Howard’s, Southern California’s premier independent appliance retailer, has announced the grand opening of its Experience Center in West Los Angeles. The new center is the second of its type introduced by the premium retailer and the latest push in the company’s current explosive growth plan. Like its first flagship location in Long Beach, the West Los Angeles site is designed to be a destination location for customers and trade professionals.
Howard’s West Los Angeles Experience Center serves double duty as both a stunning luxury brand showroom and an immersive demonstration center featuring technology and connectivity displays, in-store kiosks, and live product vignettes. Customers are invited to explore active kitchens, laundry suites, and the newest premium high-performance brands. Howard’s pioneered this hands-on, interactive facility model in their Long Beach location in 2020 and is now excited to bring the experience to the people living and shopping in the heart of metropolitan Los Angeles.
“We are delighted to launch the West Los Angeles Experience Center at 900 N. La Brea Blvd.,” said John Riddle, President & CEO, Howard’s. “This new location is situated in an exciting retail and lifestyle section of the city, and in a mixed-use complex, inviting visitors from all walks of life to stop in and familiarize themselves with leading-edge product innovations, room exhibits, and thrilling technologies while enjoying unparalleled levels of customer service.”
Howard’s newest Experience Center also presents modern shopping techniques as part of the company’s Revolutionary Appliance Retail Experience (RARE). Customers enjoy a comfortable, attractive space where they are invited to touch and test drive smart, connected products and where friendly, knowledgeable, and tech-savvy product experts are on hand to help match them to the right products for their lifestyles. RARE encourages a straightforward, friction-free shopping experience with as much or as little sales interaction as customers desire. To facilitate RARE, Howard’s has invested in innovative digital technologies in all their stores, introducing new and creative ways for customers to make purchasing decisions.
The opening of the West Los Angeles Experience Center is the latest in Howard’s aggressive and strategic expansion efforts to reach markets not yet served by the retailer. Howard’s leadership team has positioned the retailer as a “must-watch” brand with 75 percent growth in 2019 followed by an additional 24 percent in 2020. The company has also reported a 40 percent increase in new customer acquisition in the most desirable target audience segments for approachable, design-forward retailers carrying luxury brands.
Ranked one of the Fastest-Growing Midsize Companies (#13) of 2021 by the Orange County Business Journal, Howard’s has transformed the retail appliance shopping landscape in Southern California through a combination of organic growth, the targeted acquisition of independent appliance retailers, builder channel growth, new investments in website and ecommerce development, and the introduction of the Experience Center concept.
Howard’s anticipates capturing 10-15 percent of the Southern California appliance retail market by 2024 and is well-positioned for regional expansion across the Western United States into markets. In addition to its large showrooms located throughout Southern California, Howard’s is on the fast track to roll out five additional Experience Centers in Huntington Beach, Tustin, Agoura Hills, Murietta, and Vista in 2022.
About Howard’s
Howard’s was founded in 1946 in Los Angeles County, California. Due to the Company’s focus on customer satisfaction, the business has grown over the past 76 years to become Southern California’s largest and most trusted independent appliance retailer. With knowledgeable product experts, the highest levels of service, the best luxury brands with an expansive array of products, and 15 locations in Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, and Riverside Counties, Howard’s goal is to help consumers simplify their experience to purchase great products for their home.
See also: Q&A With Howard’s CEO John Riddle: The Future Of Appliance Retailing
