Rogers Plus expands product offerings
Canadian chain to boost wireless, cable products
By Susanne Ault -- Video Business, 9/11/2008
SEPT. 11 | Leading Canadian rental chain Rogers Video is boosting its merchandising of wireless and cable products in stores as it rebrands itself Rogers Plus.
Rogers began to change store signage to the new name in Ottawa last month and will continue to switch its 269 outlets through December.
As part of the shift, Rogers is installing wireless kiosks in many of its stores and is dedicating staff members for the first time to manage the sections.
There should be no subsequent downsizing of Rogers’ DVD selection, according to spokesman Harold Simons.
Rogers outlets have long sold wireless and cable products from sister Rogers Cable and Rogers Wireless divisions. But the retailer wanted to improve its cable/wireless offering to better match evolving customer needs. The company also wanted to emphasize that Rogers Wireless is the only Canadian carrier of GSM fast network technology, available in such devices as Apple iPhones.
The chain sells a wide variety of wireless plans and phones, spanning the latest models from Apple, Blackberry, LG and Motorola, among others. Current cable offerings include high-definition receiver boxes and personal video recorders.
Rogers retail president and CEO Chuck van der Lee said, “The name Rogers Plus better reflects what we provide our customers. It means more products such as movies, games, cable, Internet and cell phones and more expertise in more locations coast-to-coast.”
About 40 of Rogers’ outlets are designed as two stores in one, with half of the space offering DVDs and the other half offering wireless and cable products. The current merchandising changes will be focused on the rest of Rogers’ stores.
To create awareness for the new Rogers Plus brand, the company is rolling out extensive advertising campaigns in each city. For its Ottawa market, Rogers distributed 10,000 door hangers to homes surrounding each of the stores to notify customers of the name change. The hangers featured a scratch and win game to score free products and savings.
“Home video and game rentals continues to be a thriving, vibrant industry in Canada and we are committed to this part of our business,” added van der Lee.
