SnapAV announced the opening of three new SnapAV Pro Stores in Houston, Dallas and Plainview, N.Y. At the same time, the company has expanded existing Pro Stores in Troy, Mich.; Carmel, Ind.; and San Diego.

According to Wally Whinna, SnapAV senior vice president of local, expanding same-day product availability and personalized service allows SnapAV integrators to complete jobs and stay on schedule.

“Because of the pandemic, integrators increasingly want to keep their own inventory at a minimum and utilize SnapAV Pro Stores as an efficient inventory solution that provides same-day product pick-ups,” Whinna said. “This reorganization of the supply chain is benefitting every participant and simplifying the procurement of hard-to-get products as third-party manufacturers transitioned their logistics to large, single-site orders instead of many smaller shipments directly to integrators.”

The SnapAV Pro Store program started in 2018 and has 23 locations throughout the country.

“Our research showed that integrators like being able to pick up custom integration products locally, and this unprecedented time has only increased the value of local, physical product availability,” Whinna said. “SnapAV now has more physical stores than any other custom integration-focused distributor, and our network of Pro Stores continues to grow every quarter with new locations and store expansions.”

In total, the company has added wholesale floorspace to support the needs of SnapAV integrators nationwide. Each store is stocked with SnapAV’s catalog of CI products in addition to third-party components that are in high demand, such as high-end TVs and lighting systems.

The expansion of SnapAV Pro Stores allows the company to host regional training sessions, although in-person training has been suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic. Each physical store took full precautions to protect staff and customers, following all social distancing and facial covering ordinances and enacting strict disinfection and cleaning protocols.

“We want our valued integrators to know that we are here to support their businesses, and we are taking bold steps to ensure their projects can continue uninterrupted,” Whinna said. “We’re all in this together, and by trusting and supporting each other, SnapAV, its integrators, vendors and end customers are propelling the growth of custom integration solutions all across the country.”