One of the most popular sections of our showroom has always been the small electronics department. It’s where customers can find all manner of small gadgets—from smartphones to digital cameras—and all of their corresponding accessories. It’s home to our 7,500 gallon saltwater aquarium, and it’s a great spot to pick up a gift or get hands-on with the newest digital cameras. But the products on display there are among the most rapidly-changing of anything in our inventory, and while the area may have seemed cutting-edge when it first opened in 2001, it was clearly time for a complete design overhaul.
Of course, the major obstacle to any renovation is that a large section of the store becomes unusable, which obviously isn’t good for business. A quick turnaround time was important in this project. So, late on the final Sunday of 2018, a large crew of employees converged on the small electronics department to begin removing all of the products and dismantling all of the displays. By the next day, the old carpet had already been ripped up. And just over a month later, the new space was completed.
Regular Abt visitors will notice many changes, but the overall result is that the new small electronics department is brighter, better organized, and much easier for customers to navigate. Some highlights of the new space:
- A new headphones display with integrated iPad. Customers can listen to their favorite song on one of over forty different models of headphones.
- In what’s sure to be a favorite aspect of our younger visitors, the counters surrounding the aquarium have been removed, so viewers can get a closer look at the fish. New interactive digital displays provide educational information about the fish and facts about Abt’s history.
- The digital camera shelf has been expanded, making it easier to try out a camera without elbowing the customer next to you. Camera bags and tripods get their own display space on the wall adjacent to the cameras.
- Sunglasses get to spread out in a series of well-lit shelves, with more mirrors for checking yourself out in. The remaining small electronics, like drones, action cameras and Bluetooth speakers, all get more display space.
Check out this timelapse video to watch the renovation in an under a minute and see what’s changed. Better yet, stop by the new space in person!
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