Twice 0696 - April 2021

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THE BUSINESS OF CONSUMER ELECTRONICS

BUYING GROUPS THERE’S STRENGTH (AND SUCCESS) IN NUMBERS

TWO SIMPLE STEPS TO SELLING PREMIUM AUDIO

April 2021 • Volume 36 • Issue 4

Newspaper Handling $25

NATIONWIDE VIRTUAL PRIMETIME 2021 RACES TOWARDS DIGITAL WINS

“IT’S TIME TO DOUBLE DOWN” AND TAKE ACTION WITH AVB/ BRANDSOURCE

4 Inbox

APRIL 2021 | TWICE.COM

Grant Morgan, Senior Editor grant.morgan@futurenet.com @GrantMorgan77

TWICE CES 2021 Picks Awards

He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother

D

esigner, entertainer and author Tim Gunn once said, “Life is not a solo act. It’s a huge collaboration, and we all need to assemble around us the people who care about us and support us in times of strife.”

This past month, I was able to see collaboration and support at incredible levels as I attended Nationwide Marketing Group’s Virtual PrimeTime and the AVB/BrandsSource Summit conference. The energy, passion and commitment at each event was palpable, and it got me excited for the much anticipated in-person events both groups have scheduled later this year.

There’s something special about being a part of something larger than yourself that helps drive success.

Granted, as with anything, you get as much as you put in, but as I visited with members, vendors and staff at each event, I was reminded of times I’d drawn on the strength of my peers, associations and co-workers through the years - and it gave me hope. 2020 was a rough year in so many ways, and although there was incredible success for independent retailers as a whole in 2020, there are many who have experienced major challenges, and some who still struggle to stay afloat.

I admire the grit, determination and perseverance of anyone who runs their own business, and I tip my hat to you.

What you do is incredibly courageous, and while big box stores seem to

VIP

The winners of our AWARD CES 2021 Pick Awards have been announced! Visit TWICE.com to see who stood out among the thousands of products introduced at CES 2021. Thank you to all our amazing entrants, and congrats to all our winners!

dominate our landscapes, independent businesses are the true backbone of local economies.

If you’re going it alone still, let me ask one question. Why? There is strength in numbers, and the support, strength and camaraderie you can receive, and give in return, as part of a buying group - no matter the size or location - can take you further than you ever imagined. I’ve personally seen the tools, education, fellowship and collaboration that bonds the members of buying groups together, and it’s magical to see, even if it’s just from a journalist’s point of view. To me, it makes so much sense to be a part of that greatness.

“There’s something special about being a part of something larger than yourself that helps drive success” This month’s issue, we report on our experiences at March’s buying group conferences, and we will continue to bring you the latest from all the great upcoming events from other groups and associations on TWICE.com. Be well, know that you aren’t alone in your retail journey, find your people and be strengthened.

The 2021 TWICE VIP Awards Are Coming Soon!

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We’ll be opening entries for our 2021 TWICE VIP Awards in the near future, so keep an eye out for the announcement. In the meantime, check out our 2020 TWICE VIP Award Winners by visiting https://bit.ly/31cUHEd to see all the products entered this year online on TWICE.com.

AWARD 2020

UPCOMING EVENTS All events are subject to change. Please visit the hosting company’s website for up-to-date information.

Toy Fair NY May 1-4, 2021 New York City, NY

2021 AV/IT Summit Aug 5, 2021 Virtual

NRF Retail Converge June 21-25, 2021 Virtual

CEDIA Expo Sept 1-3, 2021 Indianapolis, IN

ProSource “Spring” Conference August 2-6, 2021 San Antonio, TX

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6 Perspective

APRIL 2021 | TWICE.COM

Fry’s: Victims Of Self-Inflicted Wounds A reminder of the need to evolve in an ever widening e-commerce world

By Stewart Wolpin

I

t might seem the combination of COVID19 and e-commerce competition doomed beloved geek retailer Fry’s, the retailer actually failed as a result of its inability – or disinterest – to evolve and pay its vendors.

At first glance, Fry's seemingly sudden and surprise closure earlier this week appears to be a case of another brick & mortar retail falling victim to the combination of the COVID-19 pandemic and increased e-commerce competition.

"Electronics and appliance stores went down substantially in 2020 and [Fry's] were no doubt a casualty," noted Forrester analyst Sucharita Kodali. "There were rumors of

challenges for years, which suggests that it may have had a cash crunch for a while. Any company going into the pandemic with a cash crunch was only going to do worse when cash was even more crucial. It's unfortunate because it was for many an institution, but it appears to be another casualty of the pandemic and a further push of sales to e-commerce."

While retailers have certainly suffered in the last year, most national and regional consumer technology chains have adjusted to changed conditions and maintained relatively healthy sales.

Fry's demise, however, was neither sudden nor a surprise. Challenges presented by the pandemic and online sellers merely

sped up a deterioration process that had actually been years in the making, primarily the result of how Fry's conducted – or failed to conduct – its business.

"They're a victim of not keeping up with the times, they couldn't evolve," opines Robert Heiblim, president of Blue Salve Consulting. "In our industry, it's the one constant: it's always changing. The tech is changing, the models are changing, the people are changing, the brands are changing. You have to change with it."Or,asoneindustryveterannoted:"Somuchof theirbusinesspracticecamebackandsmacked them in the face."

UNUSUAL ORIGINS Unlike most family boot-strapped retail startup origins, Fry's was born with silver spoon. Charles Fry sold his eponymous supermarket for $14 billion in 1972. With a chunk of the proceeds, his three sons, John, Randy, and David, opened the first Fry's Electronics, a 20,000-square foot store, in Sunnyvale, CA, in mid-1985.

While none of the sons wanted to be grocers, they overlayed many of a supermarket's operational, merchandising, and promotional principals onto the selling of consumer electronicsandcomputergear.Fry'sstoreswere

7 enormous,rangingbetween50,000and180,000 square feet, essentially supermarkets for tech geeks, promising "a one-stop-shopping environment for the high-tech professional."

Storeswerestuffedwitheveryconceivabletech device, part, and accessory. Shoppers literally filled shopping carts with both what they had intended to purchase as well as impulse purchases from both store shelves and at the POS, where shoppers would find a wide variety of mainstream and personal computer magazines, how-to tech books, t-shirts, batteries, and even grocery items that appealed to DIY tech geeks, such as snacks and sodas.

Fry's also specialized in eccentric and entertaining merchandising and imaginative store décor themes, such as 1950s sci-fi movies, Aztec, or Alice In Wonderland.

Former Apple executive Jean-Louis Gassée described Fry's in its heyday as "a truly aboriginal techie bazaar where geeks could find everything they needed to live in autarky, fromlogicboardstovoltmeters,driednoodlesto 'nice' clothes for a job interview, magazines, energy bars, mini-fridges… Going to a Fry's store [was] entertainment in itself; for a geek, it could be recuperative."

As a result, Fry's quickly and successfully spread. At its peak, there were 34 Fry's superstores in nine states, employing around 14,000 people, and generating $2-2.5 billion in annual revenue.

SELF-INFLICTED WOUNDS However, just as tech changes, so did customer

needs and tech retailing. Most brick & mortar retailers adopted, creating their own e-commerce arms, expanding customer service, investing in inventory control systems, and most of all, maintaining solid financial relationships with its major vendors.

Fry's reportedly did none of these things either well or at all and, over time, the collective impact of its inaction became corrosive. In the last few years, occasional reports from forlorn Fry's fans on social media highlighted increasingly disappointing empty shelves.

Industry insiders, however, knew Fry's wounds were more-or-less self-inflicted.

Aside from widely-reported criminal, civil, and regulatory problems over the years, Fry's was late with an e-commerce operation, failed to modernize its inventory control, fiercely fought accepting returns or issuing refunds, and, perhaps the worst sin of all, they were slow to pay their invoices – if they paid at all.

"They created a lot of bad blood with vendors," one industry veteran asserted.

"They couldn't get shipments because they were in a battle with [vendor] credit managers. Many big vendors just wouldn't put up with it." As a result of its lackadaisical approach to paying invoices, major brands simply stopped selling to Fry's.

"Even in their heyday, [Fry's] were always a challenge for vendors – and the consumer, frankly – to work with," reports Stephen Baker, VP industry analysis for the NPD Group. "For consumers, the stories of refusals to take

returns, and surly salespeople are legendary.

But they always managed to assuage the consumer with a massive inventory, enormous SKU depth and great pricing.

"For the vendors, the challenges of managing Fry's as an account were always offset by the immense volumes and sales results they posted," Baker continued. "Once those results started to slip, the difficulties become much harder to overlook for the vendors. And the change in the market, a switch towards online transactions, especially for the lower volume, more specialty products and components, undercut their bread-andbutter product lines and eroded their volumes.

The decline in PC pricing as mass market retailers moved in, their inability to adjust to a broader definition of consumer electronics that included the home theater and TV markets, and their inability/refusal to invest more in online ultimately led to their end."

While major consumer technology and computer vendors found it necessary to avoid doing business with Fry's, one industry veteran believes "they'll probably pay their secured vendors and make a deal with the unsecured vendors." Aside from remaining vendor financial issues, the eccentric retailer's passing has resulted in a regretful nostalgia.

"This has seemed inevitable for a while now," one former Fry's supplier executive wistfully observed. "While once a strong regional presence, they have been less relevant in recent years, so probably will not have a major impact on the business by their final closing. That said, I'm always sad to see a strong regional player like Fry's close. For me, showrooms like Fry's were great places to introduce new technology which needs to be demonstrated and experienced by the consumer in order to get the full effect."

8 Perspective

APRIL 2021 | TWICE.COM

Listening And Hearing: The Convergence Is On “The one thing that’s constant about the audio industry is that it’s always changing”

By Jon Kiachian, VP, Knowles Hearing Health Technologies

T

hese are tremendously exciting times in the acoustics space. Longstanding barriers are being broken across all the audio markets, from personal listening to public address. The innovations aren’t just a matter of hardware and software, though there’s plenty to be seen (and heard) in both. The real paradigm shift is in the new product possibilities and the expanded consumer demands that will drive them to market.

Historically speaking, there have been clear technological and commercial dividing lines that segmented the different levels of audio quality available to consumers. In hardware, the level of precision needed for hearing aids was not practical to implement in mass-market earphones. In software, the

most popular method of music delivery for more than a decade has been lossy codecs, which are in use by all the major music streaming services.

Then came the changes. In 2017, the FDA adopted legislation that included the "Over the Counter Hearing Aid Act." This measure was designed to provide adults with mild-tomoderate hearing loss access to hearing assistance technologies without having to be seen by a hearing care professional. Only 5-10% of people with this level of auditory loss ever do anything about it. Suddenly, "hearables" for hearing augmentation became a real market possibility.

The shift for music listening will be just as profound. Previously, high-resolution audio streaming became broadly available to the consumer in 2019 with the launch of Amazon HD, with fidelity that is literally master-quality. Thanks to fast broadband services and the coming 5G explosion, the

bandwidth for large, high-resolution files is no longer an issue. The needs for reduced audio file sizes and lossy compression are no longer there. Following increasing consumer demand for higher music quality, Spotify just announced their own HD music service.

