Providing market intelligence for more than 35 years

In The News

A new vacuum can alert you to incoming text messages. Why?

"The appliance category becoming connected does add a lot of opportunities to provide new information to a consumer," says Elizabeth Parks, the president and chief marketing officer at Parks Associates, which does market research on consumer tech and works with some manufacturers.

"How much energy is being used? Does that tie to any bills? Are there any alerts about the performance of the appliance? You know, especially that energy efficiency part can translate to dollars saved," she says.

"It creates a service model, right? You sell the large appliance, the refrigerator or the washer dryer, and then maybe you sell the maintenance that goes with it," Parks says.

Cost is one factor holding many people back from buying the premium AI appliances, as well as a perception that there isn't an added value in the smart features and security and privacy concerns, according to Parks Associates survey data.

From the article, "A new vacuum can alert you to incoming text messages. Why?" by James Doubek

Previously In The News

Four Smart-Home Myths Retailers Need To Dispel

Smart-home products are rolling out to the masses as consumers look for ways to simplify their daily lives. According to a recent survey from Parks Associates, more than 40 percent of U.S. broadban...

Smart-Home Suppliers Grow Selections & Connections

The growth potential was underscored by a Parks Associates survey that found almost 20 percent of U.S. broadband households own at least one smart-home device, and a lot more consumers want them. Abou...

The Near Future Of Voice Control

Awareness: Voice control of smartphones is building awareness of the potential for voice control of other products, Parks Associates research director Barbara Kraus noted. “Almost 52 percent of iPh...

What The Future Of Smart Home Voice Control Looks Like

For her part, Parks Associates research director Barbara Kraus expects voice control will likely spread to all manner of consumer electronics in homes, cars and on the go. But “at this time, voice tec...