrimeTime in Phoenix and the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show, of course! Let me dive into why I'm so excited about the upcoming shows. PrimeTime, February 5-8 in Phoenix, is the nation's largest buying, selling, educational and networking show for independent retailers. Just over a year ago at Nationwide we expanded into the Luxury Appliance vertical. With the overnight changes in the shopper's journey, the increased national competition working hard to steal share from our members, and the lack of insights into this business segment, we have an obligation – and the capabilities – to solve these headwinds for our members and strategic vendor partners. At PrimeTime last August, our first in-person show in over a year, we had more luxury vendors than ever before. Not only did we have more vendors physically present at our show, we had more touchpoints for our members to connect in person with the leadership teams from those vendor partners. One of the most exciting opportunities was with our newly created Luxury University, an initiative designed to help educate our channel and ensure that Nationwide members can be the leading experts on Luxury Appliances in each of their respective marketplaces. The inaugural format was a classroom setting with multiple presentations: • Karen Brandon (Sr. Marketing Manager for Luxury Appliances at NMG) shared insights into the psychographics of the Luxury consumer. • I had the opportunity to discuss our luxury strategy for members, and how it differs from our core appliance brands. • In addition, executive leaders from our strategic vendor partners, Monogram and Fisher & Paykel, discussed the importance of merchandizing their brands for success in the future. It was a lot of fun and very insightful, which is why we decided that Luxury University will live on as an in-person event at every PrimeTime moving forward! Luxury University will always be focused on education, but will look a little different in Phoenix – we're taking it out of the classroom and moving it to the Expo floor. I believe we can all learn better from experience – and who wants to sit through yet another PowerPoint presentation? Our attendees will immerse themselves in several Luxury Experiences that will better connect them with our strategic vendor partners. Our focus on Luxury Appliance during PrimeTime will continue to grow, evolving into the greatest opportunity in our industry for independent retailers and Luxury Appliance vendors to connect. And it will complement the incredible experience that the KBIS show provides. Speaking of which, I am really excited for KBIS this year. It will be two years since the last in-person show, and in that time we've seen record-setting investments by consumers in their kitchens and baths. At Nationwide our Luxury Appliance business continues to grow at a record pace, and we expect the trend to continue well into 2022. With all of this in mind, here's what I'm looking forward to accomplishing at KBIS: • Connect and interact with the designer community • Meet with Luxury Appliance Vendors and experience their latest innovations • Understand emerging trends to make sure our members are ahead of the curve • Seek out emerging technologies and brands that provide solutions for our members There's a lot packed into the experiences I've mentioned above, and I'll also tackle the IBS (International Builder Show) in Orlando. If you're paying attention, that means three shows in four days! There will be lots of great information to unpack after this week, and I look forward to sharing what I learn with our members. 2022 is kicking off with a bang – lots of time spent with members, reconnecting with old industry friends, learning, and setting the stage for another incredible year in the Luxury Appliance business for Nationwide Marketing Group Members! John O'Halloran Appliance Trends John O'Halloran, Sr. Merchant, Luxury Appliances, Nationwide Marketing Group RO LUXURY APPLIANCES EXPERIENCES TO KICK THE YEAR OFF RIGHT

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