All these changes mean new expectations and use cases. Now that consumers have been exposed to high-resolution audio, there's no going back. In this respect, the audio industry is well ahead of the video industry. There are many 4k television sets out there but not so much 4k content. In the audio world, vast libraries from all the world's great music labels have been made available in studio-quality resolution. It won't take long before today's audiophile niche becomes tomorrow's mainstream listening. Consumers will demand playback equipment that does justice to this holy grail of music delivery.

The hearing health category will open up dramatically in the same way – through sheer volume of demand. With 10,000 Baby Boomers turning senior each day, the number of consumers with hearing loss is increasing exponentially. Not all of these people will need professional hearing aid.

Many can hear just fine in a quiet room, but have trouble in noisy environments, such as a restaurant. This is the market that can be serviced well by hearable devices.

In this new landscape there is deep convergence between hearing aids, earphones and hearable devices. For many applications and products, "hearing correction" almost becomes a feature. A single product can deliver audiophilequality fidelity while also allowing control from a voice assistant and the ability to hear a conversation in a noisy restaurant. This emerging consumer market needs something more expansive than fully regulated hearing aids, and the solutions are now at the ready.

At Knowles, our ability to service both markets – consumer and professional -- is one of our key advantages. Miniature balanced armature speakers, invented by Knowles, were initially developed for the hearing aids market. Today, this technology enjoys widespread adoption in the consumer electronics earphone market and in professional in-ear monitors. Similarly,

Perspective

TWICE.COM | APRIL 2021

MEMS microphones, another Knowles development, saw first adoption in mobile phones but quickly proliferated into earphones and hearables, smart speakers, and all manner of voice operated IoT devices. The same cross-pollination is happening the other way around as Knowles develops increasingly high-performance MEMS to improve the functionality of hearing aids. Today we are working with customers on transducers for active noise cancellation, and continuously developing new balanced armature speakers so that hearables can be smaller, more comfortable, and have longer battery life.

None of this means that the two channels will ultimately become one. The MEMS requirements for hearing aids are extremely demanding. These technologies are the best available, but naturally the best is more expensive. A hearable device has to come in at a lower price point to be attractive to consumers. To that end we are developing new consumer MEMS that can bring relief to the millions of people with lesser hearing loss at consumer price points.

As these new in-ear devices become more prevalent, we believe the stigma associated with hearing aids will be diminished. Many more people with minor hearing loss will choose over-the-counter hearing products.

This will lead to greater adoption and growth in the true hearing aid market as their hearing loss becomes more severe.

There is a parallel with “cheaters” in the eye health area. Mild problems are addressed with OTC solutions which lead to prescription lenses as vision requires more exact correction. If one’s hearing loss is severe, there are hearing aids and the professional assistance necessary to tune them. If the loss is mild to moderate, hearables will bring the user back into the world they once heard well.

The one thing that's constant about the audio industry is that it's always changing.

The winners today are not necessarily the same as the companies that will be winning five years from now. Those that are able to bring out innovative solutions and segment the market appropriately will be the new leaders of the audio world, both in hearing health and the wider consumer market. Our ability to service both markets is one of our key advantages.

Is The Future Of Tradeshows And Conventions Digital?

By Melissa Stenson, Vice President of Member Experience, Nationwide Marketing Group A full year into the pandemic, the $2.5 trillion tradeshow and events industry has added to the damaging ripple effect across the airline, hotel, entertainment, restaurant and B2B marketing industries.

More questions remain than answers on what the return to live events will look like — or when it will happen.

Forced to evolve as events were canceled and social distancing and safer-at-home initiatives rolled out, event marketers quickly began transforming their physical events into virtual ones. And despite varying degrees of success across our industry, it has become apparent that virtual events are here to stay. They are efficient and effective, often leading to a much broader reach. At our first Virtual PrimeTime event in October 2020, Nationwide Marketing Group saw 369 member companies attend online that had never attended a live show.

Marketers are reveling the opportunity to capture content that is typically one-anddone at live events and finding ways to reuse this information in other formats and through other channels. And IT teams are pining over newly captured metrics. At a live event, costly and time-consuming RFID, beacons and lead-retrieval systems were enacted, but at a digital event, everything is easily tracked. It’s an unending amount of customer intel, and we can use it to make our events better.

We’re still in the early stages of virtual events, and while many of us are guilty of attempting to recreate our physical events in a digital environment, it’s becoming apparent that we must develop a new strategy for this new medium. Making sessions shorter and allowing for on-demand viewing is good step, but it is only the first step. Media expert Marshall

McLuhan once said, “When any new form comes into the foreground of things, we naturally look at it through the old stereos … We’re just trying to fit the old things into the new form, instead of asking what the new form will do to all the assumptions we had before.” An example of this is seen in the earliest television programming which was sometimes just a few people reading a radio play while standing in front of a camera. It took time for TV to develop its own identity, and with streaming services, it is once again morphing into something new.

As vaccine rollout expands, we’re all looking forward to getting back face-to-face with our communities later this spring. A year of lockdown has led to an increased desire for in-person experiences, which are more intense and more memorable than their digital counterparts. There are the obvious benefits of tradeshows – the buying, networking and education, but that precious face-time with your peers that re-energizes and gives way to connections that can support and guide you just simply is not happening online. In some ways, the more digital we get, the more desperate we are for live interactions.

While I expect virtual events to evolve and I look forward to using them to efficiently connect our community quickly and more often, there is an idea called “revenge attendance” that is quickly gaining traction in the events industry. It is based on the principle that people crave social interactions in a face-to-face setting, and after being restricted for over a year, there will be a huge surge in attendance at live events. I hope it is true, and I hope that we experience the largest gathering of independent retailers in history at our next PrimeTime event.

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10 Feature: Buying Groups

APRIL 2021 | TWICE.COM

Buying Groups: Support For Slowdowns And Speed Ups Buying groups step up for their members during the continuing pandemic.

By Karen Mitchell

F

or proof of resiliency in this demanding time, look no further than to the growing success of buying groups. From introducing new platforms, increasing training, and ramping up vendor and dealer communication, these groups are taking the necessary actions to meet current challenges and up the sales numbers for their members.

“At the beginning of the slowdowns, we created a series of webinars on subjects like managing cash flow, how to get a PPP loan, and buying in difficult times,” says Richard Glikes, president, Azione Unlimited. “We’ve also created a series of Vendor Fireside Chats, intended to give supply and business updates.

“Lately, because of the tremendous amount of demand on our dealers’ time and resources, we have concentrated on vendor interactions only, as opposed to trainings and product-orientated promotions,” Glikes adds. “We think it’s crucial that dealers are buying smarter and utilizing association benefits to their full potential. Our communication has gone up dramatically and has been focused on growing business in difficult times. The results have been overwhelmingly positive as dealers have been overtly thankful for our efforts exuded on their behalf.”

Hank Alexander, director, HTSN (Nationwide), says his company has learned

a lot during the last eight months, “but our approach has always remained the same — putting our members’ needs at the forefront of everything we do. We keep executing on behalf of our members, doing whatever we can to help them stay safe on the front lines during the pandemic and support their communities.”

In terms of day-to-day operations, Nationwide has increased its Zoom, Teams, and WebEx conference and video calls.

“We’ve also used these technologies to create new opportunities that benefit our members,” he says. “In fact, we finished our first-ever Virtual PrimeTime, where we offered three days of video conferences, presentations, and training to our members and guests, all for free. And we saw a tremendous response in terms of both attendance and engagement.”

Deeply challenged when the global pandemic disrupted business in early 2020, HTSA’s Board of Directors and leadership developed a strategic plan of action to help the entire HTSA family get through the impact of Covid-19 from a health and business perspective, says Jon Robbins, executive director, HTSA. “There was a bit of a fear factor in the early days of Covid, as everyone struggled to understand the coronavirus, its nature, and its impact, as well as how to adjust operations in the face of the ever-changing recommendations from the CDC, WHO, and

a plethora of state and local health officials,” says Robbins. “Early on, we sought to address these concerns and keep members focused on their businesses. In the early meetings, we helped members move beyond the risk of being frozen by fear and helped them see that, in any time of change, there is opportunity. We suggested that they seize the day by looking at this event not just as a new set of challenges, but also as a unique opportunity, for example, in stepping up talent acquisition.”

HTSA’s expanded management roster, including director of new technology Tom Doherty and chief learning architect Keith Esterly, has given the company leadership a full-time SWAT team of sorts, in place to create new tools and key initiatives.

“In the early stages of the pandemic we recognized the opportunity to address one of the biggest challenges faced by all tech industry dealers and integrators — a severe labor shortage,” Robbins says. “Keith [Esterly] developed a powerful set of tactics based on his Relationship Science course, helping members optimize recruitment practices to reach out to the many newly available top candidates furloughed by other less-fortunate operations. As a result of this talent acquisition initiative, most HTSA members have experienced a net increase in manpower.”

The HTSA’s customized Outbound Sales Program offers strategies for members whose

Feature: Buying Groups

TWICE.COM | APRIL 2021

showrooms had been ordered closed. Video meetings demonstrate how to review past client data and mine it for new opportunities for services and updates. Differences between outbound sales calls, cold calls, and telemarketing were explained, focusing on teaching salespeople how to re-engage when reaching out to past clients.

“The program was extremely successful,” Robbins says, “and we discovered that most clients were genuinely interested in updating their technology or adding new entertainment/home office capabilities.

“With The Vault, HTSA has created a centralized resource for all group- and vendor-created training and educational resources. The Vault is an easily accessed resource where members can find all materials from all sources, including videos, e-learnings, webinars, sales videos, and more. Members searching for needed training materials no longer need to chase vendors. They can go to The Vault, on demand. It features a simplified and consistent graphical user interface, tracks users’ progress, and provides HTSA with data on program completion and accomplishment levels.”

Doherty spearheaded an initiative to regularly collect business-level projections from a large group of members that were then shared with HTSA vendors on a monthly basis. The data was detailed, presented on a rolling three-month basis, and updated each month compared to the previous month’s projection.

“The group even broke the data down on a regional basis and held nothing back,” he says. “The best part of this initiative is that, in addition to gathering the hard numbers data, we also collected their anecdotal comments to add more context and color to the data. So there has been a dramatically increased level of two-way communication with membership and an outreach to vendors with detailed market data.”

ProSource made it a point to use this shutdown time to increase contact with members, says its CEO/president, David Workman. “We are facilitating mechanisms within the group to allow the dealers peerto-peer best practice idea exchanges on topics that are top-of-mind for them in this current environment.”

The centerpiece of ProSource training

The HTSA held Zoom Town Hall meetings to address the issues their dealer and vendors members were facing early on in the pandemic.

efforts is through ProSource University.

Launched in May 2020, it offers a unique course curriculum including video clips.

“Our vendor partners have been very proactive in providing web training sessions to the point where there is more available than time allows,” he says. “ProSourceU is an industry-first LMS platform that includes custom created content, including our Lighting Technology Certification, Project Management Certification, vendor/product training and webinars, and the entire CEDIA Course catalog.

“As an additional bonus,” Workman says, “ProSourceU allows our members to create personalized content that is only accessible by their team. In this way, we are covering all bases for our members and are continuing to add additional content, covering myriad topics, to meet their changing needs.”

WHAT DEALERS WANT “Dealers have been asking for help with supply chain issues, effective training to train new employees, and help entering the hot new categories such as lighting,” Workman says. “As the pandemic continues to roll on, it has become clear that our customer base is investing in their homes and, as a result, unlike many other industries that have been negatively affected, our business is booming. It has also become more and more clear that dealers need a best-inclass digital campaign to reach out to their existing client base along with growing new customers, as there is less social interaction to foster word-of-mouth referrals.”

