Retail Observer

MARCH 2020 RETAILOBSERVER.COM 57 and only connected home division specifically designed for the independent channel. Having access to the technology and tools to help sell the smart home is great. But we plan to help retailers bring the story together by helping their customers get their products installed, and then providing ways for our members to offer ongoing service for those products to maintain lasting relationships with their customers. GAINING ACCESS WITH GOOGLE Success in the connected home space begins with the products. Retailers need access to the types of devices and gadgets that consumers crave. These include security cameras, smart speakers, smart doorbell cameras, Wi-Fi routers, hubs, thermostats, smart plugs and more. In that regard, there may be no more-recognizable name in the industry than Google Nest. Our relationship with the Google search giant reaches back several years. When we made the decision to go all-in on the digital side of the business, which coincided with our partnership with RWS and the addition of Site on Time, we doubled down on that commitment by becoming active in the Google Partner program which recognizes and elevates companies that understand how to build and optimize websites utilizing Google's AdWords tools. Further, the program is tiered to distinguish the best-of-the-best in the business. We're proud to say that we achieved top-tier Premier Partner status in near-record-setting time! Since then, our relationship with Google has evolved from the digital side of things to the product side. In 2017 we rolled out a Pro-Tail program for our custom installation members. The program gave them access to select Google Nest products that they could incorporate into their clients' home automation projects. After the success of the Pro-Tail program, we opted to go all-in once again with Google, announcing the Google Nest Prime Retail Program in early January. "The Google Nest Prime Retail Program is providing our independent retail members with wider access to Google Nest connected home products," Hank Alexander, director of Home Technology Specialists Nationwide, says of the program. "This is really about giving our members access to industry-leading connected home devices and positioning them at the forefront of the booming connected home category." With the Prime Retail Program, exclusive to Nationwide, our independent retailers receive streamlined access to the entire Google Nest portfolio. Distribution is provided coast to coast by Audio America, which means retailers can place these products on their shelves and offer their customers – perhaps for the first time ever – the latest and best smart home products. But beyond just gaining access to the connected home category, the Google Nest Prime Retail Program offers our dealers an incredible opportunity to sell these products and actually make some money on them. Profitability has historically been a major challenge for retailers who are considering selling connected home products, and that's why we've worked with Google to create a program that has unheard-of margins on the Google Nest line. It's important to note that this program is intended for all our members, regardless of their primary product category. You don't have to be an electronics store to sell connected home devices. This category has crept its way into every room in the home, and it behooves retailers to start thinking outside the box for how they can incorporate smart-home technology into their product mix, if they haven't already. Because the connected home is a major current talking point with the customer, this program can turn the retailer's store into a prime smart home destination in their market. CONNECTIVITY IS KING Smart gadgets only tell a portion of the story when it comes to the connected home. To connect all of these devices in the home and control them, you need an Internet connection and wireless service. Enter DSI Systems and AT&T. In early 2019, we announced a major partnership with AT&T and

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