HTSA Chief Robbins Bullish Amid Concerns About Customer Spending Options

After a year in which the custom integrator channel benefited amid “really unfortunate circumstances,” the Home Technology Specialists of America buying group is “bullish” on 2021, said Executive Director Jon Robbins, opening the group's virtual spring conference Monday. The group hopes it’s the last virtual meeting, said Robbins, citing the importance of face-to-face interaction among members. It's planning an in-person presence at CEDIA Expo in Indianapolis Sept. 1-3 and at its own fall conference Oct. 12-14 in Dallas.

After a very difficult March-April period last year, HTSA business picked up through Q2 and Q3 as customers invested in building out their home networks, built or upgraded home theaters and added outdoor entertainment spaces, Robbins said. Business flattened in Q4, with vendor purchases ending the year up 17.5%, he said. Through February, business was up 22% vs. the two-month period in 2020, just before effects of the pandemic started to be felt, he said.

Continuing into 2021, “there are a lot of questions,” and they’re different questions from 2020, said Robbins. “Does the growth continue?” is a top concern, he said. “Has the novelty of doing things and fixing things technologically in your own home … worn off? Are we in for some post-pandemic doldrums?” he said. Whether other industries, including hospitality and travel, “grab the public’s disposable income” is also a potential challenge, he said.

Robbins is positive about 2021, despite “creeping” interest rates, with real estate remaining as “hot as a pistol.” Consumers appreciate the need for “quality technology in their homes after spending so much time there,” during the pandemic, he said, which should keep business steady. “I think the positives will outweigh the negatives through 2021,” he said.

Staying ahead of the curve is the theme of the HTSA conference, and one of the ways to do that is to get members to buy more from member partners, said Robbins. That’s difficult to do “because we haven’t been face to face,” he said. Virtual events are a necessity, “but it is no substitute for face-to-face interactions.” The group launched a “reach-out initiative” to take a “deep dive” into dealers’ purchasing histories and will communicate with members to “make sure we’re maximizing HTSA purchases,” he said.

Recent dealer additions at HTSA are Aspire Audio Video, Charleston, South Carolina; Electronic Concepts, Rochelle Park, New Jersey; and Ratio AV, Farmington, Utah. AboutGolf and Apex Technology are new vendor members.