Circuit City CEO Pitches Cable Collaboration
By Linda Haugsted -- Multichannel News, 7/29/2007 8:00:00 PM
Washington — The CEO of Circuit City pitched more cable-operator partnerships here, describing the concept stores the retailer is testing with companies, including Comcast and Ethan Allen furniture, in an effort to provide a more complete customer experience.
Phil Schoonover told the CTAM Summit audience July 25 that the multiple truck rolls driven from the electronics arena are not good for the consumer or provider. With partnerships, Circuit City associates could sell entertainment and high-definition television sources in the store, alongside the hardware, and the retailer’s service division, Firedog, could provide the installation and help, he added.
Circuit City wants a seamless multiplatform buying experience for consumers, 70% of whom now begin with research or ordering on the Web.
Concept stores include “The City” in Virginia. Schoonover demonstrated a customer experience in which a buyer is approached by a sales associate using a tablet PC. The associate uses the computer to hone in on the buyer’s needs: Which room will house the TV? Where will the hardware be placed? The PC enables the associate to sketch the room, placing furniture and determining what type of TV is best: an LCD in Schoonover’s case, due to bright daylight in the room.
The associate also determined the buyer’s cable, phone and Internet providers and suggested that the consumer could save money with a Comcast triple-play. The associate then scheduled the hardware delivery and cable-services installation, along with a firedog services upgrade.
In Boston, the retailer partnered with Ethan Allen to sell hardware in conjunction with home furnishings and decorating services.
“Connect” is another concept test that is being powered by Circuit City and Comcast in Massachusetts. The storefront has a boutique feel, with the buyer and associate seated on couches to envision the products in the consumer’s home.
Schoonover said that Circuit City will have 38 concept stores open before year-end, noting that that Circuit City needs partners against other big-box retailers, while cable has to fend off telcos and satellite providers. Those partners need to engage in national co-selling programs to avoid “regional bureaucracies,” he added. With all the TVs turned on its 650 retail outlets all day, Circuit City can provide the equivalent of 90,000 potential billboards for cable-provided services, he suggested.
Given competitive pressures, Schoonover said Circuit City and cable are “both on a burning platform. We can work together to get off that platform,” he added, by enhancing consumer experiences and then turning them into customers.
No related content found.
Featured Company
-
Bigband Networks
BigBand Networks, Inc. NASDAQ: BBND provides broadband service providers with innovative network solutions designed to make it easier to move, manage and monetize video. These solutions are based on BigBand's video-networking platforms that are built to enable efficient and relia..more
VIEW ALL GALLERIES
