Many electronics businesses are looking for the right way forward when it comes to serving their community. With even the biggest electronics retailers either joining, copying, or being destroyed by online retailers, it can be difficult to figure out a business model that works--even if those online retailers are unable to reach a sizable chunk of your market. Here are a few ways to enhance your local sales as a tech retailer, service professional, or general supplier without crumbling under old world overhead costs.
Why Is A Special Sales Plan Needed At All?
Home internet and online retail created a devastating, but educational effect on the traditional storefront. It started with giving people a way to shop for goods without going to a store, but that didn't kill retailers alone. Some people actually like shopping in stores, and as with any popular wave, there will always be a counter-culture.
Lower costs was the true killer. If you can order something that you need for a lower price, most people will choose that option. As shorter delivery times made the deal even sweeter, even the idea of socializing and supporting local businesses became more of a hobby than a movement.
For these reasons, you need to be wary of setting up shop. Your main concern is not being redundant, then protecting your business when it becomes redundant. This means providing a service that most online retailer can't match easily, and then working on becoming the killer of your own industry to control how your industry changes.
The easy answer is to look for electronics that are cheap at some big box electronics stores, but not so cheap online. Find those products and stock related products, supporting products, and other products that follow the same themes.
Local Parts For The Modern Technician
Many types of electronics are single use, or are expected to be sent back to the manufacturer. Mobile devices (smartphones and tablets, for example), video game consoles, and certain computers are a few of those mainstream products that are slightly difficult to sell unless you already know that your area has a huge demand for in-person shopping.
If you want to sell these products, you need to provide a service that other stores--and especially online stores--can't provide. Video game consoles and larger computers such as desktops and laptops can be tested in a demo room environment, which can give people enough to sit and use the systems without breaking your newer, unopened products.
One way to achieve this without wasting a lot of open space is to open a computer lab with a membership fee as part of your service. While many areas provide free wireless internet, you could provide a paid computer lab service for people who want to sit at the newest computers to try out the systems. You could even stock the computer lab with standard computers and rotate one or two of the newest systems to a special part of the demo room.
Does your area have a healthy amount of computer hobbyists? It's simple enough to order computer parts from popular websites, but not all computer hobbyists have a clean, safe environment to build. That computer lab space could instead become a workshop for people to assemble their systems in a secure environment.
The option for social interaction without the requirement--along with some security against bullies--can create a great sales and participation atmosphere. Contact an electronics wholesaler to discuss different parts and full devices to stock your future community tech store.
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