D&H Distributing is looking back at two trends of 2016. First, consumers are looking to build more rubust infrastructers to manage their connected devices. And second, a seamless, unified and automated home/entertainment environment has become the norm.
Or at the very least, it has set the bar for high standards in smart home technology.
So while D&H is reporting lackluster growth in some areas in 2016, key areas of the home-technology market are skyrocketing.
The distribution company saw sales gains of 77 percent in Internet of Things (IoT), which it defines as smart home, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connected products. D&H also reports 31 percent growth in TV sales, including streaming models.
Growth areas for D&H Distributing in 2016, YOY:
- IoT products: 77%
- 3D printing: 52%
- Floor care: 45%
- Televisions: 31%
- Fitness & exercise: 20%
- Notebooks computers: 11%
- Cell phones: 10%
These numbers are propelling D&H to look toward developments in smart home automation, media hubs and augmented reality for 2017.
“As the industry moves toward more cloud- and Wi-Fi-connected infrastructures and solutions, D&H is constantly monitoring and forecasting these developments, to give our customers an advantage selling into this new automated environment,” says Dan Schwab, co-president at D&H. “That can mean anything from negotiating relationships with manufacturers in emerging categories, to facilitating product demos of these technologies on behalf of our vendors.”
