THE HYPERMARKETS ATTACK!

Reserved just a short time ago for an elite, Home Cinema hasn’t ceased to become more and more democratised. This popularisation of the concept results from several factors:
- The domestication of cinema audio formats and the creation of a universal encoding format (5.1),
- The development of "all digital" technologies,
- A reduction in production costs linked to economies of scale,
- The explosion of u DVD, considered the audio/video support of the future.

Until recently, the only companies marketing these products were distributors specialising in the sale of home cinema material, conceding only a small part of the "cake" to broader distribution. This is only a small loss in terms of exclusivity in the market: only base-line products or lower middle of the range products are concerned by this revolution. It would thus be erroneous to see, within this phenomenon, a loss of market value for specialised retailers: the home cinema market is now experiencing a major boom from the greater public, a market which until now had been non-existent.

Consequently, major retail chains are now contributing to the development of a whole new market sector, and investing, at the same time, leaving the "traditional" specialists of purely "home cinema" (min. cost around 8,000 Euros or 50,000 French Francs) with the installation of a video projector and screen – what the "purists" consider to be a "real" home cinema installation).

Nevertheless, who, even yesterday, would have imagined the idea of coming face to face with a "home cinema section" in a hypermarket? While "true" home cinema remains the realm of the well off few, its concept is seeing a massive democratisation, as witnessed by consumer trends: three dimensional sound reproduction is also possible with a £350 (450 Euro) speaker kit… and that’s something quite a few people can afford for Christmas!


A Guide to Home Cinema by Auchan

In this vain, for the Francophones among us, the "Auchan" hypermarket chain in France has edited a 22 page Home Cinema guide, destined to the general public (we should underline the fact that there is absolutely no financial agreement between Auchan and CineNow!). Taking advantage of this infatuation of the public, the shopping chain has been distributing it’s guide, "Guide du cinéma à la maison" (Guide To Cinema in the Home): note the deliberate choice of the name, which is aimed at a broader public (the term "Home Cinema" seems to have been judged too "top of the line"…). In any case, Auchan is doing nothing other than adapting its offer to the broadest client base possible.


By the Way: What in fact is Home Cinema?

Page 4, "le "cinéma à la maison" (Cinema in the Home) becomes "Home Cinema" – that is to say, "firstly, re-finding, at home, all the sensations of a real movie theatre, recreating an ambience, a world of your own, and emotions…" Elementary… and so appealing! So much so, as we discover and learn, as the pages go by, "everything" there is to know about Home Cinema (except perhaps about the latest audiophile formats such as DVD audio or SACD, but is this really part of the subject?): definitions, explanations, criteria for choice and 13 pieces of practical advice on installing your material.

Everything is simple, clear and lucid. We even find a full page which has been cross-ruled, on which, accompanied by a sales person from Auchan, the customer can design the room and "virtually" lay out their new installation.


Marketing, Marketing...

You just can’t choose? No problem… you can no doubt find a solution to your situation. To simplify the choice, Auchan proposes a selection of products adapted to your budget and your surface! The idea is not new, having already been offered by several other chains already, but nevertheless it’s a good one: for different types of rooms (20 m2, from 20 to 40m2, more than 40m2), a range of audio/video products best corresponding to your needs is proposed.


The software as well, of course !

What’s a system without DVD’s? Not much, in fact. The Auchan guide thus presents, by themes, lists of the latest releases in Zone 2 (illustrated with the jacket of the title and accompanies by a short critique). In short, there’s everything in this guide… everything one could need to know before taking the leap and becoming a Home Cinema "buff". At under 20,000 francs for a full installation, it’s like a heavy drug sold freely to the public!


What else can we say, except to add that at the end of the guide, you’ll also find a glossary of the principle terms in Home Cinema (you’ll find, among other things, THX, DTS, etc.). In short, there are probably a few people who’ll go out to buy a hairdryer and go home with a full Home Cinema system!

In definitive terms, this guide shows the firm will of certain major shopping chains – with Auchan leading in France – to develop this "Home Leisure" market. The aficionados probably won’t go there to buy their equipment, preferring by far the specialised shops, but the divine beauty of the Aston Martin doesn’t take anything away from the pleasure of buying one’s first car!