Editor’s Note: In this monthly feature, RCR Wireless News talks to retail managers across the country to get a first-hand view of what’s hot in wireless.
While northeastern Ohio digs out from a mountain of lake-effect snow, Heather Griffiths, district manager for northern Ohio/Cleveland East Verizon Wireless stores takes some time to talk with RCR Wireless News about trends in wireless retail.
What are the most popular handsets right now?
“The Chocolate. It comes in five lovely flavors these days. We’ve seen a huge increase in those, specifically the red, the cherry Chocolate. I didn’t expect it to take off as well as it did. . It’s definitely the hottest handset as far as normal handsets go. We’ve seen an increase in our PDA handsets as well this year versus the same time last year. The specific handset is the Motorola Q. It’s the newest to market, and everyone seems to love the look, plus it’s Motorola-which seems to make everyone feel warm and fuzzy.”
Which plans are selling best right now?
“We still have a very strong drive toward Family Share plans, but we’ve recently seen an increase in drive toward single plans and the higher-end plans. People understand the benefit of the monthly access. They’re not the 200-minutes-per-month users anymore. They realize they need the higher-end price plans.”
What accessories are people interested in?
“Our ‘Essential’ bundles are the most popular, more specifically the Bluetooth bundles with the Bluetooth headset. Obviously, people are loving the Chocolate, and our Music Essentials kit gives them the ability to get the music that they want on the MP3 part of the Chocolate. We’ve seen that to be the hot topic for accessories. The Essential bundles include a cigarette light [vehicle power] adapter, a case or clip and a wired headset or Bluetooth. People aren’t just buying one accessory these days.”
What add-on data services are customers asking about?
“Our text message bundles. Text messaging is hot these days, and we’ve seen an increase in that. . I do see customers come in and ask, ‘Can I get a text message bundle?’ They’re asking for it on the consumer side, and even with the Q, they’re asking what’s included in the high-end data plans. Also, ringback tones – everyone likes to hear those when you call.”
What do you expect to see in 2007?
“The Vcast product that we have, which includes music, is going to stay and go in the right direction. I see that being a trend that I anticipate having through 2007, and so far, without giving numbers, we’ll have a strong 2007 – as we always have.”
