RETAILOBSERVER.COM OCTOBER 2024
6
Moe Lastfogel
moe@retailobserver.com
Moe's Musings Views
Happy Retailing,
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I
remember listening to a speech at a NARI meeting more than 30 years ago
given by Gordon van Zuiden, founder and president of CyberManor in
Los Gatos, CA. Gordon talked about all the things that would be coming in
the new digital age and left us spellbound by the endless future possibilities.
Thanks to visionaries like Gordon, many of those products are now available
and for sale in your stores.
While the home connectivity market is still in its infancy, consumers can
now open their doors without keys and start their car from the warmth of the
home. They can monitor their smart appliances' performance remotely and
turn off lights they forgot and left on. Their refrigerators can send them a
shopping list to let them know they're out of milk and that the eggs are past
their expiration date.
The internet has opened even more possibilities. Consumers now have
access to information, education, and entertainment content that has turned
them into savvy customers with complicated demands. They want to surf the
Internet on the TV in the family room, as well as check their email, bank
balance, access YouTube, Facebook, Linkedin, or all their other accounts from
anywhere. They want to make video calls from the couch instead of in front of
a tiny laptop. They want to share multimedia throughout the home, including
family photo albums, music libraries, videos, and games.
Yet even though many consumers today are tech-savvy, many still are not!
This is where you, the retailer, have a great opportunity to profit by educating
your staff and yourself so you can help educate the consumers. CEDIA, CEA,
and many buying groups offer courses on new technologies. Manufacturers
and distributors offer seminars to inform you about particular product lines.
Once you become an expert, shout it from the rooftop! Advertise in the local
paper and on the news channel and home show, and let the public know that
you're the area's go-to store for solutions to their connectivity needs.
tribgroup.com
CONNECTING TO
CUSTOMERS
IN THE DIGITAL AGE
