I picked up a lot of info from just listening to attendees.
General Conclusions:
1) owners are starting to have more stores, as well as larger and more diversified stores.
2) no longer just a vac shop, they are becoming vacuum and sewing shops, vacuum, small appliance/ power tool repair shops, cleaning solutions and home environment shops
3) Shop owners are making their stores look like retail stores that sell vacuum cleaners, rather than a vac shop, and paying attention to sound, proven merchandising principles.
4) Unless it is an established shop with no competition, and not enough population to support a second shop, the one shop owner is becoming increasingly rare, but still needs to expand into home heaters, cleaning supplies, etc, to create more revenue streams.
Manufacturers are starting to guard and 'patrol' MAP and MIP pricing.
There are plenty of opportunities to sell brands that are not big box and will not be.
Soniclean is a new offering in the lightweight category using an oscillating plastic bar to beat the carpet (powered by separate motor) First thought was it was a rehash of the Vibra-Beat, but it isn't. That was flexible rods with rolling tubular beads strung on it, the Sonic is a solid pad that seems to do a more effective job of agitation. It sucks down HARD on thick carpet and is hard to push. The engineer/company owner used to work for Oreck.
General Conclusions:
1) owners are starting to have more stores, as well as larger and more diversified stores.
2) no longer just a vac shop, they are becoming vacuum and sewing shops, vacuum, small appliance/ power tool repair shops, cleaning solutions and home environment shops
3) Shop owners are making their stores look like retail stores that sell vacuum cleaners, rather than a vac shop, and paying attention to sound, proven merchandising principles.
4) Unless it is an established shop with no competition, and not enough population to support a second shop, the one shop owner is becoming increasingly rare, but still needs to expand into home heaters, cleaning supplies, etc, to create more revenue streams.
Manufacturers are starting to guard and 'patrol' MAP and MIP pricing.
There are plenty of opportunities to sell brands that are not big box and will not be.
Soniclean is a new offering in the lightweight category using an oscillating plastic bar to beat the carpet (powered by separate motor) First thought was it was a rehash of the Vibra-Beat, but it isn't. That was flexible rods with rolling tubular beads strung on it, the Sonic is a solid pad that seems to do a more effective job of agitation. It sucks down HARD on thick carpet and is hard to push. The engineer/company owner used to work for Oreck.
