The Mobile Electronics Specialists of America (MESA) buying/marketing group announced 2020/2021 sales results at a meeting this week in MESA, AZ.
The group now accounts for $400 million in annual sales. That’s up from $319 million in 2019.
Last year, MESA retailers saw sales of $130 million in credit card processing alone. Financing and leasing sales plus credit card sales results combined were up 20 percent in 2021 over the year prior.
Many members have reinvested those profits. Ten new stores were opened by members and 47 members remodeled their stores.
The group has added 12 new members for a total of 70 platinum members and 94 gold members with 296 store locations.
Executive Director Ryan Gunther noted that MESA saw “a crazy level of business” over the last two years but it has also seen a rise in operating costs. Insurance (health and business) and advertising costs have risen, rent is up 15 percent, salaries are up 20 to 30 percent. The general cost of goods is up 15 to 20 percent.
“We want to offset those costs. We need to increase those margins,” said Gunther. “The customer is very comfortable paying the current MAP pricing. We don’t have to discount. The horse is back in the barn and we want to at least keep those MAP prices high.”.
For the coming year, digital marketing “will be a huge focus,” for the group, said Gunter. It will include helping members to be better at “Google My Business” so customers can find them online. And retail websites can now include more vendor content. When a vendor updates his product line, new information can be loaded into retailer websites in as little as one hour.
Photo: Apologies Ryan, we didn’t better capture your smiling face…
