Retailers turn to automated marketing to save time and resources

Many music buffs know—or covet—Harman International products. The retailer and manufacturer, owned by Samsung Electronics America Inc., sells the popular JBL speakers, Harman Kardon soundbars and Infinity subwoofers.

And the manufacturer is increasingly striking a cord with music fans online. Harman launched its direct-to-consumer ecommerce business in the U.S. in 2015 and today operates 65 ecommerce sites in 40 countries and 17 languages that sell its home audio equipment, says Dave Spinato vice president of global ecommerce. Plus, large retail chains including BestBuy.com Inc., Target Corp. and Guitar Center also sell its products online.

Online sales via its ecommerce sites or its wholesalers now account for about 34% of the company’s total home audio sales. In 2019, Harman’s direct online sales grew 25%—far above U.S. ecommerce sales growth of 14.9%…

To get immediate access to the rest of this article, sign up for a free Strategy Membership using the Join for Free button below. If you’re already a member, please sign in.