Nationwide's first-ever Virtual PrimeTime, offered three days of video conferences, presentations, and training.

“Most Nationwide dealers need help with digital marketing, websites, and getting enough inventory to keep the sales channel active,” says Alexander. “Our communication efforts started on day one.

We began by sending our members weekly and monthly surveys to help identify what kinds of help they needed as the situation continued to unfold. Then we created a comprehensive ‘Back to Business Hub’ to address those needs and share critical information, whether that was about PPP loans, staying open in accordance with state and local guidelines in an ever-changing environment, or in how to communicate their open status to their customers — letting them know that they are available to help and could even come to a customer’s home to service an issue and do so in a way that keeps everyone safe.”

Nationwide worked with a distribution partner to secure access to affordable PPE gear for members’ employees and staff, as well as cleaning supplies to help them keep their stores and offices open. “And we helped our members set up transactional websites that could help keep sales going and give them another avenue with which to communicate with their clients,” he says.

“We didn’t over-communicate, but we talked, emailed, and responded to our members’ needs on a daily basis,” says Alexander. “As speed-ups began, we worked with our vendor and distribution partners to help get much-needed products into our

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12 Special Report: Buying Groups

ADVERTORIAL

APRIL 2021 | TWICE.COM

NATIONWIDE MEMBER BENEFITS INCLUDE:

• Unmatched scale for the largest

aggregate purchasing opportunities in the channel.

• PrimeTime, the industry’s largest Independent buying show and Member conference.

• Group-exclusive sheltered products and private labels available in every major category.

• Industry-leading and group-

supported digital marketing programs and website design services, which are constantly updated based on results from the channel’s largest reservoir of competitive data.

Nationwide Marketing Group, Member-Focused and Performance-Driven

E

ven in today’s unsettled and unpredictable marketplace, Members of Nationwide Marketing Group are thriving. In the face of immense challenges over the past year, Nationwide’s vast network of dealers stood tall and embraced the unusual circumstances.

Leaning on an array of digital, marketing, and financial and business services, dealers found opportunities to adapt and evolve while continuing to offer their customers innovative ways to shop with them — both in-store and online.

With more than 5,000 Members who operate some 14,000 storefronts, Nationwide’s retailers represent the most influential voices in the Independent appliance, electronics, furniture, bedding, outdoor entertainment and connected services industries. The group’s semi-annual PrimeTime events provide the largest gathering of Independent dealers in the channel’s history — even when those

gatherings have to happen in a virtual setting. Part product exhibition and buying show with some of the deepest deals of the year, and part educational conferences with a curriculum of hundreds of sessions, PrimeTime is attended by thousands of Members and Vendor Partners. It also provides Member-to-Member networking, access to key decision-makers and industry authorities, plus updates on the latest trends and issues affecting Members’ businesses.

• Free access to powerful data-driven

tools through the PriMetrix suite of programs, including personalized market share analysis, the Assortment Rationalization Tool (ART) and the Retail Sales Analytics (RSA) platform.

• An exclusive partnership with AT&T that lets Members sell cell phones, cellular service, home internet and DIRECTV.

• Both group-provided and group-

supported digital and traditional advertising assets and programs, from web video and TV commercials to in-store video, print materials and more.

• Group-negotiated inventory finance

and retail finance programs, plus low credit card processing and business insurance programs.

• Nationwide Learning Academy live sessions and workshops, held regionally and during PrimeTime.

• The Nationwide Learning Academy

Now is a great time for Independents and an even better time for Members of Nationwide Marketing Group. Learn more at NationwideGroup.org.

online, a mobile-optimized video learning platform with hundreds of new learning modules developed each year and hundreds of thousands of Member certifications annually.

• Nationwide’s eXchange CE purchasing portal, featuring pricing comparisons and product information from the industry’s leading CE distributors.

Introducing the new dual membership Access industry-leading integration education paired with sourcing, marketing and business support to kickstart your growth.

Learn more now

HTSNgroup.org

14 Feature: Buying Groups members’ hands. The supply chain, by all accounts, is still a challenge, and most likely will be for the next few months or, in some cases, quarters. But Nationwide will continue to fight for the inventory, the trucks, the deals, and the financing opportunities to help our members separate themselves from the competition.”

At Azione, the first unexpected problem was just how severe that lack of product problem became. “The impact of a March forecast from vendor partners resulted in major product shortages in the June-to-July timeframe,” says Glikes. “The worst of which seems to be receivers, as there has been a dearth of product coming out of Malaysia. The second problem, one that we hear about often, is a lack of labor in our industry. There’s more work than there are individuals to install. We are doing everything we can to support dealers on both fronts as we continue to endure this unique situation.

“We decided to do what we always do with one of our core value propositions, which is to create and improve interaction with our dealer and vendor members,” he says. “To that end, we just concluded our Fall Conference, which we did via a software platform. The components of the conference replicated an in-person conference to include guest speakers, small group meetings, one-on-one vendor/dealer discussions, and sumptuous cocktail parties.

It was just like the good old days. Both dealer and vendor members were thrilled by the outcome and we sent numerous messages applauding us for keeping conversation and business moving forward.

“Although we produced and hosted nearly 60 webinars through September 1, we have backed off as the dealers have become inundated with work. We are keeping our schedule to a minimum, which ends up being about one webinar a week through the rest of the year.”

September was the best month ever in the nine-year history of Azione Unlimited, Glikes says. “We have a number of initiatives launching in 2021 to aid the dealers to easily do more business. As a side note, we are getting approached by a large number of dealers who would like to join, and we are quite flattered by their level of interest.”

APRIL 2021 | TWICE.COM

Dynamic Marketing Incorporated Hosts Virtual Spring Expo DMI members “Learn, Grow, Achieve, and Repeat” at successful virtual event

By TWICE Staff

D

ynamic Marketing Incorporated (DMI) hosted their All-Virtual Spring Expo on March 18th, 2021, accessible to all DMI Members and their guests for free. Throughout COVID-19, organizations around the world continue to navigate the ever-changing ways of conducting business – including many prominent industry gatherings being forced to go virtual. New product and service intros and networking events are vital to any industry and, while many continue struggling to adapt, this is not the case for Dynamic Marketing Incorporated.

“We have the most dynamic members and business partners, and looked forward to bringing them a highly interactive day dedicated to helping them learn and grow their businesses,” said Alan Joskowicz, Director Of Operations (COO) at Dynamic Marketing Inc. “The DMI Spring 21 Expo was designed with our members in mind, offering live and recorded presentations, on-demand learning, and interactive booths for them to visit within our show floor.”

The expo’s theme was Learning is Growing, which was very appropriate with the amount of learning DMI members and staff did over the last year. From new ways to run a business amidst a pandemic to members taking their physical showrooms to a virtual platform, it’s been a learning experience for all.

DMI’s Spring Expo was full of engaging and motivational events, featuring a keynote address from DMI’s Jorge Joskowicz,

Executive Director; Alan Joskowicz, Director of Operations; and President, Albert Fouerti.

The organization also created a virtual exhibit hall that attendees could visit throughout the live event until April 17th.

Other features of the DMI Spring Expo included: Streamlined one day agenda to allow members more time to focus on their store Live and recorded presentations to give members the ability to watch when it’s convenient Interactive show floor and booths designed to feel like you’re experiencing a live show Documents and materials emailed directly to member inboxes for future reference

• • • •

ABOUT DMI Dynamic Marketing Incorporated was established in 1957 and is a private co-op of independent appliance store owners located in Hamilton Township, New Jersey where both its offices and warehouse reside. The company purchases consumer electronics and home and commercial appliances at wholesale prices from all major appliance manufacturers. In turn, its members sell these products to their customers – a model which helps them to successfully compete with “big box” retailers.

For more information about DMI, visit https://www.dmiorg.co/.

TWICE.COM | APRIL 2021

Feature: Buying Groups

Nationwide Virtual PrimeTime 2021 Bursts Out Of The Gate, Racing Towards Digital Wins Going all-in on digital is key to success for independent retailers in 2021

By Grant Morgan

T

he first day of Spring Virtual PrimeTime 2021, Nationwide Marketing Group’s premiere semiannual convention, was full of excitement, learning, market updates and most of all, an echoing call to action for members to fully embrace digital.

“Call me a broken record, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t stress the one thing we know can make or break your success, digital,” said Tom Hickman, Nationwide President and Chief Member Advocate in his State of Nationwide Marketing Group address to the membership. “Just because stores, restaurants, schools and theme parks are becoming safer to visit, it’s unrealistic to assume consumers will suddenly abandon their newfound love and proficiency in the online shopping experience. Your group has invested heavily in digital over the past few years, and it’s inarguable that, for those taking advantage, it’s paying off.”

“Retailers must have an e-commerceenabled website that delivers,” said Jennifer Danko, vice president of technology for Nationwide Marketing Group’s Site on Time in an Update Session. “E-commerce sales are expected to grow to over $834 billion in

2021. With more shoppers looking to buy large-ticket items for their homes online, ensuring that a dealer’s website can provide a streamlined and pleasant shopping experience is crucial to winning their share of this growing revenue stream.”

Despite the in-store restrictions during the pandemic, consumers continued to shop with a particular focus on home improvement projects in 2020, and Nationwide members who embraced digital before or early in the pandemic and partnered with RWS and Site On Time saw on average 27% higher sales than retailers on other platforms.

“The shoppers you want now are purchasing online in ever increasing numbers,” said Lee McDonald, Director of Consumer Electronics, Nationwide Marketing Group in his CE Update address. “Your group has invested in the tools to help you succeed.

Take a long look at your digital strategy, talk to our team of experts, dominate your market and capture the online shopper and in-store shopper. You don’t have to choose one or the other, you simply have to deploy the right tools and strategies, and we’re ready to help you do both.”

In addition to the push for success by embracing digital, Spring 2021 Virtual

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Feature: Buying Groups

PrimeTime improved its member interactivity game by switching to a new virtual convention platform. Improved communication functions were a top request from members who attended the first Virtual PrimeTime. From our experiences with attending learning and update sessions and meeting with members and reps throughout the day, we can say Nationwide not only heard their member’s requests but has brought another level of networking and content delivery to the independent retailer event scene.

As always, giving back is happening at Virtual PrimeTime. This PrimeTime, Nationwide members were encouraged to submit their most memorable commercial or company video to be voted for by their fellow members during the three-day show.

The winners of “The Most Memorable Video” were announced during the closing ceremony, and they will be able to select a charity, or charities, of their choice, to which Nationwide will make a donation on their behalf.

The first day of the show included PrimeTime Palooza, the exciting deal event where members have access to exclusive vendor pricing for a limited time. A huge success once again, PrimeTime Palooza had a digital first, debuting in a new app-based format for the virtual show to make it even easier for members to claim huge savings. After the Palooza dust settled, Tom Hickman had the chance to spend some quality time with special celebrity guest Dana Carvey, asking the SNL legend questions from members during the Post-Palooza Party.

We thoroughly enjoyed every session, event and presentation we attended - even more than the first Virtual PrimeTime.

“Focus on the good things ahead,” Hickman encouraged members in his address. “We’re definitely turning the corner. Health experts agree that we’re making forward progress, and we believe there’s great reason for optimism that by August, when we’re scheduled to host this show live from Nashville, Tennessee, that we’ll be in the clear to do so. Believe me, we miss you. I know you miss each other and all the great things that happen when we could be face-to-face. Start the countdown, because the first round’s on me.”

