Video & Audio Center Super Bowl Ad Promises Prices 'Lower than the Internet'

Video & Audio Center, on a mission to reinvent itself as a technology store after its recent ribbon-cutting (see 1801260025) in a tony Century City, California, mall, returned to its roots as a price-led AV dealer Friday in a full-page Los Angeles Times advertisement promising “store-wide savings at all locations” before Sunday’s Super Bowl. “Our prices are lower than the internet,” said a sticker. The retailer also offered no interest financing until February 2021 and a TV rental option. Brands included LG, Samsung and Sony. VAC Corporate Director Tom Campbell told us Friday the Century City store is getting solid traffic since its official opening Tuesday, including from shoppers curious about what the store offers and “impulse buyers.” One customer came in looking for a 40-inch TV and ended up spending $28,000 on two Sony OLED TVs, two Samsung Frame TVs and audio to go with the TVs, Campbell said. Salespeople in the store are taking orders and payment information using Samsung Galaxy tablets that customers can check for competitors’ pricing and product information, he said. Shoppers can bypass cashiers altogether if they prefer to shop that way; receipts can be sent directly from the tablets via email. The tablet enables a more “one-on-one” experience with shoppers, he said. Campbell called the new store a “showcase” that’s designed to allow customers to touch and feel products. “It’s the future of retailing,” he said, “versus stock it deep and sell it cheap.” He wouldn't disclose first week sales.