In its push to get its members up and running in home automation, the Nationwide Marketing Group will present a mock connected home on the exhibition floor of its bi-annual PrimeTime convention, slated for Aug. 20-23 at the Venetian/Palazzo/Sands complex in Las Vegas.
There, the $15 billion marketing, merchandising and services organization will also press it partnership with Nest Labs and “Works With Nest” products, which Nationwide merchants consider a key conduit into the connected-home market.
“Nationwide members understand the growth potential as more and more of their customers seek connected-home solutions,” said senior executive Tom Hickman. “Our partnership with Nest gives them an entry point with the most advanced and consumer-favored lineup in the business. We expect tremendous growth as Nest and ‘Works With Nest’ products continue to gain momentum.”
Nationwide first feathered its Nest last spring, when it began bringing just-in-time inventory to dealers via Nest distributors Audio America, AVAD, Capitol Sales and Volutone, and through the group’s own online ordering portal, dubbed eXchange.
The group previously prepared the way by developing a turnkey, in-store home automation display called the Connected Home Kiosk that provides an easy entrée into the category for TV, appliance and bedding dealers.
“Nest and the whole ‘Works With Nest’ family of products are the gateway to Nationwide dealers selling deeper connected-home solutions like those from Control 4 and Elan,” added Hank Alexander, director of Home Technology Specialists Nationwide (HTSN), the group’s custom-install division. “It’s proven – once a consumer gets started on building their connected home, they come back again and again.”
Debbie Schaefer, CEO of New Jersey dealer and Nationwide member Mrs. G TV & Appliances, concurred. “IoT has expanded into the appliance market, and smart-home connectivity is becoming a priority for homeowners who want products with remote control, voice activation and energy-use management,” she said.
Schaefer added that bringing the Connected Home Kiosk and an assortment of Nest and related products into her showroom has helped put her business “ahead of the smart-home retail curve.”