APRIL 2021 | TWICE.COM

Jim Ristow, CEO, AVB BrandSource

Jim Ristow: It’s Time To “Double Down” And Take Action BrandSource Summit 21 packed full of education, fun, industry updates and furniture

By Grant Morgan

T

he first day of the BrandSource Summit 21 started off strong with on-demand educational classes and vendor partner sponsored learning sessions, all leading up to AVB CEO, Jim Ristow’s state of the union address to the BrandSource/AVB membership.

Commending members for their historic sales growth during a year marked by unprecedented challenges, Ristow shared that amid predicted 20- to 30-percent declines for independent retailers,

BrandSource dealers’ courage, resilience and adaptability helped drive significant market share gains.

“We need to let the world know we are not giving this business back,” he declared.

“If we do this right, if we follow the theme of the Summit and truly double down, you can ride this momentum and build on it for years to come.”

Also contributing to BrandSource’s share grab was AVB’s digital marketing and e-commerce platform. Highly engaged members who embraced it enjoyed a nearly 30 percent increase in business last year

Feature: Buying Groups

TWICE.COM | APRIL 2021

and outpaced appliance and furniture industry growth by 15 percent, Ristow noted.

One of the unique offerings this Summit are the 777 Lunch & Learn sessions. These short-form panel discussions feature seven suppliers - which rotate every day - who each answer seven questions in seven minutes.

We were impressed with how informative and smoothly the 777 went Tuesday, and are eager to see how the next two go. And yes, they did keep to the seven minutes.

The next challenge — and the meaning behind the Summit’s theme of “Double Down” — is to continue driving the gains through 2021 and beyond.

To do so, members must leverage AVB’s advanced marketing technology, or MarTech, which integrates and manages the online and in-store experience and serves as “the Great Equalizer against all the big retail Goliaths,” Ristow said as he busted the “four big myths” about independent dealers: That consumers can’t find them; they can’t compete on price; their assortments are limited; and they don’t provide an omnichannel experience.

Joining Ristow on the virtual stage to dispel those myths was Chief Marketing Officer John White. By melding physical and digital retail, members enjoyed triple-digit increases in transactions, order count, online conversions, and purchases through digital ads and social media year over year, he said.

To keep the momentum going, White offered BrandSource dealers a new website

And Take Action_image 3_AVB’s merchandising chief Chad Evans delivers welcome news at Summit.

scoring tool to assess their sites’ effectiveness and introduced a flipbook-style digital tab for use in emails, texts, online and in stores. He also urged members to utilize Google’s “Surfaces Across Google” product showcase, and to direct their advertising to social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, which “is how many customers are shopping today,” he said.

One big announcement at Summit 21 is the group's focus on the home furnishings channel. BrandSource is launching Furniture Technology Source (FTS), a forum where “members can learn from each other

and get the tools and exact information they need, when they need it, to help their businesses grow,” explained COO Dave Meekings.

Components of Furniture Technology Source include: A recently launched monthly home furnishings newsletter.

The Furniture Channel, an extensive program of furniture-focused interviews and presentations at Summit.

Furniture breakout sessions during the group’s regularly-scheduled Region Meetings A new series of Town Hall video conferences for small groups of furniture dealers, to serve as a platform where alike businesses can gather, talk and help each other grow.

• • • •

And Take Action_image 2_AVB BrandSource CMO John White offered five means to an effective omni-channel presence

“We’re on the cusp of developing a great community here,” Meekings said. “It’s powerful when members meet and talk.”

Ristow concluded his address by citing the indomitable combination of BrandSource’s best-in-class retail entrepreneurs and AVB’s best-in-class MarTech. “I hope you can feel how you’re changing the game,” he told members, “but you need to continue to evolve your business. There are huge opportunities for years to come if we do this right, if we do this together … if we both double down.”

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CEDIA, Home Technology Specialists Nationwide Announce Partnership CEDIA membership for HTSN dealers will give access to CEDIA’s industry-leading education platform.

By TWICE Staff

C

EDIA and Nationwide Marketing Group, North America’s largest buying, marketing, and business support group for independent retailers, announced a partnership that gives Home Technology Specialists Nationwide (HTSN) dealers access to the global industry association’s robust educational platform.

Through the partnership, HTSN dealers will receive complimentary membership with CEDIA — paid for by Nationwide — and CEDIA member pricing toward CEDIA Academy courses and other training opportunities.

In addition, CEDIA and Nationwide are working closely to align education designed to enhance HTSN dealers’ business. One example of activating the collaboration is offering CEDIA Outreach Instructor Train the Trainer courses at future Nationwide PrimeTime shows and HTSN Summit events.

Completing the course empowers CEDIA members to provide continuing education unit (CEU) courses to industry partners from the design and build communities.

“The value of education for the custom installation professional cannot be understated,” says Nationwide President and Chief Member Advocate Tom Hickman.

“When there are more certified and welleducated custom installers across our channel, it benefits everybody — from their clients to the designers, builders and architects they work closely with. And when

it comes to training and education in the CI industry, CEDIA has long been the gold standard. We couldn’t think of a better or more complete curriculum than the one they bring to the table, and we’re thrilled for the opportunity this partnership presents to our members.”

CEDIA Academy offers integrators a slate of rigorous technical and business courses that cover a wide range of topics, including brand building, finance for the nonfinancial managers, hiring best practices, cash flow and more. The association’s Cabling and Infrastructure Technician (CIT) pathway is designed to give entry-level or new-tothe-industry technicians the foundational knowledge needed to be job-ready.

Additionally, CEDIA members receive complimentary Media Room-level access to The CEDIA Designer, which helps create technically-perfect home cinema or media room plans in minutes.

“CEDIA is known throughout the world for providing the highest level of technology integration education and this partnership with HTSN and Nationwide Marketing Group will broaden the opportunity to skill up the dealer community,” says CEDIA Interim Co-CEO Giles Sutton. “From business-focused courses to industry-leading certifications, CEDIA’s professional development offerings and networking opportunities provide unmatched value for our members in all

branches of the high-tech landscape. We welcome our new members and look forward to helping them achieve greater success in this exciting industry.”

In order to streamline access to CEDIA’s educational offerings, Nationwide and CEDIA are collaborating to integrate the courses directly into the Nationwide eXchange platform. That means HTSN dealers will be able to explore CEDIA’s training opportunities and shop for products for their businesses, all from the same portal.

“We want to make the experience as seamless as possible for our dealers,” explains Hank Alexander, director of HTSN. “Education is a top priority for us in 2021, and the more dealers we can get participating in CEDIA’s programs, the better. We hope that, by making their courses available through the eXchange platform with which our dealers are already intimately familiar, we’ll be able to maximize the visibility of this critical partnership and get as many Members engaged with CEDIA’s education as possible.”

CEDIA and HTSN plan to hit the ground running with this new partnership.

CEDIA joined Nationwide at Virtual PrimeTime, this past March, and the association is also already in the early stages of planning their presence at Nationwide’s summer PrimeTime show and the next in-person HTSN Summit.

Feature: Retail

TWICE.COM | APRIL 2021

Newegg Offers Support To Southern California Workers Displaced By Recent Fry’s Electronics Closure E-tailer’s in-house staffing agency, Newegg Staffing, actively recruiting for outplacement roles

By TWICE Staff

N

ewegg, one of the leading techfocused e-retailers in North America, is offering support to workers in the greater Los Angeles area displaced by the recent closure of Fry’s Electronics. Newegg currently has dozens of open positions in its City of Industry headquarters.

Additionally, the company’s in-house staffing agency, Newegg Staffing, is actively recruiting for outplacement roles at local businesses, including temporary, permanent and seasonal positions. All told, Newegg has hundreds of roles available for immediate hire or placement, many of

which are ideally suited to former employees of Fry’s Electronics.

“We realize that with Fry’s shutting down, many people now find themselves looking for their next career opportunity, and we want to do what we can to help transition those individuals into new roles,” said Jamie Spannos, Newegg’s Global Chief Operating Officer. “We want to do our part to serve the community by helping connect former Fry’s employees with their next job, whether that means working with us here at Newegg, or finding roles elsewhere via

our in-house staffing agency.”

OPPORTUNITIES AT NEWEGG Newegg is currently hiring for more than 65 corporate office positions at its headquarters alone. Opportunities are available in all business functions, including Finance, Human Resources, IT & Web Management, Marketing, Operations, Sales, Product Management, Customer Service and E-Commerce Merchandising. Visit http://www.newegg. com/careers for more information about available roles.

OUTPLACEMENT VIA NEWEGG STAFFING Newegg Staffing is a full-service agency offering a full range of staffing solutions to the logistics, manufacturing, clerical and supply chain management industries.

Newegg Staffing serves companies of all sizes in different industries, with opportunities ranging from direct hires and temporary roles to executive positions and seasonal help. Newegg Staffing is currently sourcing more than 100 positions in Southern California. Visit https:// staffing.newegg.com to learn more about job placement via Newegg Staffing.

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22 Feature: Retail Forecast

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APRIL 2021 | TWICE.COM

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NRF Forecasts 2021 Retail Sales To Exceed $4.33T Retail sales growth expected between 6.5% and 8.2% as vaccinations rollout

By TWICE Staff

T

he National Retail Federation issued its annual forecast on February 24, 2021, anticipating that retail sales will grow between 6.5 percent and 8.2 percent to more than $4.33 trillion in 2021 as more individuals get vaccinated and the economy reopens.

“Despite the continuing health and

economic challenges COVID-19 presents, we are very optimistic that healthy consumer fundamentals, pent-up demand and widespread distribution of the vaccine will generate increased economic growth, retail sales and consumer spending,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said in a statement. “From the outset of the pandemic, retailers have gone above and beyond even the most conservative safety guidelines to

protect and serve their associates and consumers alike. Retailers are increasingly engaged in working with federal, state and local health officials to distribute and administer the vaccine. This partnership has been key to our economic health throughout the pandemic and will continue this year.”

Early results show that retail sales in 2020 grew 6.7 percent over 2019 to $4.06 trillion, nearly doubling NRF’s forecast of at least 3.5 percent growth, which did not account for the impact of a global pandemic. This figure compares with 3.9 percent growth in 2019.

Online and other non-store sales, which are included in the total figure, skyrocketed to 21.9 percent at $969.4 billion as consumers shifted to ecommerce. The numbers exclude automobile dealers, gasoline stations and restaurants.

The 2020 November-December holiday season accounted for nearly one-fifth (19.4 percent) of overall annual retail sales. Retail sales during this period grew an unexpectedly high 8 percent to $787.1 billion.

Non-store and other online sales represented $206.9 billion of total holiday sales, up 22.6 percent over the year before.

NRF forecasts that 2021 retail sales are estimated to total between $4.33 trillion and $4.4 trillion. Online sales, which are included in the total, are expected to grow between 18

Feature: Smart Home

TWICE.COM | APRIL 2021

percent and 23 percent to between $1.14 trillion and $1.19 trillion.

NRF expects the overall economy to gain between 220,000 and 300,000 jobs per month in 2021, depending on the pace of the overall economy in the second and third quarters.

Despite the economy’s stalled momentum at the end of last year, NRF forecasts real GDP growth between 4.5 percent and 5.0 percent.

