Merchandise Monday: New in Bluetooth®

Technology advances so quickly, sometimes it’s hard to keep up! Here at Hinda, we’re always adding great new electronic items to our assortment. This week, we thought we’d feature a few new Bluetooth® items – some of them rather unique. With Father’s Day and graduation and wedding seasons all rapidly approaching, these items would certainly make great gifts for anyone on your list – or why not treat yourself to something new for no reason at all!

Bell’O Speaker Mantel Shelf with Bluetooth® for 42/50/60-inch TV

The large sound cavity, selectable inputs and Bluetooth® wireless technology featured in the Speaker Mantel Shelf provides the perfect dynamic for a rewarding listening experience and the beautiful espresso color compliments any interior design scheme.

Bose® SoundLink® Bluetooth® Speaker III Cover

Designed specifically to protect the curved edges of the aluminum body of the SoundLink® Bluetooth® Speaker III from scratches or abrasions, these covers are rugged yet stylish. A durable side zipper makes dressing up your speaker easy and a variety of colors shows off your style.

Bulova® Bluetooth® Astor Clock

This mid-century modern mantel clock features a wooden case, ebony oak veneer and silver accents. The incorporated Bluetooth® wireless speaker system lets you stream any type of programming from a smart phone or tablet. Works with Android™ or IOS® software.

Bulova® Bluetooth® Mantel Clock

The graceful curves, polished finish and natural wood grain of this mantel clock add elegance to any home’s décor. The Bluetooth® wireless speaker system lets you stream any type of programming from a smart phone or tablet and hear it from the clock. Quartz movement.

iDevices iGrill Mini Bluetooth® Smart Meat Thermometer

Using this Bluetooth® Smart grilling thermometer, you'll know when your food is ready from your mobile device. Choose from dozens of preset temperature alarms or create your own in the iDevices Connected app based on what you're grilling or smoking and head back inside while your meat cooks.

JBL® Portable Bluetooth® Speaker

The Portable Bluetooth® Speaker feature 7.5W per channel, dual 1.8" transducers with twin passive bass radiators and bass port, digital signal processing, social media mode so up to three people can share music, rechargeable lithium ion battery with up to 12 hours of playback and much more.

LG Electronics 5.1-Channel 1000W 3D Bluetooth® Smart Home Theater System

This Bluetooth® Smart Home Theater System features four tallboy speakers, 3D Blu-ray™ playback and private sound mode. The system is compatible with a variety of audio, video and disc formats. The package includes a remote control, batteries, FM antenna and speaker cable.

LG Electronics Tone+™ Wireless Bluetooth® Stereo Headset

Enjoy a high quality audio experience in stereo sound with the convenience of Bluetooth® technology. Up to 15 hours of talk time and 10 hours of listening time keep you connected socially and musically while at home, at the office or on the go. Wear around the neck for all-day comfort. 

CES So Far...

It’s only Day Two of the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, but Hinda’s merchandise team has already reported back with lots of great pictures and info about the cool new tech they’re seeing on the show floor. Here are just a few of the highlights – in no particular order – with more to come!

 Samsung®’s Galaxy Tab® S display featuring Marvel’s Avengers

Relatively new to the US market, TCL has been doing extremely well at Hinda. The company offers affordable price points and its line of Roku TV is hot. Here TCL is showcasing its Curved 4K TVs.

Load up your own beverages with the Chill personal soda machine from Hisense.

Not just a camera company anymore, Canon® showcases its Connected Home.

The Polaroid Fotobar offers “Instant Printification.”

Virtual Fitting Solutions from Toshiba

Headphones are big at Panasonic®!

Crosley®’s old-school booth proves vinyl is popular as ever.

Check out our Facebook  page for more images from the show floor at CES!

Consumer Electronics Show Opens in Vegas

The 2015 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is underway in Las Vegas, where 160,000 visitors and 3,500 exhibitors will flock to check out and showcase the latest and greatest in consumer electronics. According to USA Today, anticipated highlights inlude drones, 4K TVs, app-based entertainment and high-tech cars. CES runs through Friday and Hinda is on the show floor reporting on cool new gadgets and tech trends, so stay tuned for updates this week!

