Barely two weeks into his new role as director of furniture and outdoor for Nationwide Marketing Group, David Niedzielski found himself roaming the buildings and showrooms at High Point Market. Post-show, we sat down with him to talk about joining Nationwide and what excites him about the opportunity to go to work for the independent retail channel.

Less than two weeks into his tenure as Senior Director of Consumer Electronics for Nationwide Marketing Group, 20-year CE industry veteran David Watt jumps on the podcast. Beyond his introduction to the group, Watt dives into the world of CE, where he sees some opportunities for CE dealers to grow and more.

Kaleb Behm, marketing and project manager at Nationwide, joins the podcast to discuss ways retailers can leverage the ENERGY STAR message in their own marketing. Specifically, ENERGY STAR has a unique program that helps visualize the real-world impact that selling ENERGY STAR Certified product has on the environment.

Retail has been in Keith Moneymaker’s blood since he was born. But in 2016 he found his calling, as he puts it. That’s the year Moneymaker started the Dreams 4 All Foundation — a nonprofit that takes old mattresses (like the ones his customers are replacing when they purchase a new one from his Sweet Dreams Mattresses & More store), refurbishes them and puts them in the homes of those most in need.

Ahead of PrimeTime in Dallas, the Nationwide Marketing Group team, on behalf of Members attending the show, offered support for No Child Hungry and their efforts to get critical supplies to earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria. During the show, William Lowry, founder of No Child Hungry, was on hand to continue to raise awareness. 

During Nationwide Marketing Group’s PrimeTime show in Dallas, it was announced that our custom integration group was sunsetting its old name (HTSN). The team will move forward as Oasys Residential Technology Group, or Oasys for short. We sat down with Director of Oasys Hank Alexander to talk about the new name, the group’s new strategy and more.

The evolution in consumer finance has streamlined the credit-approval process, which is a benefit to both the customer and the retailer. Synchrony Financial shares some tips for success.

Ahead of Earth Day 2023, we sat down with Dan Cronin, program manager for ENERGY STAR at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to talk about the program’s impact, the Inflation Reduction Act and much more.

Geneva, Minnesota is town of just over 500 residents, and it also happens to be the home of Nationwide Marketing Group Member Sorenson’s Appliance & TV. Co-owner Dak Sorenson and his team have found success by leaning heavily into that small-town mindset in every aspect of the business.

Brett Kelley joined the Nationwide Marketing Group team roughly one year ago as a Member Support Manager — the team that sits on the front lines of the independent retail channel, engaging with our Members and helping them thrive on their own terms. As such, he (and the full MSM team) has a very unique perspective into what life is like as an independent retailer. We tap into that experience and more.

JennAir is a company founded on the idea of challenging conventional norms in the appliance industry. That way of thinking hasn’t changed over the past 57-plus years, and it’s helped the brand continue to stand out as a true innovator of luxury appliances. We dive into all that JennAir has to offer with Nathan Puplis, who leads up the buying group initiative for the company.

From inventory financing to consumer credit, the world of retail financing is vast. To help get a handle on it all, we tapped into our partners over at Well Fargo Retail Services to dive into it. Steve Jermier, SVP of Relationship Management at Wells Fargo, sat down to talk about the work his team does behind the scenes to help independent retailers navigate the ins and outs of retail finance, the cause behind the recent rate changes and strategies to avoid letting it impact your business.

For over 120 years, Pocatello Electric has served the many needs of its local residents in southeast Idaho. That longevity has helped them become the oldest family-owned appliance store in the country. We chat with current-day owner Suzie Vigliaturo about business, what’s worked and how they’ve evolved over the years to remain relevant with their customers.

Passed in August 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act is considered a landmark piece of legislation that will have a major impact on many industries for decades to come — including retail. The energy efficiency portion of the bill aims to provide consumers with various tax credits and other yet-to-be-determined benefits pending state-level programs that will roll out in relation to this bill. There’s a ton to unpack, but we attempt to do just that with Nationwide Marketing Group’s Director of Business Services Frank Sandtner.

PrimeTime in Orlando this past August saw one of the largest and most-impressive Outdoor experiences to date. Nationwide Marketing Group’s Director of Appliances and Outdoor John Laing, who led the charge to bring that space to life, reflects on the experience, details what attendees can expect at PrimeTime in Dallas (March 25-28), and provides other outdoor updates.

As the calendar flipped to 2023, Nationwide Marketing Group formally launched a partnership with Middleby Residential. Home to some of the leading names in the luxury appliance and outdoor categories, Middleby Residential keeps a finger on the pulse of the luxury retail experience.

Ahead of their appearance in a new Metaverse pavilion at the NRF Big Show, ReadySet dives deep into the world of virtual reality commerce. ReadySet CEO Steve McLean shares an overview of the Metaverse concept and helps independent retailers explore the ins and outs of the next-gen version of e-commerce.

The year 2022 was a busy one for the Independent Thinking Podcast. Over the past 48 weeks (or episodes), we’ve gathered 1,516 minutes worth of conversations with our Members, Vendor Partners, industry professionals, trade media friends and our own Nationwide Marketing Group family. On this final episode of the year, we try to whittle those conversations down to one brief recap.

As he prepares to retire at the end of 2022, Nationwide Marketing Group SVP of Business Services Rick Weinberg recaps a 30-plus-year career with the organization — and an even longer stint serving the independent retail community.

Jim Estill, owner and CEO of small appliance maker Danby, highlights some of the trends the company is tracking as the calendar gets ready to flip into a new year.