“The trajectory of the economy is predicated on the effectiveness of the vaccine and its distribution,” NRF Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz said in a statement. “Our principal assumption is that the vaccination will be effective and permits accelerated growth during the mid-year. The economy is expected to see its fastest growth in over two decades.”

Kleinhenz noted that this year marks the second year of savings, record high stock valuations, increased home prices, enhanced government support and record low interest rates, which are all contributing factors towards the economy and consumer spending behavior.

Additionally, Kleinhenz said households will still consume retail goods but will turn to services as they are able, which normally account for 70 percent of consumer spending.

While the pandemic has precipitated broader adoption of multichannel services for the retail industry, households are becoming attached to the convenience and product selection of buying online.

As the available data and factors surrounding the economy are subject to change due to several extenuating circumstances, NRF will update its estimates accordingly.

ABOUT NRF The National Retail Federation passionately advocates for the people, brands, policies and ideas that help retail thrive. From its headquarters in Washington, D.C., NRF empowers the industry that powers the economy. Retail is the nation’s largest privatesector employer, contributing $3.9 trillion to annual GDP and supporting one in four U.S. jobs — 52 million working Americans. For over a century, NRF has been a voice for every retailer and every retail job, educating, inspiring and communicating the powerful impact retail has on local communities and global economies.

DoorBird IP Door Stations Work With Yale And August Smart Locks Allows for monitoring of selected areas, as well as remote access and greeting deliveries from anywhere.

DoorBird IP video door stations can now fully integrate with Yale and August smart locks.

Homeowners can connect their smart lock to the smart door station for a seamless “approach to entry” experience. The new integration works with the August Wi-Fi Smart Lock, any August Smart Lock with a Wi-Fi Connect, and the Yale Assure Locks and Levers with Wi-Fi. Through the DoorBird app, residents will have access to the following features: Know who stopped by, even when you are out: Integrated into your own home automation system through the DoorBird app, the DoorBird IP video door station will allow users to monitor the front door, gate and/or garage door. With motion sensors and live in-app notifications when the doorbell is pressed, users will receive an alert whenever someone moves into the entrance area of the home.

Grant access to visitors remotely: Whether it is a neighbor, friend, or family member, users will be able to have a twoway conversation with any visitor

through the integrated DoorBird camera and DoorBird app. They will also be able to unlock the door from the same app from anywhere.

Never miss a delivery: Use the DoorBird app to greet and grant delivery personnel temporary access to the garage, front gate or hallway, ensuring packages are always safely delivered to the home while the users are away. Even if the user is at home most of the day, he or she can grant access from the desk or the couch for ultimate convenience.

For more information, visit www.doorbird.com.

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24 Feature: Outdoors

APRIL 2021 | TWICE.COM

Peerless-AV Introduces Neptune Shade Series Outdoor TVs New all-weather TV line includes 55”, 65”, and 75” options

By TWICE Staff

P

eerless-AV, an established manufacturer of outdoor TVs, is pleased to announce the launch of their line of Neptune Shade Series Outdoor TVs, available in 55”, 65”, and 75” outdoor TV options, all of which come with a free Neptune Outdoor Tilting Wall Mount ($199 value).

Created with industry leader Peerless-AV’s innovative technologies and maintenancefree construction, the Neptune Shade Series can withstand physical elements of the weather, as well as operate in temperatures ranging from -22°F to 122°F (-30°C to 50°C) and can be easily installed in backyards, patios, outdoor kitchens, pool areas, and more.

“The idea of making your home your own version of paradise has never been more prevalent than in recent times,” said Nick Belcore, Executive Vice President, Peerless-AV. “We’re proud to be able to utilize our nearly 80 years in the AV industry with Peerless-AV

to construct a product that is just as durable and technologically innovative but make it widely available for easy home installations.

With the Neptune Shade Series Outdoor TVs, quality outdoor entertainment that has been used in outdoor bars, stadiums, and resorts, is within reach for your own outdoor space.”

Neptune Shade Series Outdoor TVs are crafted with the optimal solution and video quality. The TV’s high dynamic range offers brighter highlights with more contrast, resulting in deeper and richer colors for a more realistic, natural image. Complete with 4K, UHD resolution and an IPS panel to boost color performance and consistency, Neptune Outdoor TVs offer 178-degrees of viewing so consumers can enjoy stunning views from anywhere in their backyard oasis.

The TV’s freePATH technology allows WiFi signal to easily connect to the device for SMART TV compatibility.

Neptune Shade Series Outdoor TVs and their respective mounting solutions can be found at neptuneTV.com.

Abode Cam 2 As consumers make upgrades to their homes both indoors and out, they are looking to integrate smart home devices that will add convenience and safety to the home. Video surveillance devices give consumers a quick and easy way to monitor the security of their house and the surrounding area via a single camera, alerting them when motion or a person is detected. With more time spent at home, families understand the importance of integrating outdoor security products to keep the whole house safe and secure.

The abode Cam 2 is a compact smart home security camera packed with the features and versatility consumers need to safeguard and monitor their home. The ultra-affordable camera is the perfect choice for standalone single or multicamera setups for security and surveillance and does not require a gateway. The Wi-Fi-enabled, 1080p camera features an IP65-rated weatherproof housing and flexible mounting base making it the ideal solution for outdoor video surveillance.

For extremely low-light conditions, the abode Cam 2 includes a built-in Starlight sensor bringing full-color night-vision to the system, providing homeowners with the ability to identify crucial details via crystal clear video. The camera features out-of-the-box support for Alexa video and Google video integrations allowing users to view a live video stream from Echo Show or Google Assistant displays via a simple voice command. For consumers new to DIY, the abode Cam 2 is the way to go.

26 Feature: Streaming

APRIL 2021 | TWICE.COM

Kaleidescape Celebrates 20th Anniversary The company has over 12,000 titles for purchase and more than 8000 for rent.

By Residential Systems Staff

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aleidescape celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. While the products have evolved, its purpose remains the same: to design and manufacture the industry’s leading home movie servers and players for custom installation.

KALEIDESCAPE 20TH “I started Kaleidescape, with cofounders Cheena Srinivasan and Dan Collens, in February of 2001,” says Michael Malcolm, chairman of Kaleidescape’s board of

directors. “I had just built my first home theater at a time when the only practical movie source was a DVD disc. But DVDs were inconvenient to purchase, store, find, and play. We imagined and created new products and a cloud infrastructure that would deliver high-fidelity movies through the Internet, store them digitally in the home, automatically organize them, and make them easy to play in any room.”

With a passion for movies and deep respect for experiencing them as the filmmakers intended, the Kaleidescape executives saw an opportunity to bring films to life through immersive home

cinema. They built a team grounded in a shared dedication to their craft, and engineered innovations that stemmed from the realization that great home cinema is as much about audio as video; that what happens before the movie starts and after it finishes is just as important as the quality of the movie itself. As the lights dim, viewers are drawn deeper into the story by each subtle sound and ground-shaking rumble and held captive until the end credits roll and the lights slowly return. This, the company says, is the transportive power of the Kaleidescape experience.

Garnering over 50 industry awards, Kaleidescape built a global brand with installations in over 80 countries and the finest superyachts. It transitioned from storing digital copies of customers’ DVD and Blu-ray discs to providing download access to thousands of iconic films. Today, Kaleidescape has the largest collection of 4K titles with lossless Dolby Atmos audio available and boasts over 12,000 titles for purchase and more than 8000 for rent. For those who want to enjoy opening night at home, its Premium Video on Demand (PVOD) feature provides access to just-released films. In addition to offering an expansive catalog of films, concerts, and TV series, Kaleidescape offers automating settings and curating instant scene access.

“I’d like to congratulate Kaleidescape for 20 years of providing a fantastic, secure, super high-quality source for true home cinema,” says Barry Sonnenfeld, whose awardwinning credits include his cinematography on Miller’s Crossing, Raising Arizona, Big, and When Harry Met Sally, as well as his directorial work, including Get Shorty, The Addams Family, and the Men in Black franchise. Most recently, he was the showrunner and directed many episodes of Netflix’s A Series of Unfortunate Events. “I’ve had several home screening rooms in the last 30 years and I always tried to create an experience better than I can get in a commercial movie theater. I rely on Kaleidescape to deliver a truly fantastic image and incredibly great sound.”

For more information, visit https://www.kaleidescape.com/.

Feature: Smart Home

TWICE.COM | APRIL 2021

27

Ring Debuts Video Doorbell Pro 2 Features include radar technology, 3D motion detection, and Bird’s Eye View.

RING

By TWICE Staff

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RING

ing has announced Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2, a new video doorbell complete with 3D Motion Detection with radar, enhanced audio capabilities with an array microphone, and customizable privacy features. Combined with new Head to Toe video, 3D Motion Detection, and Bird’s Eye View, the new device gives homeowners more context about what is happening at their front door.

Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 uses radar to better detect objects. Homeowners can customize which areas of their property they want to monitor by selecting distance thresholds. The radar sensor determines when an object crosses the distance threshold by measuring its specific distance from the camera. The camera only starts recording once that threshold is crossed and sends homeowners a motion alert.

Unique to Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2, 3D Motion Detection gives you more control to record video only when and where someone steps onto your property.

3D Motion Detection also powers a new Bird’s Eye View feature, which provides an aerial view of the homeowner’s property and a map of where a motion event starts to give historical context to the nature of the event. Together, 3D Motion Detection and Bird’s Eye View are the newest way for homeowners to get more control and context about what

is happening in front of their door.

In addition to 3D Motion Detection and Bird’s Eye View, advanced features include Head to Toe video, 1536p HD video, and an array microphone that limits sound distortion for clearer audio and video of what is happening at the door.

Also new are Smart Responses, two new features that make Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 and other cameras even more helpful. First, a new Quick Replies feature is available for all homeowners with Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2, with preset replies that act as an answering machine for the front door.

Second, Ring Protect Plan subscribers can also turn on Alexa Greetings, a new feature that enables Alexa to automatically greet visitors, take

messages, and provide instructions on where to leave packages when the Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 doorbell is pressed.

The Ring app allows users to tailor specific privacy and security settings.

Homeowners can set 3D Motion Detection thresholds and Customizable Motion Zones that trigger recordings, and Privacy Zones can exclude areas in the camera field of view from video recording for added privacy. And for advanced security options, Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 will support Ring’s video End-to-End Encryption, currently in technical preview.

Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 is $249.99 and is available for order at Ring.com and Amazon. com. Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 began shipping to customers on March 31, 2021.

For more information, visit www.ring.com.

28 Feature: Audio

APRIL 2021 | TWICE.COM

Sonos Debuts The Roam Ultra-Portable Smart Speaker About 1/6 the size and weight of the Sonos Move portable speaker, Roam offers easier portability plus Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Auto Trueplay functionality .

S

onos has introduced Sonos Roam, the ultra-portable smart speaker, which is fully connected to the Sonos system on Wi-Fi at home and automatically switches to Bluetooth when you’re on the go.

Roam is about 1/6 the size and weight of the Sonos Move portable speaker. Weighing less than a pound, Roam is available starting April 20 for $169. It is now available for pre-order on sonos.com.

A simultaneous connection to both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth makes streaming wherever you are seamless. When you are listening at home, Roam connects to your system and streams on Wi-Fi, and when you leave it intuitively switches to Bluetooth and automatically re-pairs with your mobile device.

With an all-new feature called Sound Swap, you can hold the play/pause button on the speaker to switch the music to the nearest speaker on your system, making it

SO

easy to move music from room to room.