Merchandise Midweek: Trends from the Trade Shows

PART 1 - CES

This year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas drew 165,000 attendees from 150 countries to browse the latest and greatest from 15 product categories, including audio, automotive electronics, connected home technologies, digital imaging and photography, electronic gaming, entertainment and content. Hinda’s director of merchandising, LeeAnn Schumacher, was on the show floor and reported back with the trends for the coming year.

Tablets, Super-Sized

Last year, mini tablets were all the rage. Now, the pendulum has swung in the opposite direction and new larger “slates” are coming to the forefront. Companies such as Panasonic®, Sony® and Lenovo® are introducing tablets that are being billed as multi-user table-top devices that can be used for collaboration in the workplace. These are scheduled to launch in summer of 2013.

In related news, notebooks are appearing lighter, thinner and available at lower price points. Touch will be a big feature for Windows® 8 notebooks. PCs are being developed with tablet flexibility and removable keyboards, and PC gaming is looking to make a comeback in 2013.

Apps, Apps Everywhere

At CES, Apple® announced it had topped 40 billion downloads during the show. But that’s just the beginning. Everywhere you turned, apps were being used for everything from voice-controlling a car to organizing your kitchen.

For example, Ford®’s Fiesta and Focus let drivers manage the Ford app through voice and 16 various radio controls. Samsung®’s T9000 – which is a refrigerator – has an LCD front and comes with pre-loaded, kitchen-friendly app Evernote.

TVs: Smarter, Brighter, Larger

These aren’t your grandparents’ black-and-white-and-rabbit-eared sets. HDTVs are a big business that’s continually evolving. For example, tech giant LG® will be launching a 55-inch OLED screen in March. OLED stands for organic light-emitting diode and represents the latest in thin, power-efficient and bright displays. Samsung countered with 85- and 110-inch TVs.

Another trend among TVs is the doing-away with the traditional remote control by making TVs compatible with smartphones and letting users operate their TVs using their phones. We’re also going to see a rise in ultra-HD 4K, OLED, smart integration and large screen displays of 60-inches or more.

Talking Tech Becomes the New Norm

Voice-activated products are making a big splash, especially in automotive technology and developments in television. Software company Nuance will bring more speech-recognition solutions to the near future. Dragon dictation, taking verbal notes on the iPhone® 5 and other solutions prove that it’s all about getting a lot more work done without lifting a finger.

Other News from the Show Floor

Health and fitness is one of the fastest growing product categories in the consumer electronics industry. Wireless technology and portable devices are two major drivers in this market. “Wearable technology“ is hot, and over 60 million sports, fitness and health monitoring devices with Bluetooth® technology will ship by 2015.

Cameras remain a popular category, and 2013 will see an increase in long zooms, Android™ and Wi-Fi® connectivity, larger image sensors, sports/action cameras and camcorders, mirrorless (or compact system cameras) and retro-looking cameras. 

…Stay tuned for Part 2 of our trade show wrap-up, where we’ll be focusing on trends from the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) Expo.

CES 2013 This Week!

Today marks the opening of 2013’s International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, and Hinda’s merchandising team is scouring the show floor seeking out the latest technologies and trends across multiple product categories.

With more than 3,000 exhibitors showcasing everything from wireless technologies to home audio to headphones, the team is working with global brands for innovative product solutions. As a merchandise incentives company, one of Hinda’s prime responsibilities is translating ideas for all demographics , from retired and mature recipients to Baby Boomers to Gen X and Y – and now the new demographic, Gen Z.

Everything we do is focused on giving our recipients the product solutions they want and the service they deserve. Stay tuned for our wrap-up of CES when our merch team returns, right here on HindaBlog.com!

