Another Audio Show – What is being billed as the only audio show on the West Coast happens in the San Francisco Bay Area July 30 thru August 1. The California Audio Show is put on by the audio publication Dagogo and takes place at the Hilton Garden Inn, Emeryville, near the end of the Oakland Bay Bridge. It runs the first two days until 6 PM and on Sunday until 4 PM and a $10 pass if good for all three days. Attendees are urged to bring their favorite recordings to “let us present them to you in sonic splendor you haven’t thought possible.” Well, now what audiophile could resist that?
iPad Pushing All Electronics Sales – According to Gartner Research the market for consumer computer items continues to defy predictions of an inevitable slowdown. One retailer pointed to the amazing impact the iPad has had on sales. The Wall Street Journal said there is contuing consumer demand for smartphones, laptops, software and other products, and some businesses are beginning to step up their spending on servers, storage systems and networking equipment. The launching of new Apple products has been a big driver at the retail level. Apple sold over 1.7 million 4s iPhones the first five days it was on the market. Further sales success is expected for the launch of large high-end TVs with 3D, Internet connectivity and wireless capability.
Renewed Mass Interest in Audio – Both a GM at Pioneer and a leading home electronics retailer observed that consumers are beginning to demand better quality audio to go with their new HDTVs, and that there are new opportunities for dealers to grow hi-fi sales. One retailer said “Consumers want better quality sound…We are seeing some very smart receivers coming thru with connectivity. Wi-Fi sound is set to be big, and there has been a big improvement in the look and feel of speakers.” Both Sony and Pioneer are expanding their range of hi-fi equipment. The Pioneer exec said “We believe that with education and commitment by retailers audio sales can be taken to where they once were.”
Best Buy Recycling Goal – Best Buy has the largest retail recycling program in the country already, and just released their 2010 Sustainability Report, which has the ambitious goal of collecting one billion pounds of e-waste over the next five years. They have collected over 140 million pounds of electronics and appliances in the past year alone. They hope to ramp up that number with in-store kiosks, online trade-in programs, and even home electronics pickup (provided it’s something you’re replacing with a Best Buy product or else there’s a small fee). By next year the chain hopes to be accepting most old electronics that have not been purchased at Best Buy. The chain also is pilot-testing home energy management services and has partnered with the EPA and DOE to help customers save money on their utility bills.
Japanese Manufacturers Need to Consolidate – According to Atul Goyal, a consumer electronics analyst at the brokerage house CLSA, a large majority of tech companies in Japan have way too many businesses and need to focus on their core strengths. An examaple is Panasonic, with 385,000 employees worldwide, whose catalog covers an immense number of items – from a 152-inch plasma display that costs hundreds of thousands of dollars, to $170 no-frills refrigerators for poor countries. They even make noise-hair trimmers and a separate gadget for ear fuzz. Some feel Panasonic can’t continue to be all things to all consumers, yet they seem intent on expansion, even though they are hurting from the $4.5 billion they paid last year to acquire Sanyo Electric – the world’s largest maker of rechargeable batteries and solar panels. Such sprawl also afflicts Sony, Sharp, Toshiba, NEC, Casio, Hitachi and others.