Seamless connectivity also unlocks Bluetooth streaming for your entire system, with the Sonos app allowing you to group any of your Sonos speakers to Roam when streaming with Bluetooth. Roam works with more than 100 streaming services, including Sonos Radio, and is controlled with the Sonos app, your voice with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, Apple AirPlay 2, or directly from your favorite music service app.

Automatic Trueplay is now available when streaming via Bluetooth as well as Wi-Fi, and means Roam is always tuned for the best listening experience in any environment. Sonos says that this feature will also be coming to the Move portable speaker shortly (right now, the Move’s Trueplay only works when connected to Wi-Fi).

Available in shadow black or lunar white, Roam’s tactile triangular shape and soft profile is

SONOS

By Residential Systems Staff

comfortable to pick up. Roam is dust proof and fully waterproof with a tested IP67 rating, and features silicone end caps and physical buttons to protect against drops or bumps. Roam provides up to 10 hours of continuous playback on a single charge and up to 10 days of battery life when not in use.

To recharge, Roam connects to a custom magnetic wireless charger from Sonos that is sold separately, any Qi wireless charger, or with the USB-C cable included in the box.

Roam is available starting April 20 for $169 on sonos.com and through participating retailers.

For more information, visit www.sonos.com.

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Special Report: Home Audio

TWICE.COM | APRIL 2021

29

The Sweet Sounds Of Home Audio

THEORY AUDIO DESIGN

TWO SIMPLE STEPS TO SELLING PREMIUM AUDIO

CRESTRON, ORIGIN ACOUSTICS ANNOUNCE NEW RESIDENTIAL AUDIO SOLUTIONS

A TRUE REVIVAL MOMENT IN AUDIO IS HERE

30 Special Report: Home Audio

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Two Simple Steps To Selling Premium Audio Mark Goldman, VP of Sales, Pro Audio Technology and Theory Audio Design

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of our dealers to bring their customers for a demo because every single visitor that hears a PRO or Theory system buys a system (and often times, a bigger one than they initially intended to). When the equipment is “selfevidently” great, it speaks for itself. It really is that easy. The demo is the most powerful tool for selling premium audio and increasing system ticket sales.

In addition to having your customer hear the audible differences of premium audio, there is also tremendous value in a unique brand story to go along with it. In fact, in some cases it may be the only way to convert a customer to step up to premium audio if, for whatever reason, demoing the product is not possible.

What makes the product different and special? Make sure you have the facts and can communicate them in a passionate and meaningful way. Having a short and compelling story about the history of the company and superior engineering of the products goes a long way with the customer.

THEORY AUDIO DESIGN

have been involved in selling performance audio since the beginning of my audio career. Before joining premium audio manufacturers, Pro Audio Technology (PRO) and Theory Audio Design (Theory), I was on the “front lines” as a dealer and integrator for over 20 years. The company I previously owned, Sound Components, in Miami, FL was a hybrid company, meaning it was an integration business with a retail component selling high performance audio and home theaters.

Prior to that, I was the Director of Sales and Marketing for high-end loudspeaker manufacturer, Wilson Audio, where I was responsible for product and sales training, hosting demonstrations, and installing highend loudspeakers around the globe.

Over my 30+ year career, I’ve heard a lot of loudspeakers – dozens of which claimed to be the best in class. However, very few of them actually offered any notable differentiators. In my experience, converting customers from mid-level to premium audio requires that a brand offer two critical differentiators: Outstanding product performance that is demonstrable.

A solid brand story to go along with it.

So, let’s cover the first differentiator: outstanding performance that is demonstrable. Stepping up from mid-level to premium audio solutions is the difference between simply hearing the content, to being completely immersed in the scene of a movie or musical performance. A premium loudspeaker’s performance should be selfevident, meaning no matter how much or how little someone knows about audio, it is

immediately recognized as great.

To this day, my favorite place to be is in front of customers demonstrating loudspeakers. Seeing a customer’s face light up once they experience remarkable sound quality for the first time is what I enjoy most. Sometimes premium audio even inspires an emotional response from the listener because it takes them back to an important life moment or live performance that made them feel a certain way.

This is why demoing premium audio is so important. How can you convince your customer that they should spend more money on audio equipment without showing them the audible benefits? When purchasing a car, most people test drive a selection of makes and models before making a decision and investing their money. With audio, it should be no different – especially if you, the salesperson, want to move them up to the next level.

PRO and Theory have Experience Centers in Southern California and we encourage all

Special Report: Home Audio

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It provides context, creates anticipation, and sets them up for the demo experience (if possible). You, the salesperson, need to believe in the brand you are selling in order to convert your customers. People can sense confidence and conviction, and that passion is contagious.

Selling premium audio becomes easy when you are able to share a brand’s unique story combined with a thrilling and immersive demo. Why? Because after that, it’s very likely your customer is presold. The story grasps their attention and sets the demo up for success. Follow that up with a thrilling and powerful demo and you are well on your way to closing the sale, and, with the added comfort of knowing you are providing them with an audio solution that will thrill them for years to come.

Mark Goldman is the VP of Sales for premium audio brands, Pro Audio Technology and Theory Audio Design.

ABOUT PRO AUDIO TECHNOLOGY Pro Audio Technology (PRO) designs and manufactures a complete range of loudspeakers and DSP amplified loudspeaker controllers that address the needs of high-end residential installations.

PRO products unite lively dynamics, high maximum output level, and refined acoustic performance – satisfying even the most discerning music and home theater enthusiasts around the globe. All PRO products are designed, engineered and manufactured in the USA. Pro Audio Technology products are available globally through an elite group of high-end residential custom installers. Pro Audio Technology is the brand name of Professional Home Cinema, LLC. For more information visit: proaudiotechnology.com.

ABOUT THEORY AUDIO DESIGN Theory Audio Design was founded in 2018 to bring fresh thinking to the design of audio products for residential and commercial installations where too many “me too” products have remained unchanged and uninteresting for decades. Theory makes a simple promise: to deliver the best performance available in every product category we enter. For more information, visit: theoryaudiodesign.com.

Platin Audio Debuts Platin Milan 5.1 Smart Surround Sound System The expandable WiSA Certified home theater sound system merges style and affordability

By TWICE Staff Platin Audio recently announced an additional home cinema product line – The Platin Milan 5.1, following their successful 2020 launch of the Platin Monaco 5.1 wireless surround sound system. Platin Milan 5.1 features WiSA Certified™, compact and unobtrusive satellite speakers with a versatile wrap-around acoustic grill cloth, Milan easily blends into any comfortable living space for a totally immersive, 360-degree sensory experience.

“We are excited to see this great system become available and deliver immersive audio performances at a great price point,” said Tony Ostrom, WiSA President. “A key goal at WiSA is to promote amazing home cinema experiences and help facilitate their availability across large spectrums of styles, prices, and performance levels, thus enabling adoption and enjoyment by a massive number of enthusiasts.”

Delivered in a single box, the new Milan surround sound system includes a lowprofile and powerful subwoofer that is tied together with the other five Milan speakers over a lossless multi-channel network, utilizing the award-winning WiSA SoundSend audio transmitter. With SoundSend, both Milan and Monaco

provide pure 24-bit uncompressed audio for a completely wireless entertainment soundscape.

Compatible with all Smart TVs with an HDMI arc or eArc port, SoundSend is capable of recognizing newly added speakers, and Dolby Atmos for overhead sounds and effects, either virtually, or physically with overhead speakers, making it possible to upgrade with ease.

Like Platin Monaco, Platin Milan utilizes the SoundSend mobile application for easy access and control of features like the MyZone, which allows users to create a “sweet spot” for ideal listening.

“With three awards so far this year, the WiSA SoundSend audio transmitter, right along with WiSA Ready™ TVs and other WiSA Certified™ speakers and components, continues to raise the bar for simplified set-up and control of high-performance home cinema systems,” added Ostrom.

Platin Milan is available on Amazon today, and directly from Platinaudio.us in April 2021. Platinaudio.us also includes additional individual speaker components for upgrades.

For more information, visit platinaudio.us

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A True Revival Moment In Audio Is Here There is deep value in working with a professional for your home audio needs Randy Blanchard – Vanco International, Inc.

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rom records and turntables to CDs and now high-fidelity music streaming – anytime a new and better music source has been introduced we see a resurgence of new music lovers joining our ranks. High-fidelity music streaming is really taking off, earlier this year Spotify announced that Spotify HiFi will be available in 2021, joining the ranks of Amazon, Tidal and more. Audio is experiencing a true revival moment now as listeners rediscover that lost art of sitting and enjoying music.

With this trend comes a greater interest in upgrading - opening up a customer base that hadn’t sought out true audio systems before. While WiFi connected smart speakers offer convenience and a good entry point – they fail at what truly great audio systems do – stimulating that emotional experience with the music.

We know that audio-neophytes will start their research on the internet, and no one can blame them, there is a ton to learn when it comes to setting up that perfect system. The reality is when it comes to transitioning from a smart speaker to

architectural speakers – all the internet research in the world is not going to tell you how that speaker will sound in your specific home. This may be controversial but, make no mistake the speaker makes the system – regardless of the cost – the speaker is what you hear.

Audio tastes really vary from person to person not unlike how it’s hard to know exactly how a speaker will sound in your home. My best advice for anyone looking to develop their audio system is to find a local shop – be it a home theater business or a HiFi shop – look for a place that does demos of audio equipment. If your friends have a system, give theirs a listen.

Some homeowners will of course look to create their own experience – sourcing equipment and configuring where speakers should go. However, there really is deep value in working with a professional. There is a science to creating great sound and there are industry experts that know exactly how to curate that experience. Further still, using a professional integrator opens up products that you can just add to your cart from a big box retailer. Integrators offer a deep selection of products and after consulting with you on budget and scale of your project they can design a system that will exceed anything you could purchase.

Enclave Audio Now Shipping AddOn Subwoofers For CineHome Wireless Audio Systems

By TWICE Staff Enclave Audio announced the shipping of add-on wireless subwoofers for the CineHome II and THX® Certified CineHome PRO wireless home theater systems. Both CineHome systems are expandable and support up to four wireless subwoofers to enable configurations of up to 5.4 channels.

Enclave Audio now offers two subwoofer models in two sizes, the 10” CineHome PRO Subwoofer (EA-1000THXSUB-US) and the 8” CineHome II Subwoofer (EA-200-SUB-US).

Both subwoofers feature a durable MDF enclosure, are WiSA® Certified™ and leverage Class-D digital amplifiers. The CineHome PRO subwoofer includes a custom 10” front firing woofer and is available now for $549.00 MSRP. The CineHome II subwoofer includes an 8” down-firing woofer and is available now for $399.00 MSRP.

For more information on the Enclave Audio CineHome wireless home theater systems please visit: www.enclaveaudio.com

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Polk Audio React Soundbar Features Dolby and DTS virtual surround sound and Alexa built-in

By TWICE Staff

SnapAV Adds Entire Triad Loudspeaker Line-Up To Online Store Authorized dealers to gain exclusive access to Triad products at SnapAV.com.

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napAV announced that the full suite of products from its Triad brand is available online at SnapAV.com for Triad Authorized Dealers to purchase.

For over 40 years, Triad has designed, developed and manufactured high-end custom loudspeakers in Portland, OR. The addition of Triad’s line-up offers SnapAV partners a premium, custom speaker option that is good for upscale projects in which acoustic excellence and bespoke quality are essential.

