The enhanced challenges for retailers in the sales floor have certainly been in the head for months when these dealers had to endure the business impact of COVID-19. The product presentation, one such challenge, was probably the strongest in the headphones and earphones category. Usually, if the model in question is above a certain price range, consumers will want to listen before buying.
But aside from the desire to demo headphones, retailers say that the COVID-inspired home behavior of consumers is driving the demand for better performance and comfort in the pandemic itself. amount of sales.
And according to recent research, consumers are certainly paying attention to this category. According to a pre-Black Friday survey by the Consumer Technology Association, 93% of tech shoppers considered buying headphones and wireless earphones in their purchase plans. Headphones forecasts made this fall by research firm The NPD Group were also bullish on the outlook for certain categories under the umbrella of “headphones.” In a pandemic. “In the first half of this year, sales of what we needed for school and work days were prioritized, but for the fourth quarter and holidays, many of these” needs “were met and consumers became NPD industry analysts. Executive Director Ben Arnold will buy items that he wants during the holiday season, such as noise-cancelling headphones, in a report published at the time.
Trend tracking
How do retailers currently feel about the headphone category? And how (and why) is sales trending in a particular direction following COVID?
Sales of all A / V equipment have skyrocketed since COVID-19 kept many people home, “said Robert Zohn, president of Value Electronics, an A / V specialty store based in Scarsdale, NY. I am saying. “Headphone sales in our business increased by about 25% compared to 2020.” However, headphones can be expected to be successful across the industry. A recent study by Market Research Future predicts that the earphone and headphone market will grow to US $ 62.24 billion by 2030. He is the corporate director and chief of the store, agreeing to view trends related to the video and audio center, an experiential retailer based in Southern California. Technician Tom Campbell. “Sales are very strong and the most popular sellers are the high end. We are selling premium models more than ever,” he said.
Campbell cites Bluetooth headphones as a particularly bright place. Zohn agrees that at a reasonable price level, sales in that category have increased. “Premium headphones for audiophiles are also growing, albeit moderately, steadily,” Zohn adds. Another crossroads between the two retailers is an uptick agreement on the sale of headphones for private listening. “Sales of headphones for watching TV late at night when one partner wants to sleep and the other partner stays up late are growing,” says Zohn. “More people working and learning at home will also help those who are working on different projects at the same time.”
Display creativity
Retailers were required to be smarter than ever, as COVID made presenting headphones, especially earphones, a nearly difficult task within the demo area of the showroom. According to Campbell, no in-ear model for in-store demos was offered for COVID in 2020, but the over-the-year model displayed in much the same way as before the pandemic is: they. “At the Zohn store, the precautionary protocol is also followed in the dedicated headphone area and some headphone demo stations in the A / V equipment area.” We put disposable (covering legs) bootees on the earpieces. We use … We also provide our clients with disposable gloves that they wear when handling headphones and clean them with disinfectants. “Of course, both retailers have face masks everywhere. We comply with the requirements of.
Online Promotion & Sell Through
Headphones are prominently featured on both general websites and dedicated headphone pages at Value Electronics, says Zohn. “We are also well trained in all models and features, and with immediate access to the resources of all manufacturers of all models, we are able to answer questions appropriately and present different models appropriately. ”
Campbell cites a multi-faceted strategy for video and audio centers that expects stores to synergize to grow and support sales. “We definitely use social media and websites,” he says. [the streamlined web address] vac.store is another way for consumers to access your site, other than via the long website address videoandaudiocenter.com. Retailers will also be prominently displayed on the opening web page and consume with phone numbers featured in all other forms of advertising where buyers can place orders, get pricing and installation information. We have started a telephone hotline for people. “It was [store principal] “Joseph Actalzad’s concept to get started,” explains Campbell. He added that it’s a way to efficiently connect to sharper information about a category when customers can’t visit it directly.
Both dealers say they feel they are in a good position in the handling of the category until the market exits the COVID situation. In the meantime, they take advantage of high quality, comfort and ergonomic selling points as the main motivation to buy in this “new normal” to get on the flow and optimize the benefits of headphones during this period.
“We are looking forward to it,” adds Zohn. “Continuous market growth and advances in audio performance will drive even more premium audio buyers.”
Nancy is the contributing editor of Dealerscope.