Howdy folks. We’re doing a switch up in the format of Week in Playback this week, and perhaps moving forward based on feedback. Instead of providing commentary on a single aspect of a news week, I’ll be digging a bit more into two or three stories each go with my thoughts and ideas on how each impacts the custom integration CI industry.
That’s all for now. Let’s dig into it.
1. Loewe’s Retail Partnerships
Related Article: Loewe Placing Major Stock in Brick-and-Mortar with Recent Retail Partnerships
For 2026 I’ve been keeping a close eye on developments within the TV landscape, and Loewe Technology has provided no shortage of interest in that space.
A German-bred technology company with an emphasis on luxury design, Loewe is perhaps a perfect fit for the custom integration channel especially given the recent swing towards interior design sentiments.
In truth I figured we’d be seeing more stories about Hisense and TCL, given their recent aggressive moves in the market, but so far, it’s Loewe that I see as making the most noticeable inroads towards custom integrators.
Part of what has enamored me so much with the company, however, is its approach to these inroads. Loewe loves being able to show off its product and it loves partnering with dealers who can show off its products in the right setting, hence why this week it struck a deal with Gramophone and World Wide Stereo, two dealers known for their showroom and retail presence.
Why integrators should take notice
The topic of showrooms is an ever-evolving question within the integration space, but I think Loewe’s emphasis on finding good retail partners is also noteworthy. Not too long ago I don’t think anybody would consider investing in brick-and-mortar retail to be a smart move in the long run.
But here we are today at a time in custom integration where being able to showcase a lot of these technologies in person tends to be a make-or-break scenario when it comes to convincing clients about shelling out a little bit of extra money for the experience.
In fact, World Wide Stereo’s strong retail presence was cited as being one of the main reasons for Gramophone wanting to acquire them in the first place. You also have evidence of showroom in retail spaces being very powerful tools for networking and sales, as seen through the likes of Audio Advice and Sound Vision, LLC.
On the one hand I think custom integration is an industry that is very well suited to having physical locations like showrooms and retail spaces. So much of the sale depends upon the experience and there is no amount of convincing or rhetoric that can substitute for an in-person live demonstration.
In the case of design-forward luxury items like Loewe’s stellar OLED TVs, having a retail space where you’re able to get better control of the lighting, seating and how it might all fit in with other high-end technology solutions is also a great means of conveying the full experience to prospective buyers.
In CE Pro’s State of the Industry report for 2026 we found that there is a measurable sales lift tied directly to showroom-driven experiences. Of course, telling dealers, to just go out and get a showroom with the premium on commercial property nowadays. It is easier said than done.
Still the industry is constantly looking at workarounds. Some people convert rooms of their house. Others have smaller appointment-only spaces. The point is that rather than dying in obscurity, brick and mortar has made a decent comeback worth taking note of.
Perhaps we can thank the pandemic for forcing us into so many different digital interactions that we started to realize the limitations of some things.
2. Coastal Source’s Design Platform
Related Article: Design Studio by Coastal Source Aims to Help Dealers Paint Full Outdoor Experience
As the saying goes: “You can’t swing a dead cat without hitting a design service nowadays.” I might be paraphrasing a bit. Design services are incredibly popular though, and I think Coastal Source is showcasing the raw potential a design service has in being able to shape an integrator’s business.
The company just released Design Studio this week, and, based on my understanding of the current landscape, it seems to be particularly robust in terms of what it offers for dealers, even if the functionality offered isn’t entirely new for what a design service can do. As I said it’s the way in which it is being packaged that is the most interesting.
The whole appeal of design services is that integrators can lean on the expertise of a manufacturer who likely has decades of experience within a specific category, leaving the manufacturer to help design the system while the integrator can focus on whatever it is they do best.
The charm of Design Studio is that it factors in nearly all potential project scales, budgets, skill sets and pain points. The big take away being that Coastal Source wants to turn the design process into a more interactive engagement with the homeowner, with Coastal Source effectively being the wingman in whatever way the integrator needs.
Why integrators should take notice
A big emphasis Coastal Source is putting on its Design Studio service are the 2D and 3D visualization tools, both of which are part of a free offering that it provides to dealers. I like to focus on this because I quite personally like it when companies lean into the proposal side of services.
Lighting is a challenging category for integrators to sell, as the added cost of the fixtures that integrators are selling doesn’t always reveal their value to the homeowner up front. So often the question is “Why am I spending so much more for your fixture when the fixture that this guy is offering is drastically cheaper and does mostly the same thing?”
Part of the problem is education. Integrators need to be experiential educators and that can be incredibly challenging when you’re talking about being on-site with the homeowner, the designer, the architect and the builder and needing to convey what your product does in the field that justifies that potentially higher price tag.
Really, Coastal Source just wants its tools to be used to reshape the interaction between integrator, homeowner and trades. The company wants that workflow to look more interactive with the end user, and I think that’s a great stance to have especially when it comes to custom integration.
I think moving forward a lot of companies will want to look at how their design tools help facilitate that, because when I say design tools should help an integrator focus on whatever they are do best, what I really mean is: curating the ideal lifestyle for the homeowner.
Getting the system right is important. Don’t get me wrong. But being able to convince the homeowner with authority that this system is going to be the best system for them on the budget that they’re looking for is just as important.
Everyone is saying that in order to succeed at lighting, integrators need to be able to own the specification, and having a really strong proposal is a great way to get there.
The Week in Playback is CE Pro’s weekly recap segment providing extra opinions and analysis on major news stories from across the custom integration (CI) and smart home industries, focusing on recent and breaking stories ranked on importance and interest to the professional install channel. Any opinions expressed here do not reflect the opinions of other editors or that of CE Pro as a whole.
