Toronto, Canada (April 22, 2020)—Online shopping has gained significant traction in recent years, and the current pandemic has only made consumers more likely to shop in cyberspace. When it comes time to lure them back into real-world retail, however, shopping “experiences” are likely to help draw consumers, and outdoor clothing manufacturer Canada Goose will be ready for them with a unique LEA Professional-powered site at its flagship location at the Sherway Gardens Mall in Toronto.
Canada Goose manufactures parkas, down jackets, snow pants and more, but how do you sell people on clothing to keep them warm when they’re already in a balmy retail environment? “Canada Goose wanted an impactful environment,” said Tim Bootes, Programming Manager, Westbury National, one of Canada’s largest professional audio-visual integration and full-service event production companies. “The store is unique because you are taken on a tour throughout the store; you are essentially guided down a wilderness path, indoors.”
As customers embark on The Journey, they enter into the natural world where they experience the great outdoors via a theatrical AV experience that includes navigating a creaking crevasse, cold rooms cooled to about 10 degrees Fahrenheit, complete with real snow and ice — and a huge “Elements Room” supported by large, 60-foot-wide 4K video projections — all brought to life with sound reinforcement.
60 Seconds with Joey Palkowitch of LEA Professional
As part of creating the experience, Westbury National turned to audio amplifiers from LEA Professional. LEA introduced its IoT-enabled, professional-grade amplifier family, the Dante Connect Series, in 2019. “With this installation, we needed to make sure we had great quality and that the audio and video matched perfectly,” explained Bootes. “There are several different zones and sections within the store, and we need to make sure the audio wouldn’t spill out into another section. LEA amps help us control the audio.”
Bootes added that the integrated DSP within the LEA amplifiers allows installers to fine-tune the audio signals according to each system installation’s design. “The LEA amplifier user interface is extremely intuitive,” said Bootes. “The fact that you can have multiple amplifiers in a system and you can easily tap between the amps just by logging into one is great.”
Canada Goose wanted Westbury be able to monitor the systems remotely and proactively identify and address any problems if any occur before there was ever any impact to the customer experience. “LEA amps and the integrated remote access give us some great advantages; we’re able to monitor and adjust the audio settings directly, without using another device,” said Bootes. “And LEA also allowed us to bring the Dante audio stream directly back from the playback processes, rather than needing another system.”
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