digimag-march-2022.dealerscope.comDealerscope DigiMag March 2022

× Content x DigiMag March 2022 Pulse Voices Nationwide Marketing Group eBikes Spring Product Preview Retail Rumblings Appliances Connected Car Audio Smart Home Warranty Roundup Gaming Home Office Sustainability Senior Tech Retail On The Run Stat Shot Podcast Subscribe To Our Publications Get In Touch Masthead Menu From hot new headphones and the latest wave of e-bikes, technology that consumers will want as the weather gets warmer is the focus of our March issue. We also visit JBL’s cool new store in New York’s SoHo neighborhood, where the iconic brand’s portable audio, party speakers, and gaming gear is featured front and center. Plus: the best new senior tech, gaming gear, office electronics, a warranty roundup, and the 2022 appliance preview. Happy reading! A WORD FROM OUR PUBLISHER Spring is the time of plans and projects.” Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina Could it be that life is starting to look normal again? I have future trips planned, and am excited to start planning the date of my Burning the Mask Party” once we are safe. As Spring approaches, we are planning projects and shows to get back to as much normal as we can. With our Spring Forward” issue, we look at what is hot and at the must-haves in our industry. This includes a huge segment of our society – Seniors. In our March issue, we look at top new products and trends for Seniors and Sensor-based Health Tech for this segment. We have our first annual Warranty Roundtable with Nancy Klosek; I am incredibly happy with all the companies that are included in this piece. We look at Best New Gaming Stuff for 2022, take a snapshot of the Office of the Future, and feature an interview about Skullcandy’s sustainability initiatives. We have a great Retail on the Run” with the cool JBL (Harman) experience Center in Union Square in NYC. I was thrilled to be at this interview, and it is an amazing place. If you are in NYC, make sure to visit. Mobility is a huge growth area, which we cover this month, spotlighting Cool E-BIkes and E-Scooters. In addition, we investigate the Hyundai Ioniq and cheaper EVs. Also, we have put together an Appliance 2022 Preview. Speaking of Appliances, please make sure to check out all the cool coverage on Dealerscope.com and on our sister publication website, Connected Design.com, as well as on our LinkedIn pages. As always, any comments and/or questions – please contact me at tmonteleone@ctlab.media – I want to hear from you! Tony Monteleone, Group Publisher of CT Lab Global Media A WORD FROM OUR EDITOR IN CHIEF Getting Out This Spring Last summer, I moved back from sunny Southern California and its droughts, fires, mudslides, and earthquakes to the East Coast, where bitter cold, multiple blizzards, and torrential rains have gotten me stoked for the spring. And that’s not even taking into account Omicron, which put a damper on everyone’s winter, to put it lightly, and resulted in many hospitalizations, some deaths for the immunocompromised and unvaccinated, and significant strain on the healthcare system and its workers. As was true of many people, I didn’t feel comfortable going to the gym just yet, so being cooped up inside all winter with nothing but pushups, wall squats, and planks – and hikes whenever it wasn’t too snowy or cold – made me miss the ease with which I could just hop on my bike and ride to the beach in the middle of February, as is easy to do in Southern California. So I’m stoked, now that spring is almost here, to put in some earbuds and strap on a smartwatch and get outside to do some biking, hiking, walking, and talking (on the phone). I’ve had the good fortune in my job to test out the latest true wireless earbuds over the last few years, but the cutting-edge options with all the cool features like active noise canceling, audio optimization, spatial audio, and ambient modes, have been pricey for most people and the budget models only offered the barebones capabilities. But now the full-featured true wireless earbuds that used to cost upwards of $250 can be had for less than $100. This means that more people can now not only safely walk and bike out on the street with an effective ambient mode to stay alert for cars or other dangers, but also keep out the family background noise while working from home. Make sure to read our roundup of the best new earbuds and headphones to watch for in the coming months on page 17. Many are already available. Another rising category I’m excited to try out again as the snow melts? E-bikes, which many people still seem to think prevent any kind of exercise. Contrary to popular belief, e-bikes, especially of the pedal-assist variety, can be adjusted for whatever level of resistance the rider wants, which means you can not only make that flat, straightaway bike path as light or as challenging as you want, but you can also treat steep hills and even mountains as if you were simply going up a small incline. I’ll never forget the day I tried my first Pedego e-bike out in the Hollywood Hills; I felt like a superhero as I rode up those impossibly steep streets, while still getting a decent leg workout with moderate but steady resistance. E-bikes have come a long way even since a few years ago, and it’s increasingly the must-carry category for consumer electronics and appliance retailers. For a snapshot of the latest crop of e-bikes and e-scooters scouted and sampled at the 65,000-square-foot test track in Las Vegas at CES in January, check out our overview on page 10. (Incidentally, snow isn’t the barrier to e-biking that it might once have been, thanks to the winter-optimized MoonBike.) Lastly, for those other classic spring products such as air purifiers and wearables, look no further than our Q2 preview. And even if April brings nothing but showers, there is still plenty of new gear for the Spring, including a boatload of VR and AR products, as you’ll read in both the aforementioned Q2 roundup and a gaming preview. Tom Samiljan eBIKES Two-Wheeling It in 2022 Ebikes, escooters, and mopeds are no longer just pandemic-era fads. By JOHN R. QUAIN It’s no longer just a pandemic fad. Ebikes are here to stay, and stay in a big way, as evidenced at the CES in January. Not only were there electric bikes of every shape and size introduced — everything from sleek road bikes and 007-style snow bikes to understated escooters and electric motorcycles — but also, for the first time, the Las Vegas show had a dedicated eMobility Experience testing area outside for ebikes and escooters. So, not surprisingly there was a slew of new ebike and emobility introductions around the 65,000-square-foot test track at CES 2022. Mainstream bicycle brand Giant, for example, introduced a commuter model aimed at new riders, or those returning to two wheels after a hiatus. In the group’s Momentum line, the new Voya E+ weighs just 40 pounds, a lightweight considering that ebikes typically weigh 55 pounds to over 70 pounds. Voya E+ models will start at $2,300 and feature batteries that run cooler, have a longer life cycle, and are wrapped in fire-proof gel, the company said. Making the battery safe is a big thing for us,” said Matthew Smith, e-bike business manager for Giant in the U.S. And we’re one of the few companies that don’t compete with our retailers,” Smith underscored in an interview with Dealerscope. Many of the newer ebike companies sell directly to consumers. Aventon, for example, sells through dealers as well as directly online to customers. At CES, Aventon introduced a budget-oriented commuter bike, the Soltera. Designed to be simple and easy to maintain, a basic, single-speed model starts at $1,299. The Soltera has both pedal assist and full-throttle modes, with a top speed of 20 mph. Interestingly, at least one ebike and escooter sharing company made moves at CES to enter the retail space. Santa Monica, Calif.-based Bird, best known for its escooters that pepper some urban sidewalks, announced new models for consumers to purchase in both bike...