The DaVinci Group (TDG) announced that it has added new partners to its sales representative and distribution network, expanding its sales force backbone to help better serve dealers and integrators as the company continues to grow. The Ontario, CA-based company launched at the end of last year and says it has experienced rapid growth through the end of 2013. This growth continues to accelerate as the company brings more regions on board,
Retailers
CES 2014 – The Year of the…? (Insert Your Favorite Gadget Here)
When I was little, I came home from school one day, excited to tell my mother about all my new friends. One-by-one, I named each of them, calling each one “my best friend.” When I finished, I’ll never forget what she said. “If they’re ALL your best friend, then you don’t have a BEST friend.”
The Consumer Electronics industry over the last few years and continuing into this year – has fallen into a troubling state of highly fragmented technology trends. It is in this environment – the absence of any clearly defined, overall technology trend – Gary Shapiro and the CEA try to field their annual technology exposition known as the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES).
So what was the big tech innovation at CES?…Well, it’s complicated… [Read more…] about CES 2014 – The Year of the…? (Insert Your Favorite Gadget Here)
Azione Unlimited Adds Thorens Turntables
Azione Unlimited, a national dealer buying group, announced earlier this week that it has added Thorens turntables to its vendor lineup. Thorens is distributed in the United States by Vancouver, BC-based Rutherford Audio, who also has outlets in Seattle, WA and Denver, CO.
See why Azione is excited about adding Thorens, one of the oldest names in audio… [Read more…] about Azione Unlimited Adds Thorens Turntables
Century Stereo, JBL & Ferrari of Silicon Valley Partner on Holiday Event with Charity Benefit
Century Stereo, a prominent and respected Northern California A/V specialty retailer, announced this week that it will hold an exclusive, invitation-only, high-end consumer event called A Taste of the Good Life for a Good Cause. Partnering with Century Stereo in this event is JBL and Ferrari of Silicon Valley. According to the company, this event – being held December 12th – will offer invited guests the opportunity to “explore the best of the best in regards to luxury.”
See more on this unique, luxury event to showcase a luxury, high-end lifestyle… [Read more…] about Century Stereo, JBL & Ferrari of Silicon Valley Partner on Holiday Event with Charity Benefit
Saying Demand is for Digital Distribution, Dish Drops Blockbuster Stores
Dish Network Corporation said today it will close all remaining Blockbuster video store locations and also dismantle the DVD-by-mail service by early-January 2014. According to the company, consumer demand is clearly for digital distribution of media and physical DVDs just don’t make sense anymore.
See more on this unexpected announcement… [Read more…] about Saying Demand is for Digital Distribution, Dish Drops Blockbuster Stores
HTSA Announces Their Top Vendors for 2013
The Home Technology Specialists of America (HTSA) on Tuesday announced their top vendor awards for 2013. These awards were handed out at their Fall 2013 dealer conference held last week and included a special Lifetime Achievement Award.
See who earned top honors from the national dealer group below… [Read more…] about HTSA Announces Their Top Vendors for 2013
NY Integrator Makes Unusual Expansion into Retail
JD Pro
JD Pro, an integrator based in Staten Island, New York, has made what many would consider an unusual step – taking their successful, primarily commercial integration business and expanding it into the consumer retail market space. This step, which many would consider suicidal in the brutal New York Metro consumer electronics retail market, makes perfect sense to JD Pro’s owner – especially when you consider the unique position that their company has held from the day it was founded.
Why would a commercial integrator expand into retail? See more below… [Read more…] about NY Integrator Makes Unusual Expansion into Retail
Buying Group Kerfuffle Continues to Smolder
Yesterday, we reported on an unusual flare-up involving Azione Unlimited, VIA International, and the Home Technology Specialists of America (HTSA) – initially fueled by a press release from Azione that announced VIA was resigning all buying groups. In the wake of this announcement, we contacted both VIA and HTSA, who suggested that Azione’s release was not accurate.
Our post yesterday reported what both sides were saying. But today, they said more…as the kerfuffle continues… [Read more…] about Buying Group Kerfuffle Continues to Smolder
Azione Notifies Market that VIA International Resigns from All Buying Groups – VIA & HTSA Respond
The new retail buying group Azione Unlimited announced today that VIA International – a new mega-integrator made up of six separate integration companies merged into one – has resigned from all buying groups, effective October 1st. The announcement caught our eye as it was only tangentially about Azione (who lost two members as a result), yet offered assertions about VIA’s actions with no apparent participation from anyone at VIA.
VIA…and HTSA…react to Azione’s press release… [Read more…] about Azione Notifies Market that VIA International Resigns from All Buying Groups – VIA & HTSA Respond
EXCLUSIVE: CEDIA Gives Strata-gee.com A Deeper Look at Its Latest Benchmarking Survey
STRATA-GEE.COM EXCLUSIVE
Last month, we reported that CEDIA released its 2013 Benchmarking Survey with certain select data highlighted. Now CEDIA has offered Strata-gee.com an exclusive look at the full report (the summary version provided to all CEDIA members) with the opportunity for us to highlight any results we found particularly enlightening. And in the process of reviewing their results – we discovered a much more comprehensive read on the “typical” CEDIA member than we had originally expected.
