The good humour and banter which is always present at the IBA evening wasn’t any less upbeat than usual, despite grave developments in the high street. This perhaps better than anything reflects the spirit of the people working in this industry, whether it is on the retailing or manufacturing side.

As in previous years, I will be ‘touring’ the country talking to Awards winners to glean and share with you their business and management strategies, and tips which keep them at the forefront of electrical retailing. I will also be canvassing their views on what’s letting this industry down and what we can do about it. I believe that the trade press has a very important role to play in this respect.

A final thought comes from the recent Intellect conference. The future development of Smart TV, is significantly hindered by the fact that all CE manufacturers have followed a proprietary route and none of the platforms are interoperable. This creates great consumer confusion but also significant opportunities for a skilled retailer. Until Smart TV acquires  a user interface so simple “that even your granny could use it” (see Richard Stevenson’s report on page 10) your skills will be in great demand with consumers wishing to take a full advantage of internet TV. 

Printer friendly version

Email this article to a friend

Bookmark this

---