For the most part, large CE manufacturers, outside of e-commerce operations, do not interface directly with the consumer; instead, independent retailers and superstores acting as middlemen buy wholesale from the manufacturer and market the products directly to interested customers. In the retail sphere, both the independent retailer and the manufacturer are mutually reliant upon the other to provide quality services which can enhance or hinder their own individual brand image.
On July 12th, Howard’s, one of Southern California’s largest independent appliance retailers, welcomed William Joowan Cho, Chief Strategy Officer Globally for LG Electronics, at the company’s Long Beach Experience Center to exhibit the manner in which LG products are displayed. Howard’s relationship with LG is unique in that Howard’s president and CEO, John Riddle, as well as COO, Kathy Genovese, both worked for LG before joining the Howard’s team.
“I am impressed with what Howard’s has accomplished at their Long Beach Experience Center,” said Cho. “The location offers so much more than a store or showroom; it is a place to play, explore, and test the technology capabilities of products like LG’s. The displays are both beautiful and functional.”
Located in the Marina Pacifica Shopping Center, Howard’s Long Beach Experience Center provides a platform for consumers to directly interact with and test drive products from brand partners including LG and their Signature Kitchen Suite Brand, via displays of connectivity in kiosks as well as through live kitchen and laundry suites. These experience centers allow customers to view first-hand the latest in product innovations and modern room displays offered by LG and other Howard’s brand partners.
Howard’s is looking to expand upon the success of the model established within the Long Beach Experience Center by creating new Experience Center locations in West Hollywood and Victorville, as well as updating the company’s pre-existing locations in Huntington Beach and Irvine. As of fall 2021, the full complement of LG and Signature Kitchen Suite Products will be displayed in all of Howard’s high-tech Experience Centers.
