CES: Best Buy, Sixth Avenue Electronics named DEG Retailers of the Year

By Samantha Clark -- Video Business, 1/7/2008

JAN. 7 | LAS VEGAS—DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group named two hardware stores Retailer of the Year for 2007. Best Buy and New Jersey chain Sixth Avenue Electronics were revealed as the winners at a press conference at the Consumer Electronics Show here.

The chains were chosen for their work to lead the industry in consumer education of new entertainment technologies.

“We believe it is only fitting that the DEG membership award this high honor to both a mass merchant and a regional specialty retailer,” said Gene Kelsey, VP of DEG board of directors and VP Entertainment Group, Panasonic Consumer Electronics. “Both local and national retailers are key to the success of marketing digital entertainment products to consumers throughout the country, and these two retailers are true partners in that objective.”

Best Buy also was awarded Retailer of the Year for software, matching its 2006 honors.

DEG’s Emiel N. Petrone Digital Innovation Awards went to Pioneer’s Elite Kuro PRO-150FD HDTV for sight, Samsung’s BD-UP5000 Blu-ray Disc player for source and D&M Holdings’ Denon AVR-5308CI Receiver for sound.

In software, Warner Home Video was the biggest winner, with four honors.