The end of the year has arrived and once again it is time for a bit of a respite. A time to back away from the pressures of daily life to relax a bit and enjoy the company and good cheer of dear friends and precious family.
For Strata-gee, it has literally been a year like no other…and for that, I am so incredibly grateful.
Read on to see my 2024 Holiday message…
It seemed in January, when the year was young, that 2024 was setting up to be a challenging one. The economy still looked dicey, a contentious presidential election was fast approaching, and mega-trends were roiling the industry. It was clear that although COVID-19 was getting smaller and smaller in our rearview mirror, it was still creating white-capped choppy waves many in the industry were struggling to navigate.
But now we’ve arrived at the latest way station…the end of the year. And guess what? We made it!
Not That Long Ago…
Not that long ago, economists were incredibly pessimistic. At one point, nearly 100% of economists said that as our economy struggled to exit the pandemic era, fighting a persistent inflation, a recession was all but certain…before stability could return. But it turned out that, as imperfect as it is, the U.S. economy is the wonder of the world.
We did NOT have a recession…inflation was tamed (if still a touch vexing)…the Fed began a series of interest rate reductions as inflation had cooled down to near its 2% target number. While global stability is still a concern, we clearly are in a better position now than we’ve been in since COVID-19 ended.
With the Election Over, We Return to the Business of Life
While incredibly vitriolic, our country got through the presidential campaign season and election without major violence. A new leader has been chosen, and whether he was your choice or not, the country returns to some sense of normalcy as we all get back to the business of life.
Our industry has been rocked by a series of big mergers, acquisitions, and other turmoil…some of which could change the industry landscape appreciably. For example, Snap One was acquired by Resideo…Masimo saw a change of management leaving Sound United’s future (and the future of its esteemed audio brands) in question…Sonos had a disastrous app rollout and disappointing product launch…McIntosh was acquired by Bose, a mystery to some…Voxx International was acquired by an auto parts manufacturer (causing some to question the future of its audio brands)…and more.
But for now, we set all of that aside…to relax, refresh, toast our friends and hug our families. Be thankful for what we have, not remorseful for what we don’t.
But THIS. JUST. BLOWS. MY. MIND!
Finally, and I’ll have more on this later, what a year it’s been for Strata-gee! At a time of struggle for most media, traffic on Strata-gee continues to grow – 2024 set a new all-time record high in readership…for the third year in a row! How is this even possible? I shake my head in wonder all the time…but thank you, dear reader, for continuing to choose to turn to Strata-gee for your industry news and my thoughts on it!
I WISH A HEARTY HAPPY HOLIDAYS to you and your families! Thank you for your continued support and I’ll see you next year!!
Ted
Happy Holidays to you and your family. I have really appreciated your fine reporting and conclusions, especially when I disagree with some of your positions! Let’s hope some magic and fun rules our little niche in the world in 2025. We are not selling bombs or x-ray equipment. We are selling enjoyment!
Thanks so much Glenn. Variety is the spice of life, so I’m fine with you disagreeing with me…especially since you don’t do so in a disagreeable manner! Happy Holidays!