Zounds! - Sarasota Area ‘Hears’ New Retail Concept Coming
Zounds Hearing Enters Sarasota on a Father’s Promise; Grand Opening to Feature Cincinnati Reds Great, Doug Flynn
Sarasota, Fla. – February 27, 2008 – Zounds Hearing, a unique manufacturing and retail company focused on providing hearing aids with state-of-the-art fidelity, price point and professional service, opened its doors recently in the Westfield Sarasota Square Mall. The official grand opening, featuring former Cincinnati Reds infielder Doug Flynn, will take place on Wednesday, March 5, at 10:30 a.m.
Years ago, Zounds Founder Sam Thomasson, promised his hearing-impaired daughter that he would create a new hearing aid to overcome her annoyance with her aids due to excessive feedback, poor sound quality and discomfort in the ear. That promise led him to create the technology behind Zounds and raise the necessary funds to expand nationally, including Sarasota.
“I’m excited to bring Zounds’ technology to Sarasota. Hearing loss affects millions of Americans– senior citizens to teenagers – and many are unhappy with their hearing aid performance,” said Thomasson, “It’s Zounds’ mission to change this negative perception and develop and provide hearing aids with the best sound quality available.”
Growing Hearing Loss – Sarasota County –
According to a MarkeTrack survey, hearing loss affects about 10 percent of the U.S. population, while three in 10 people above age 60 are affected by hearing loss. In Sarasota County, this means more than 32,000 people are likely affected by hearing loss based on recent census data. However, only 20 percent of those that need hearing aids actually wear them.
Zounds hearing aids are based on three distinct technology and design innovations –
1. Enhanced noise cancellation that eliminates up to 90 percent of background noise for exceptional voice clarity and enhanced feedback cancellation that virtually eliminates the squealing that traditional aids are known for. The revolutionary hearing aids are also rechargeable and come with a remote control to fine tune one’s listening experiences throughout the day or night.
2. It takes less than two hours to test, fit, and program by licensed professional rather than the weeks needed for traditional aids, as well as rechargeable aids that eliminate the need to buy/replace tiny batteries.
3. The streamlined design also allows Zounds to charge half the price of current premium hearing aids: One aid costs $1,299, and a pair costs $2,499 (simple financing is available).
Grand Opening Brings Baseball Fever –
The crack of the bat, the cheer of the crowd, the umpire’s calls – all are essential elements of enjoying the game of baseball – and need proper hearing to be experienced. Zounds is bringing spring training to its hearing center by providing autographs and meet-and-greets with Cincinnati Reds’ Gold Glove winner, Doug Flynn, and the Sarasota Reds team mascot, RalliGator.
The grand opening festivities start at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, March 5 at the Zounds Hearing Center in Westfield Sarasota Square Mall near JC Penney. All ages are encouraged to join the official ribbon cutting ceremony.
The Sarasota location makes this the fifth Zounds Hearing Center in Florida. This week the company officially opens two additional locations in Port Richey, Fla., and Moorestown, New Jersey.
About Zounds
Zounds Hearing designs, manufactures, and markets high performance hearing aids for use with mild, moderate, and moderate/severe hearing impairments. Headquartered in Mesa, Arizona, the company's technology enables superior product performance, lower price, and a faster purchase process through its branded hearing centers. Zounds utilizes a combination of internally developed research and exclusive, licensed technology developed by Acoustic Technologies. Zounds aids are available through a network of state-of-the-art Zounds Hearing Centers in Arizona, Florida, Missouri, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. For more information, please visit www.ZoundsHearing.com or call 1-888-5ZOUNDS.