Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM MAY 2023 48 A VB BrandSource dealers may have heard a lot of chatter about "MTEQ" in the lead-up to the buying group's Summit 2023 show in Las Vegas. Once there, Dave Meekings, AVB's COO, pulled back the curtain on this powerful retail solution during his General Session presentation. In a nutshell, MTEQ, a contraction of marketing, merchandising and technology, is the umbrella term for AVB's comprehensive suite of retail tech tools. Available to all members, MTEQ is built upon AVB Marketing's industry-leading Alta e-commerce website platform and array of digital marketing services, which have earned the group the rarefied status of Google Premier Partner. Layered onto that are a host of fully integrated high-tech offerings that are cost-effective, easily executed, and many would agree, indispensable. These include: • LINQ, the proprietary backend system that feeds a dealer's entire product catalog to their website and keeps it up to date with the latest pricing • SYNC, AVB's custom-designed point-of-sale system that tracks sales, service, parts and inventory, all in one place • HUB, a customer relationship management tool (CRM) that lets members create and send quotes and follow-up communications to shoppers via text or email • KIOSQ, an interactive display panel that allows customers to shop an endless aisle of inventory within the showroom • Digital price tags, which can be updated on the fly to show the latest, competitive pricing • AVB TV, which provides custom-created commercial spots that can "air" on in-store video displays. Once "plugged in," as this year's AVB Summit and Convention themes suggest, MTEQ's collection of cutting-edge business tools can address virtually all retail technology needs, while the interoperability of the components assures a smooth, efficient and consistent experience for customers, vendors, and staff alike. As Meekings explained on stage, it's essential that members remain nimble and efficient in a quickly changing retail scene, which saw customers shift from desperate to price-sensitive, and that saw inventory go from scarce to excessive, all in a matter of months. Equally important, he said, dealers must excel online to remain a top option for both customers and vendors. Accordingly, MTEQ's expansive suite of expert solutions can merchandise e-commerce sites effectively, guide the customers' online shopping journey, and easily manage sales, service, parts, and inventory all in one place. What's more, MTEQ and its components are constantly evolving to help keep BrandSource members ahead of the pack. By way of example, Meekings cited Traffic Driver, a set of continuously changing code embedded in the core of members' Alta websites that maximizes traffic performance. Essentially, this feature fine-tunes dealers' online stores to become a top search option, and like having a brick-and- mortar showroom on a busy downtown corner, can help generate 25-50% more traffic than the competition, he said. Traffic Driver, and the hundreds of updates to its technology each year, reflect the impact of AVB's investment in MTEQ, Meekings said. "It's just one example of how plugging in to MTEQ can truly drive your business to the next level." Granted, MTEQ encompasses a deep basket of digital tools, and members needn't access everything all at once. The COO's suggestion: start with what you can, and determine which components should have priority by reviewing your retail toolbox with the actionable "Plug-In Plan Checklist" distributed at Summit. "It's the most important thing we can do to make sure we all keep winning," Meekings said. "And we need to do it now, so the customers, and equally important, the vendors understand that we are a leader, not a lagger, in this increasingly online world of retail." All it requires, he added, underscoring the Summit's theme, is to "Plug In" to the platform. Alan Wolf is Senior Communications Specialist at AVB BrandSource, the nation's leading merchandising and marketing co-op for independent appliance, home furnishings, and consumer tech dealers. RO BRANDSOURCE MEMBERS, MEET MTEQ! COO Dave Meekings urges dealers to 'plug in' to AVB's retail tech suite Alan Wolf Digital Trends AVB COO Dave Meekings shows how MTEQ can manage the complexities of online retail.

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