Xplicit Audio is an online retailer for 12 volt startups and smaller brands. It sells at minimum advertised prices (MAP) and carries brands such as Wolfram Audio, Ampere Audio, Sky High Car Audio, Ill Customz, and XS Power.
Xplicit Audio is owned by Thomas VanSlambrouck, age 28, who entered the business by selling product from his college dorm room.
“I like to think of myself as the next step to a brick and mortar shop. I believe you should support your local shops and local economy,” said VanSlambrouck. But if shops are out of stock, or don’t quite have what you are looking for, they can give Xplicit Audio a shot, he said.
VanSlambrouck started selling car audio about 8 years ago out of his college dorm room, with inventory stocked under his bed. Car audio is a side job, but he would like to make it full time along with a second side job, which is in IT consulting and web design. His current position is working in IT for the State of NY.
Xplicit Audio keeps growing. As a result VanSlambrouck is moving out of his kitchen and garage into a new 1500 square foot facility in Cherry Creek, NY. His sales are up 300 percent year to date for January and part of February.
Xplicit already has a sizeable following with over 20,000 likes on Facebook.
“I’m very passionate about car audio. I started 8 or 9 years ago I was on car audio Team Showtime. I wanted to be a sales rep for them but they weren’t able to let me do it at that time so I filed for dba and started out of the dorm room.” He sold Ampere Audio, and once upon a time brands Oxygen Audio and Audio Technics (which became CT Sounds).
VanSlambrouck adds, “My main focus at Xplicit Audio is the ‘Little Guys.’ Everyone has heard of Rockford, Kicker and many more. But have you ever heard of Ampere Audio? Sky High Car Audio? Not many have. We focus on bringing these little ‘mom and pop’ companies to light and giving them a shot to sell their exemplary products.
Xplicit Audio does not perform installs.
It would like to add head units in the future and sell product bundled with speakers and amplifiers so he can avoid discounting.