To Redeem, or Not to Redeem…

Depending on how you look at it, 2012 is either one-third empty or two-thirds full. We don’t know where the time goes, either, but what we do know is that a lot has happened in the first quarter – specifically in the area of award redemption and fulfillment. Recently, Hinda had a meeting to discuss redemptions so far this year, and it’s interesting to see what people have been redeeming for since January.

As expected, many of these redemptions fall into the “Electronics” category. This shows no sign of slowing down. People love their gadgets, and with new versions and varieties coming out all the time, people like to stay up to date. Another popular redemption category is “Home,” with many people redeeming for items such as coffeemakers and cookware. As we’ve mentioned in previous posts, this is a trend we see in this particular economy, as people cut back on dining out and trips to trendy coffee bars.

Here we present the top ten redemptions according to dollar value. This is where most of the gadgety stuff comes in to play:

Apple® iPad® 2 Apple iPod® Touch Amazon Kindle Fire 7" Multi-Touch Wi-Fi Keurig® Special Edition B60 Single-Cup Home Brewing System HP® 15.6" Notebook Computer Coby® 19" Wide Screen LCD HDTV Nikon Coolpix® S6100 16MP Digital Camera with 7x Zoom Coby 32" HDTV LCD 1080p 120Hz Microsoft Xbox 360® 250GB Bundle Bose® QuietComfort® 15 Acoustic Noise Cancelling® Headphones

This list outlines Hinda’s top redeemers according to units fulfilled. Much of this list contains the home and housewares redemptions:

World Kitchen® 18-Piece Glass Storage Set with Lids Wagan® Battery Jumper With Air Compressor Royal Consumer 10-Sheet Crosscut Paper Shredder Titleist® Pro VI Golf Ball Dozen Apple iPod Touch® 8GB with FaceTime (Black) Lipper Bamboo Thin Cutting Boards Conair® Weight Watchers® Body Analysis Scale Dirt Devil®  Swift Stick Vacuum Coby Dual USB Car Charger for iPod® And Other USB Powered Devices Black and Decker® Six-Cup Rice Cooker and Steamer

It’s kind of cool to see what people have been saving up their points for, and it will be interesting to see how these lists change – or if they change – as we move into the rest of 2012. Keep your radar tuned to Hinda Blog for more updates in the future!

Merchandise Monday: Introducing the Top Redeemers of 2011

The top merchandise reward redeemers for 2011 fall almost exclusively into the electronic entertainment category. Surprised? Neither are we. The rise in popularity of e-readers and tablet computers, as well as new updates and versions of familiar gaming consoles, video players and music devices, have created such a demand that our top redeemers list might as well just say “Cool Electronic Toys.”

But that would make for quite a short blog post, so let us discuss further. According to our calculations, the top redeemers of 2011 are as follows:

Blu-ray™ Players:  Sony®, Panasonic® and Samsung®

Tablet Computers:  Apple® (iPad®), Samsung® (Galaxy Tab™), Coby® (Kyros™) and Sony (Tablet™)

iPod® Audio Docking Systems

Single-Cup Coffee Makers:  Keurig®, Black & Decker®, Hamilton Beach®, Cuisinart®

Gaming Software:  Wii™, Xbox® and PlayStation®

Portable DVD Players:  Coby, Audiovox™, Sony, Panasonic

e-Readers:  Amazon Kindle™, Sony

Bose® Headphones

Garmin® GPS Systems

Clearly, people enjoy their entertainment systems, whether it’s video games, movies or music that they prefer. Not only this, but they like to be entertained on the go (who doesn’t?). And they want to make sure they know where they’re going and that they’re caffeinated when they get there.

It will be interesting to follow 2012’s trends and see what this list looks like a year from now. What crazy technological advancements will occur over the next 12 months (because you know there will be some)? What are people already anxious to get their hands on? Is this the year the flying car will finally come to fruition (fingers crossed!) and will it be available for redemption?

We’re going to keep our radar tuned on the trends, so stay tuned to Hinda’s blog for updates!