Triad soundbars, home theater speakers, and multi-room speakers use the company’s built-to-order business model, combining craftsmanship and customization to simplify installation while meeting the aesthetic needs of any project. Partners can determine what speaker models they need, then specify any size (at an additional cost), match any color paint, and select from dozens of wood veneer options to blend with the décor of any

home. Triad’s Design Services team has designed thousands of high-end home cinemas and work with SnapAV’s Partners.

The full line of Triad products will be available for anyone to browse, with ordering limited to Triad Authorized Dealers.

A new program to SnapAV, partners can apply to be a Triad Authorized Dealer online with preference given to partners who are existing Triad dealers that already consistently use Triad soundbars, home theater speakers, and other models.

Requirements for the program include the ability to demo a Triad speaker system, previous home theater experience, and a passion for delivering high-performance audio solutions.

For more information, visit www.snapav.com/engage.

Polk Audio’s latest smart soundbar, the Polk React, offers Dolby Digital, DTS 5.1 virtual surround sound, and Alexa Built-in, React can be used as a standalone soundbar or be paired with Polk Audio SR2 wireless rear surround speakers and/or React Sub wireless subwoofer for a full 5.1 surround system.

Polk React ($249), SR2 wireless rear surrounds ($199), and React Sub ($199) are currently available for purchase.

To deliver a detailed and expansive surround sound home theater experience without the need for dedicated rear speakers, Polk React is optimized to get the most out of Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1. However, if listeners want to upgrade to true surround sound and deeper bass without connecting a single wire to the soundbar, they can purchase the new Polk SR2 wireless surround speakers and/or Polk Audio React Sub.

For more information, visit www.polkaudio.com.

Special Report: Home Audio

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Crestron, Origin Acoustics Announce New Residential Audio Solutions New line of residential architectural and landscape speakers crafted specifically to handle the high-performance audio output of the new Crestron DM NAX Audio-over-IP amplifier

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restron Electronics announced a lineup of in-wall, in-ceiling, and landscape speakers developed through a partnership with Origin Acoustics, an industry leader in loudspeakers, electronics, and accessories.

Crestron also announced the DM NAX™ matrix/amplifier and streaming music player for high-performance audio-over-IP and native integration with Crestron Home™.

“The residential line of architectural and landscape speakers and high performance audio distribution system offer a no compromise solution that scales across project sizes to deliver an unmatched home entertainment experience. By partnering with Origin Acoustics, we were able combine our expertise to fill an exceptional

need in the market with an extraordinary new series of audio products,” said John Clancy, VP of Residential, Crestron in a statement.

The new line of Crestron Speakers made

by Origin Acoustics fall within two distinct performance tiers: Reference and Ultimate.

Speakers from the baseline-level Reference tier, made up of in-ceiling, in-wall, and landscape models, feature Origin’s patented silk tweeters, known for their smooth sound, and glass fiber drivers designed to produce very low distortion. Speakers from the luxury Ultimate tier, made up of in-ceiling, in-wall, marine-grade, and landscape models, are designed to offer users the best available performance and feature carbon-fiber components and ceramic-coated aluminum tweeters that

optimize sound accuracy.

Crestron Residential Speakers are made with premium components to support the incredibly high output and resolution capacity of the DM NAX amplifier. Built for optimal performance right out of the box, each speaker model is architecturally constructed to disappear into a home’s design without every sacrificing audio quality.

“Origin Acoustics is excited about the potential that the Crestron architectural speaker line and the partnership unlock for us as a brand,” said Nick Berry, CEO of Origin Acoustics in a statement. “Our goal, since the inception of Origin Acoustics, was to build the world's finest architectural loudspeakers. The new alliance is complimentary as Origin’s heritage in audio, leadership in innovative and labor-saving loudspeaker design, and Crestron's ingenuity and technological innovation in whole-house automation.”

CRESTRON DM NAX AUDIO-OVER-IP DISTRIBUTION SOLUTION Identifying a gap in the market for an audio solution that could fully integrate into a smart home platform and provide both highresolution and high-output audio for even the most discerning audiophile, Crestron’s new DM NAX matrix/amplifier line brings unparalleled connectivity with native music streaming from today’s most popular services. With Crestron Home integration, homeowners will gain full visibility and control of their home audio from mobile devices, touch screens, remotes, keypads, and voice-activated devices.

For more information, visit crestron.com and originacoustics.com.

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STORIS, Kornerstone Credit Partner To Expanding Lease-To-Own Options “No credit needed” program expands consumer accessibility to furniture, bedding, and appliances

By TWICE Staff Kornerstone Credit and STORIS announce a new partnership to support home furnishings retailers in providing their consumers lease-to-own purchasing options at the Point of Sale. Kornerstone Credit is certified as a lease-to-own lender and integrates to STORIS’ Finance Queue. Their “no credit needed” program expands consumer accessibility to furniture, bedding, and appliances.

“We’re excited to be a certified partner of STORIS,” said Clint Cowley, CRO of Kornerstone in a statement. The top home furnishings retailers in North America utilize their state-of-the-art system and we look forward to offering our program to mutual retail partners.”

Kornerstone Credit’s mission is “to have the most affordable lease-to-own experience, driven by happy people and awesome tech.” Its lease-to-own program helps customers acquire home furnishings without needing a credit score. Kornerstone Credit found that in today’s economy, more than 40% of consumers are unable to obtain traditional credit to purchase the items they need for their home. Kornerstone Credit’s lease-to-own program offers instant approvals and the option to buy-out over 90 days or to obtain ownership through a convenient monthly lease payment.

“By partnering with Kornerstone Credit, we now offer more non-credit purchase choices to retailers utilizing our Finance Queue. Having a multitude of payment options available to those who are in various economic situations due to the current climate will help more customers access the home furnishings they need,” commented Marybeth Feeney, STORIS’ Director of

Application Development.

STORIS’ Finance Queue manages all touchpoints with finance providers including application, approval, authorization, settlement, and account reconciliation from its POS Solution. With the Finance Queue, a single credit application can be submitted against the retailer’s available options for primary, secondary, and tertiary lenders with the customer’s approval. By enabling Kornerstone Credit as an option in the Finance Queue, retailers can provide their consumers with more choices to finance their purchases.

If you would like to learn more about STORIS and how to integrate Kornerstone Credit into our POS solution, please visit info.storis.com/ request-a-demo or call 973397-5732. To learn more about Kornerstone Credit lease-toown programs contact them at support@KornerstoneCredit.com.

About STORIS Founded in 1989, STORIS continues to be the leading provider of Retail Software Solutions and Services to the home furnishings industry.

About Kornerstone Credit Recognizing that many people are unable to obtain traditional financing for many of life’s essential items, Kornerstone Credit offers purchasing programs that fit with an individual’s needs. Offering the most affordable, customer-centered lease-to-own experience driven by happy people and awesome tech is Kornerstone Credit’s vision.

For more information visit KornerstoneCredit.com or call 833-222-2112.

Frank Marengo Appointed As Southeast District Manager For ProSource Consumer Technology Sales Professional Joins the Field Management Team

By TWICE Staff ProSource recently announced the appointment of Frank Marengo as its Southeast District Manager. Marengo has a long history in the loudspeaker business with Klipsch and Dynaudio in multiple roles, including direct account management and sales management.

Marengo’s success in the consumer technology industry is based upon building long-term business relationships, executing business plans, and adapting quickly to shifts in the market. He will be based in New Orleans, working with ProSource members in West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Georgia, and Florida.

“I am very excited about working with the best integrators in the Southeast to help them become more profitable,” commented Marengo. “In my previous roles working for manufacturers, I recommended many dealers to become more involved with ProSource because the organization truly cares about the well-being of its members. I feel fortunate and blessed to be part of an organization that can help dealers grow and prosper with all aspects of their business.”

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TWICE.COM | APRIL 2021

Almo E4 Program Explores The Reimagined Workplace

By Matt Pruznick

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orking from home might be working well for now, but we need to get back to the office eventually. And when we do, there will be a lot to rethink. This was the theme of the presentation “The Reimagined Workplace: The Role of Existing and Emerging Technology” on Wednesday during Almo Professional AV’s Spring E4 event.

Presented by Pete Coman, chief technology officer at PTS New York, the talk covered the reasons why we need to return to offices, design trends that are reshaping the way we use these spaces now, and emerging technologies that will further optimize the workplaces of the future.

So why should we go back when we’re just as productive—if not more productive— working from home? According to Coman, it’s not just about us; we need to think about the next generation of workers. “I learned being mentored by others, by having people beside me to show me the ropes, and we can’t lose focus of the fact that the workplace is an incubator for the next generation,” he said. “We as industry professionals need to be giving back to the next generation coming through so we can help them learn and get this experience.” He also pointed to a quote by the late Steve Jobs emphasizing the importance of informal, in-person interaction in the development of creative ideation.

Coman then went on to highlight how the ideal office should operate in 2021 and beyond. The following are some of the key characteristics.

hotdesking offices, and the ability to use personal devices to control rooms. Going forward, Coman expects to see more voice control make its way into the office, as well as devices like the Amazon Echo Show.

Another frictionless tech he’s seeing companies implement is intelligent cameras that automatically frame meeting participants’ faces, delivering the close-up shots to which we’ve become accustomed from remote work on our laptops.

PLATFORM NEUTRAL Now that videoconferencing is central to our work lives, it’s key that the rooms in our workplaces are capable of handling all of the platforms out there. “Manufacturers need to develop technology that allows us to add a room that we didn’t create,” Coman said. “If I get invited to a Teams meeting and I have Zoom Rooms, I should be able to add my Zoom Room to that meeting invite and walk in and have [one touch to join].”

MORE CLOUD Coman believes that cloud computing will help to further improve the user experience in offices. “How do we reduce the hardware required for these spaces?” he asked. He offered the example of software DSP (digital signal processing): “Whether you’re running it in the cloud or on a PC locally, having the ability to enhance the audio experience without having another black box in the room is a real advantage and we’ll start to see more organizations going down

FRICTIONLESS Our goal, Coman said, is to have our workplaces operate as simply as an Amazon Go store. “That is our goal as digital workplace experience designers: to design these seamless, frictionless environments,” he said.

To accomplish this now, companies are implementing check-in kiosks, apps for reserving spaces in

Pete Coman of PTS New York at the Almo E4 Spring Event

that path.”

FLEXIBLE, ADAPTABLE With uncertainty around how companies will be utilizing their space going forward, designing for flexibility has never been more important. “We’re designing the power and the data to be in locations that are appropriate if the room needs to be flipped or the purpose needs to be changed,” Coman said. He urges designers to have discussions with companies at the outset: “What else could this space be used for? Get the infrastructure ready, and work out how these rooms could be used or could be transformed moving forward.”

CONSIDER EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES Coman spent a lot of time highlighting innovative new solutions that he believes will have an impact in the office of tomorrow: Transparent OLED displays integrated into glass-walled boardrooms, easing the compromise between tech and aesthetics Acoustic air curtains that frame out workspaces with invisible dividers that facilitate meetings from desks without interrupting those nearby Induction charging built into work surfaces, streamlining the ability to come in and start working from a laptop, and eventually, wireless power More personal climate control More personal lighting, implementing circadian rhythms Technology to make workplaces healthier Wearable technology that monitors our health and mood In the nearer future, though, Coman sees tech like facial detection and people counting sensors that regulate occupancy, as well as analytics software that provides a better picture of space usage growing in adoption sooner than later. “COVID has fast-tracked a lot of these technologies,” he said.

