Locally owned and operated, the Power Centre has been selling TVs and home and car audio since 1988. Over the years, the store has expanded to smart phones, car starters, video systems, barbecues, major appliances and so much more.
The pandemic has brought many changes to retail businesses, as well as dramatic shifts in consumer behaviour. The Power Centre has been successfully adapting to the ever-changing face of retail for over three decades, and the past year has been no exception.
“We have adapted by updating our website, offering free contactless delivery and changed our advertising strategy,” says general manager Dave Radford. “The Power Centre is very well known for having those huge one-day super events, where we had lineups of hundreds of people. Those days are gone,” he says. “We try not to create that frenzy. Now we do a whole month-long sale.”
Sales or no sales, certain items have been selling as quickly as the store can get them in. “Last year air conditioners and BBQs sold out by the end of June. This year we believe it will be by the end of May,” Radford says. “We have brought in more inventory than ever, but also notice these products selling more than ever.”
Products for outdoor recreation are hot right now, with Lowrance fish finders, trolling motors and barbecues selling quickly. With youth sports on hold, parents are looking for ways to “get their kids out from behind the screens and out of doors,” Radford says. “We have once again brought in the Razor electric rides like quads, go karts, motor bikes and scooters. Last year those items sold really well.”
“People are cooking out on their patios with their barbecues and listening to music outside with bluetooth speakers or outdoor speaker systems,” he adds. “People have also been staying at home for over a year now, so TVs and home theatre systems are selling like crazy.”
Those with spare time and money have turned to renovating their homes, and major kitchen appliances are in demand. Manufacturers are having a hard time keeping up, Radford says, and anyone who needs something specific may be in for a four to eight-week wait.
“The products coming in are much better, though,” the general manager says. “And some manufacturers have even dropped prices on products we don’t have yet. They’re giving great deals. The problem is the appliance industry has been over-sold.”
“Most appliances are pre-sold by the time they hit our warehouse, so I highly recommend preordering with us, so that you are in line when they arrive,” he says.
With electronics stores closed during the stay-at-home order, customers are browsing the Power Centre’s website, then calling the store to speak to professionally-trained experts to make sure they get the product they are looking for.
Always quick to adapt, the Power Centre made headlines recently when the store announced it would start accepting Bitcoin as a form of payment. Nobody has done so yet, but there have been inquiries, Radford says.
The company is grateful for local support during these difficult times, and have directed thousands of dollars in donations to the Northern Cardiac Fund at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, which supports world-class cardiac care in Northwestern Ontario.
Learn more about The Power Centre and how they can help you by visiting https://www.thepowercentre.ca/
