Panasonic, Unique Photo To Unveil First LUMIX Lounge Lifestyle Concept Store In The U.S.

FAIRFIELD, N.J., May 9, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Turning a retail space into a true retail experience, global electronics leader Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company has announced that it will unveil its first LUMIX Lounge concept store-within-a-store in the United States at the 50,000 square-foot Unique Photo superstore in Fairfield, NJ, on Monday, May 12, 2014.

In addition to launching its new lifestyle retail outlet, Newark, NJ-based Panasonic is debuting its recently-announced LUMIX GH4 hybrid photo/video camera which features cutting-edge 4K technology.

The launch event will put products directly into the hands of consumers in a brick-and-mortar setting while also reaching millions of others through social media as the announcement will be broadcast live on Google+ through a hangout at 1:00 p.m. EDT (https://plus.google.com/u/0/+UniquePhotoFairfield/posts). Unique Photo is located at 123 U.S. Highway 46 West in Fairfield, NJ.  

The 750-square-foot LUMIX Lounge will provide consumers with the opportunity to learn about, demo and purchase Panasonic's latest LUMIX products in addition to new Audio, Adventure and Massage Chair products in one setting. Among the featured products will be headphones, portable audio, mobile power, Smartphone Bluetooth connected home solutions and lifestyle based products. The LUMIX Lounge will also feature Unique Photo's new coffee bar and provide a comfortable setting for photography enthusiasts to share and exchange ideas.

The LUMIX Lounge at Unique Photo will also serve as a location for Panasonic to continue to be more engaged with the photo community through social media and future Google+ hangouts.

"Panasonic innovates a wide range of products that enhance many facets of consumers' lives," said Julie Bauer, President of Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. "Unique Photo is the ideal retailer to debut our first LUMIX Lounge and showcase our wide range of cutting-edge consumer products in a way that lets consumers get hands-on with our products. We are very pleased to partner with Unique Photo to drive creative experiential initiatives in the ever-changing retail dynamic."

"We're proud to be selected as the site of Panasonic's new concept store, we're all about getting cameras and related products directly into the hands of our customers so they can make informed decisions about their purchases," said Matt Sweetwood, President of Unique Photo, the largest camera store in New Jersey and the 2013 National Dealer of the Year. "The new LUMIX Lounge will provide added value to our shoppers' experience in our store."

A recognized marketing innovator within the $89.6 billion photo imaging industry, Sweetwood is no stranger to having an in-house brand store on site: Unique Photo is home to the first T-Mobile store-within-a-store in the Northeast. Panasonic and T-Mobile provide new revenue streams and allows Sweetwood to maximize his store's large floor plan.

"Its all about bringing together the synergies of how today's consumers take pictures," said Sweetwood. "Our business was started more than 65 years ago on the concept of meeting the needs of our customers. The new LUMIX Lounge is the next evolution in doing so."  

To kick off Panasonic's expansion of 4K (4,000 pixel) products, the company is launching its new LUMIX GH4 camera. Named "Best Hybrid Photo/Video Camera" by the Technical Image Press Association, the new GH4 removes the gap between consumer and professional video cameras by providing an affordable camera with 4K video recording capabilities and outstanding image quality.

Rick Gerrity, a LUMIX Luminary photographer based in Cranford, NJ and an ambassador for the brand, will be on site for the product launch and demonstrations.

For additional information please visit www.uniquephoto.com and www.lumixlounge.com.

About Unique Photo
Named the 2013 National Dealer of the Year by Digital Imaging Reporter magazine, Unique Photo's ultra-modern 50,000 square-foot facility is equipped with a spacious retail space with 20,000 items from all of the leading brands, a multi-media classroom and digital learning lab, professional photo lab, rental center and gourmet coffee bar. It is the leading source of photography education in the United States as more than 1,000 people each month take classes through the store's "Unique University" which teaches aspiring beginners and professional photographers technical aspects in digital photography, lighting techniques, Photoshop and wedding photography, as well as the basics of how to use digital cameras and the best ways to print and store images.

About Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company
Based in Newark, NJ, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company is a division of Panasonic Corporation of North America, the principal North American subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation. The company offers a wide range of consumer solutions in the U.S. including products from VIERA Smart Life+ Screen, Blu-ray players, LUMIX Digital Cameras, Camcorders, Home Audio, Cordless Phones, Home Appliances, Wellness and Personal Care products and more. In Interbrand's 2013 Annual "Best Global Green Brands" report, the Panasonic brand rose to number four, the highest ranked electronics brand in the report (http://bit.ly/19WFSpu). 

To learn more about Panasonic products, visit www.shop.panasonic.com. Follow Panasonic on Twitter @panasonicUSA; additional company information for journalists is also available at www.panasonic.com/pressroom.

SOURCE Panasonic