Agoura Hills, Calif.— Video and Audio Center is proving that high-end brick-and-mortar consumer electronics retailing not only isn’t doomed, it’s thriving for those willing to take the right approach.
The four-store Los Angeles-area electronics chain opened this week a newly remodeled and expanded 12,000-square-foot showroom at 28505 Canwood Street, replacing its previous location in the neighborhood.
The new site includes a patent-pending design layout, created to encourage live social engagement among its tech-enthusiast clientele as well as sell products to them.
Area customers are invited to drop in and explore what’s new in consumer electronics technology and interact with store consultants and other customers on what’s hot and what’s not today.
The clean, open showroom design features oak hardwood flooring with an in-laid granite walkway that takes the store’s “guests” on a tour of different technology sectors, said Tom Campbell, Video and Audio Center board director and spokesman.
Store co-founder and president Joseph Akhtarzad developed the design for the new social-retailing concept store in part to entertain his loyal clientele as well as sell them the latest and greatest home entertainment equipment.
In addition to its focus on CE hardware, the store highlights all of the different forms of content necessary for the products it sells to succeed — an important attribute in a well-heeled neighborhood where entertainment industry dollars pave the way for everything else.
The chain strives to regularly stage technology launch events, bringing in manufacturing executives and related content partner executives whenever possible.
The results stand out. Campbell said Video and Audio Center more than doubled its sales volume this year and continues on a steep growth trajectory into 2015.
“We’re announcing this store opening to show the industry that consumer electronics retailing is not dead; it’s alive and well for those ready to embrace change and take some risks to engage their customers,” Campbell said.
The new concept location has even encouraged the chain to change its emphasis from a big-screen TV dealer to “a digital destination point,” Campbell said.
The Agoura Hills venue affords room for new product categories, including home video projectors and screens, which can be installed by the chain’s expert custom-installation service, home-automation systems, digital camera and camcorder gear, mobile electronics devices and accessories, and even video game systems.
The store includes a special PlayStation department, where guests can come in and play each other in the latest video game titles for the PS4 or check out the latest streaming video content from the console’s ever-expanding library of service partners.
And while they’re at it, they just might fall in love with that new 4K Ultra HD TV they’re playing on.