“Previously, people thought ‘That’s a nice idea; that’s a nice-to-have.’ Now these technologies are really becoming a must.”

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Best Buy Lays Off 5,000 Employees, More Stores To Close In 2021 Reorganization to add 2,000 new part-time positions in response to online purchasing shifts

By Grant Morgan

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est Buy has laid off 5,000 workers this February and is planning to close more stores this year as more consumers buy electronics online, according to a report from CNN Business. The news comes on the heels of Fry’s Electronics shutting its doors on all 31 stores on February 24, 2021, but it seems the layoffs were not unexpected.

Best Buy (BBY) expects 40% of its sales to come from online purchases this year, up from 19% two years ago, and the company said it needed to alter its workforce in response to this shift. Best Buy CEO Corie Barry told analysts on February 25, that

CTI Acquires AVNation

By AVNetwork Staff Conference Technologies, Inc. (CTI) has acquired AVNation Media, Inc., a podcasting and news company servicing the global audiovisual industry audience.

“CTI is deeply committed to the experiences of our clients, to ensure they have the best solutions, support, and knowledge about the industry and their systems. Adding AVNation to our mix gives us a chance to bring more value through education and information, so

APRIL 2021 | TWICE.COM

starting earlier this month, Best Buy had been adjusting the mix of full-time and parttime employees in stores, due to "having too many full-time and not enough part-time employees." As a result of this reorganization, Best Buy laid off 5,000 employees, the majority of whom worked full-time. It also said it is adding approximately 2,000 new part-time positions. Best Buy currently has around 102,000 employees.

While Best Buy has come out on top during the global pandemic, it is expecting a slow down to the demand of appliances, laptops and other home electronics in the near future.

Responding to changes in the retail industry, Best Buy closed 20 of its brickand-mortar stores over the past two years, and, according to reports, expects to close a larger number in 2021.

Additionally, "there will be higher thresholds on renewing leases as we evaluate the role each store plays," said Barry of the 450 store leases up for renewal through the next three years.

On the positive side, Best Buy has been experimenting with a modified store layout that utilizes a smaller sales floor, giving more space to delivering the rising number

users are at the forefront in trends and guidance we can provide,” said John Laughlin, CEO, CTI and 2020 SCN Hall of Fame inductee. “AVNation is a strong, influential voice within the AV community, and they’ll add incredible value to our team and clients.”

“Conference Technologies is a world-

of shipping orders.

Is this news yet another nail in the retail coffin? No, it is not. Retail is alive and well, just not in the same form that we have been used to over the recent decades. In their annual forecast, the National Retail Federation reported it is anticipating that overall retail sales will grow between 6.5 percent and 8.2 percent to more than $4.33 trillion in 2021 as more individuals get vaccinated and the economy reopens.

Additionally, NRF forecasts that 2021 online sales, which are included in the total, are expected to grow between 18 percent and 23 percent to between $1.14 trillion and $1.19 trillion.

It's not that people aren't shopping; it’s how they shop that is changing.

While Fry’s struggled to meet the changing retail landscape and ultimately closed its doors for good, Best Buy has shown it is ready to make hard decisions and press forward to deliver to their customers and I think it will pay off for Best Buy and its customers – even though the reduction in staff is heartbreaking. It will be interesting to see the evolution of Best Buy’s order fulfillment strategy in the coming months.

class AV integration firm that has proven themselves to be the best at delivering for their clients, the AV end user,” added Tim Albright, founder of AVNation and 2021 SCN Hall of Fame inductee.

“Combining our voice with Conference Technologies gives us the opportunity to grow beyond what we’ve been able to thus far. Our audience, sponsors, and partners will all benefit from this agreement."

All AVNation employees will join the ranks at CTI. An editorial board will be created with diverse viewpoints to ensure the media arm remains true to its mission to educate and entertain audiovisual end users around the world.

40 Industry

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NuTech Group Named As Legrand | AV Sales Rep For Mid-Atlantic U.S. NuTech Group to Represent and Provide Technical Support for the Chief, Da-Lite, Luxul, Middle Atlantic Products, Nuvo, On-Q, and SANUS Brands

By TWICE Staff

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egrand | AV announced that the company has partnered with the NuTech Group, a Philadelphia-based manufacturer’s sales rep firm to the residential and light commercial markets.

Under the partnership, NuTech Group will represent Legrand | AV’s Chief, Da-Lite, Luxul, Middle Atlantic Products, Nuvo, On-Q, and SANUS brands — backed by service and technical support — to its network of dealers in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States.

“We are proud to add a highly respected vendor like Legrand | AV to our line card, with seven trusted brands under one umbrella,” said Brett Neiderman, president of the NuTech Group. “For our dealers, the result is a convenient one-stop shop to meet all of their infrastructure, networking, and AV system needs for the smart connected home or business.”

The NuTech Group has been providing high-quality, high-performance audio, video, and custom installation products to

major AV retailers, custom retailers, and CI integrators across eastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and Washington DC since 1982.

With the addition of Legrand | AV to its lineup, NuTech Group’s customers now have the most complete access to a wide range of mounts, networking solutions, audio systems, projection screens, structured wiring, and more.

“The NuTech Group has earned a reputation as one of the most highly regarded manufacturer’s reps in the country,” said Tom Oliver, director of sales, Eastern U.S., Legrand | AV. “And what sets the company apart isn’t just the quality of its products, but its expertise and relationships.

NuTech Group is known for providing its customers with outstanding technical support, training, and complete system design services."

For more information, visit www.legrand.us.

ADI, Mission 500 Continue Fundraising Efforts To Help Children In Need More than $93,000 raised this past January

By TWICE Staff Mission 500, the non-profit charitable organization dedicated to serving children and communities in need across the U.S, partnered with angel sponsor, ADI Global Distribution, this past January to raise more than $93,000

Industry

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Metra Home Theater Group Changes Its Name To MetraAV With growth in resimercial business, company expands company to also Include commercial integration products.

By Residential Systems Staff

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etra Home Theater Group is updating its company name to MetraAV as part of a brand overhaul to accommodate its expansion into commercial integration products.

“We’re known as a manufacturer that specializes in premium home theater and residential surveillance products,” says Jessy Crabb, general manager. “Since a great number of our products are designed and engineered at a pro-level, it also makes them versatile and suitable for the requirements of commercial environments. Many of our customers have expanded into light commercial projects over the past year and

to support corporate social responsibility across the security industry and help underprivileged children in communities across America.

“Once again, ADI was honored to host this meaningful Mission 500 event and bring together our team members and supplier partners to help children in need during these trying times,” said Rob Aarnes, President of ADI Global Distribution. “The outpouring of generosity exceeded our expectations, and we are grateful to the individuals and companies that came together to support this great cause and help make a positive impact in our communities.”

This is the second year ADI teamed up with Mission 500, and the virtual event far exceeded the fundraising goal of $15,000.

As part of the efforts, team members

the industry itself is shifting, blurring the lines between home and business environments. Restaurants, small offices, and places of worship are just a few of the places that integrators are utilizing our AV products. We released a commercial catalog last year that showcased these versatile solutions and look forward to launching more commercial-based integration products in 2021.”

The MetraAV commercial catalog consists of HDMI electronics, along with converters, IR kits, HDMI cables, audio cables, and more.

Adapters and other installation accessories like banana plugs, connectors and terminations, keystone inserts, and fiber tools are also shown in the commercial catalog, with plans for further expansion

across the company made donations to support the cause and ADI matched all employee contributions received.

Additionally, ADI called upon its supplier partners to support the initiative with sponsorships at varying levels.

“ADI continues to go above and beyond in supporting Mission 500 to help improve the lives of so many in children and families in need across the U.S.,” said Ken Gould, Chairman of Mission 500. “This event is further testimony to the generosity of the security industry, and we thank all who participated in making this virtual event such a huge success.”

For more information on how you or your organization can help, contact Kathryn Robinson at krobinson@ mission500.org.

this year. MetraAV also manufactures a wide range of TV mounts, used for both residential and commercial installations.

MetraAV will begin the new brand rollout this month with an updated logo and will launch a new website, MetraAV.com, in the Spring of 2021. Ethereal Home Theater, Velox, Helios, Spyclops Surveillance Systems, and Install Bay will remain brands under the MetraAV name, which is a division of Metra Electronics.

For more information, visit MetraHomeTheater.com.

ABOUT MISSION 500 Mission 500 is a nonprofit organization that works closely with the security industry to serve the needs of children and communities in crisis here in the U.S. Mission 500 exists to advocate for children living in severe poverty, inspire and act as a catalyst in the security industry for excellence in corporate social responsibility, and mobilize volunteers and resource to make a tangible difference for children and families living in poverty in the U.S. Since inception of their 501c3 status in 2016, the industry has helped produce 340,000 meals, assemble care packs filled with essential hygiene items for 3,700 families, and distribute more than 11,500 book bags filled with school supplies to students attending Title One schools.

Visit mission500.org for more information.

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APRIL 2021 | TWICE.COM

April 2021 • Volume 36 • Issue 4 www.twice.com CONTENT VP/Content Creation Anthony Savona Senior Editor Grant Morgan, grant.morgan@futurenet.com Group Art Director Nicole Cobban Art Editor Rob Crossland Production Manager Nicole Schilling ADVERTISING SALES VP/Market Expert, AV/Consumer Electronics & Pro Audio Adam Goldstein, adam.goldstein@futurenet.com, 212-378-0465

SureCall Partners With OnTech OnTech’s trained professionals are able to install SureCall’s booster technology in consumer’s homes

S

ureCall has announced its national residential installation partnership with OnTech Smart Services, a subsidiary of DISH Network. Through the partnership, OnTech’s teams of licensed and trained professionals are able to install SureCall’s booster technology in consumer’s homes.

Offered as a bundle, homeowners purchase the Fusion Install through one of SureCall’s select authorized resellers. A card inside the package directs the customers to a website where they can schedule an installation — which can be completed as soon as the next day in most locations — with one of OnTech’s licensed professionals.

“Working from home has opened a lot of people’s eyes to the importance of a reliable and strong cellular signal. Interest in signal boosters is higher than ever, but most people don’t have the time or don’t feel handy enough to install one themselves,” says Frankie Smith, vice president of sales for SureCall. “Our partnership with OnTech eliminates those barriers and gives consumers an easy and affordable option to improve bad cellular coverage inside their homes.”

Ideal for people who are hindered by

slow cellular data speeds or frequently dropped calls, SureCall’s Fusion Install amplifies any cellular device’s signal to increase speeds and maintain reliable connectivity inside any home from two rooms to whole-house coverage. Featuring SureCall’s proprietary 2XP technology, the Fusion Install doubles the uplink power to the cellular tower and maintains a solid cellular signal everywhere from urban canyons to wide-open rural spaces.

Compatible with all North American cell phone carriers, the booster also includes patented SureIQ technology that autoadjusts the amplification. Additionally, all SureCall signal boosters are 5G compatible, so they’ll continue to work for years to come.

The Fusion Install bundle is available nationwide through select authorized resellers for $999. Professional installation is available for residential homes in the USA only. For offices and commercial installations, contact SureCall directly.

For more information on SureCall’s booster installation program, including availability, visit surecall.com.

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