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How iDevices puts distributors in a position to succeed with smart home


iDevices News, How iDevices puts distributors in a position to succeed with smart home
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It’s hard to ignore the exciting opportunities surrounding the smart home industry. The single- and multi-family residential markets are driving rapid adoption by offering home tech as a standard, while advertising smart communities to buyers and renters. But, how does distribution fit into the mix?  

At iDevices, a member of the Hubbell Incorporated family, we’ve developed products, pricing, and logistics to help distributors expand business and grow their bottom line. Let’s dig into the details!  

Full product line  

iDevices features a full line of products that replace traditional switches, dimmers, outlets, and thermostats, so you can avoid a piecemeal approach when working with your trade customers.

Instead of stocking products from a variety of smart home brands that might not work together, you can offer a single brand that covers all of the smart home essentials; lighting, power, and HVAC.  

This cohesive approach decreases open box returns from contractors, because there’s no confusion over which products work together. iDevices products are compatible with the most popular smart home platforms — Amazon, Apple, Google and IFTTT — so even in a mix-and-match situation, they’ll work great with other brands, too.  

Fewer SKUs 

Despite the agnostic nature of our product line, you’d only need to stock a grand total of 6 SKUs at most. That’s due to our single-SKU product design. Instead of breaking out separate SKUs by platform (e.g. 1 SKU for Apple HomeKit, 1 SKU for Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant) or function (single-pole vs. multi-way), we’ve built everything into one product.

What’s that mean for you? Once again, fewer open box returns from contractors. With a higher volume of SKUs, a contractor — by no fault of their own — could be easily confused. We don’t blame them! They might grab a single-pole switch instead of a multi-way, or an outlet that works with Amazon Alexa instead of Google Assistant. The more SKUs, the more likely for confusion.  

With our single SKU solution, you can reduce returns and truck rolls for contractors, and sell with confidence because you’re offering an iDevices solution that’s going to work no matter what.  

Lead with limited distribution 

There are certain product lines, which we won’t mention by name, that all of your competitors carry. Instead of carrying the same products and competing with everyone (while taking a hit on margin), you’ll stand out with iDevices.

We’re confident in our products, backed by Hubbell, and will do everything in our power to ensure your success. Unlike other brands, we offer an app (iDevices Connected app) that’s universal, meaning users can control all of their Apple HomeKit-compatible smart home products — such as smart locks, sensors, and garage door openers — in one place. That’s yet another leg up on the competition.  

We won’t pit you against our eCommerce channels, either. We limit our eCommerce exposure to our website (iDevicesinc.com), Amazon, and a handful of small, consumer-facing retail sites (no big box). We also closely police pricing on Amazon and other sites to ensure MAP is followed. If a seller decides to violate our MAP on Amazon, we’ll have them removed.  

Margin for all 

It’s more fun when we all win. Our strategically designed pricing structure builds in margin for distributors and contractors. Some competitors limit your margin and take most of the profit for themselves, but we don’t think that’s a great model for long-term success.

Even when being price-shopped versus Amazon.com, you’ll find iDevices comes out on top.  

Stand out service 

From our dedicated sales team, to our friendly, U.S.-based customer support team, you be impressed by the level of service we provide.

“While all our customers receive the same white glove service, we understand the need for our industry partners and their customers to have a reliable and knowledgeable support network at their fingertips,” said Christopher Feeney, Customer Experience Manager at iDevices. “This is why we have dedicated lines direct to the team for these customers to get any support they need, when they need it.” 

We’ve developed our expertise by talking directly with distributors through the iDevices and Hubbell networks, meaning we understand your needs. If you have additional needs or questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to our sales team (sales@idevicesinc.com) or our U.S.-based Customer Experience Team (support@idevicesinc.com). Help us help you!