FAIRFIELD, NJ−Panasonic opened a novel “products lounge” inside a photo store here this week, looking to market its Lumix camera line in a way it cannot do online.
Panasonic wants to pursue a store-within-a-store approach as opposed to opening its own company stores as it briefly tried last year, according to president Julie Bauer. Panasonic, housed in a sleek 340,000-square-foot glass headquarters office in Newark, opened the 750-square-foot “Lumix Lounge” at the Unique Photo store here on Monday.
Panasonic experimented with a small storefront in Edgewater last year, but closed it when the lease expired.
Bauer said one of the reasons her company decided to try the store-within-a-store idea at the Unique store is that owner Matt Sweetwood demonstrates “a true passion for delivering what the consumer wants." The Lumix lounge is equipped with a coffee bar and a Panasonic massage chair to enhance the shopping experience, plus a video display with Internet connection.
Panasonic may duplicate the set-up at other stores if this arrangement works well, according to Bauer.
Sweetwood originally proposed the general idea for the lounge after seeing Panasonic's camera booth at a trade show, he said. He went to Panasonic's marketers to suggest initiating a marketing area at his shop. Unique Photo carries an array of camera brands, types and prices and Sweetwood says Panasonic is currently the third-best-selling brand, behind Canon and Nikon.
The store also has a 700-square-foot alcove area for Canon products and display areas for Sony and Epson.
Sweetwood said Panasonic will send its own sales representatives for product launches and workshops at the store. At the store's photo show next month, Panasonic will use the Lumix Lounge to introduce a new product, he said.
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