Retail News

WORDS BY LAURA KEMMERER

Like other industry businesses, SoundsGood Auto—based in Coquitlam, British Columbia—has seen a surge in the demand for mobile electronics. What makes the situation different, however, is that Canada has not been issuing stimulus checks.

Business owner Keith McCumber noted that boat and bike season has arrived with warmer weather, and other outdoor activities have also begun. McCumber successfully acquired a number of radios late last year, and sales in the department have also been powering along, demonstrating the importance of forecasting and buying to keep a business running smoothly.

“We’re doing record months pretty much every month, and have been since May of last year,” McCumber said. The trick? People can’t leave.

“In Canada, everything’s locked down, and you’re not allowed to leave the area,” he added. “You can’t just go and fly somewhere like you’re used to, so people spend money on their houses, on their cars.”

With customers investing more in recreation and other aspects of their lives, SoundsGood has adapted to the restrictions of the pandemic and the changed the face of the retail market with a locked-door approach. As an added benefit, employees can take all the time they need with each customer, helping them get what they need installed in each of the vehicles. Generally speaking, customers have been understanding of the restrictions, knowing that SoundsGood can only let in a certain number of people at a time.

As for how the pandemic has impacted the mobile electronics environment abroad, McCumber pointed out the industry’s huge upsurge in people getting work done on their cars. Customers are looking for a better sound experience in their vehicles, as well as a lot of safety features.

“Human beings are doing what they can to accept life as it is today,” he said. “And as such, they’re open to suggestions. My job is to suggest that they help themselves for their future by investing in their cars.”

Auburn Car Tunes, based in Auburn, Calif. and founded in 1976, has been booked for a solid month out for over half a year now, and that doesn’t look like it’ll be changing any time soon. The business, founded by Brian Muenter’s father, Ron, and with plans for Brian to carry on the operation, offers customers a wide array of options in 12-volt, from marine audio to car alarms, along with some DSP offerings. What also makes Auburn unique is that they sell and install CB radios.

But with the success of the business, inventory shortages have also become a very real concern. According to Brian Muenter, he was initially warned about potential inventory issues with Sony and Kenwood around a year ago. And as the saying goes, “You gotta stand in line to get a sandwich at some point.”

His father had a proactive attitude when it came to these problems, and with similar warnings from other vendors about potential inventory issues, he pivoted into the challenge, taking

professional advice to stockpile and forecast what they would need. Brian emphasized that Ron took this advice to heart, planning for a worst-case scenario. The local Best Buy has even sent Auburn Car Tunes business because they didn’t have anything to sell.

The business purposefully stockpiles bestsellers whenever it can, including Sony products. Brian Muenter praised Sony Car Audio for being transparent about where things stand, as that information helps him better meet customer needs. “I can give someone a quote and not have to change the number on the quote that I give them, and [this customer] can stand there, look up the model number on Google. Sony is so good at policing their pricing that I know [the customer] isn’t going to find it anywhere cheaper,” he explained.

Sony has done a consistently good job of having things in stock, while other companies have struggled with backlogs, he added. Muenter grabs whatever he can

when it’s available, but the trouble is still present. Out of everything he’s stockpiled the most, the Sony XAV-AX5000 has been among the top and a unit that’s proven popular with customers. For other shops also struggling with inventory shortages, Muenter emphasized that customers need to understand what’s going on. Beyond that, businesses should plan to the best of their ability. It’s important to sell what you have, he said, and explain the shortage. Try to meet the customer where they are. It’s also incredibly important to get things on backorder, he noted, adding, it’ll come eventually.

Other than working closely with his father to face these challenges, he’s also learning the ropes as part of the plan to take over the business someday. He expressed admiration for how good his father is at making smart decisions for the business, and he’s working on interweaving his knowledge of sales with what his father does. Brian Muenter’s fiancée, Katie, also does bookkeeping for the shop, and she’s learning from his mother.

Beyond this, Muenter has expanded the crew with the addition of two installers, bringing the shop total up to four, with plans to hire another salesperson, an advanced tech and possibly more installers.

Although there’s another shop nearby, customers are willing to wait to have Auburn Car Tunes do the work. “People really care about a good experience,” said Brian Muenter. “I really focus on talking to kids. We have generations of people coming in.… My focus for [anyone], when they come in here, is education. Our education sells the product.”