Emerson Radio

What Emerson Radio does

Emerson Radio Corp. is a U.S.-based consumer electronics company and brand licensor founded in 1948 and headquartered in Parsippany, New Jersey, publicly traded on NYSE American under ticker MSN. The company designs, markets, and distributes a portfolio of consumer electronics and small home appliances — including SmartSet-branded clock radios (the flagship line, with over 15 million units sold to date), microwaves, compact refrigerators, fans and heaters, wireless charging stations, and portable power banks. Its core proprietary technology is the patented SmartSet Automatic Time Setting System, which self-calibrates year, month, date, day, time, and Daylight Savings Time upon plug-in and after every power interruption.

The business operates a hybrid hardware-sales-plus-licensing model. Hardware is sold through a multi-channel retail network including Amazon, Walmart, Home Depot, Lowe's, and QVC, alongside direct e-commerce via emersonradio.com. A parallel licensing program monetizes the Emerson, H.H. Scott, Olevia, and SmartSet brands and technologies to third-party manufacturers for use in audio equipment, flat-panel televisions (Olevia), and clock radios. End customers are predominantly individual consumers seeking affordable lifestyle electronics, with a secondary segment serving hotel and hospitality buyers.

The company operates with a lean organization of 11-50 employees. Its most recently reported quarterly result (Q1 2026, per April 2026 disclosures) shows $3.78 million in revenue but a negative net margin of 79.04% and negative ROE of 31.49%, indicating that despite strong brand heritage (Emerson trademark in continuous use since 1912) and distribution scale, the business is currently unprofitable. Strategic emphasis appears to be on new product introductions (Sunrise alarm clocks, high-capacity power banks, insect traps) and licensing royalty expansion to diversify revenue beyond legacy clock radios.

Name

Emerson Radio

Legal name

Emerson Radio Corp.

Website

https://emersonradio.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Emerson Radio Corp. is a U.S. consumer electronics company that designs, markets, and distributes SmartSet-branded clock radios, small home appliances, and wireless charging products through major retailers (Amazon, Walmart, Home Depot, Lowe's, QVC) and direct e-commerce, while licensing its proprietary SmartSet, Emerson, H.H. Scott, and Olevia brands to third-party manufacturers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Consumer Electronics

NAICS

Small Electrical Appliance Manufacturing (33521)

SIC

Watches, Clocks, Clockwork Operated Devices/Parts (3873), Electric Housewares & Fans (3634)

akta.pro primary industry

Clocks & Desk/Travel Timepieces (CRAKADAI)

Keywords

• Consumer electronics
• Clock radios
• Home appliances
• Wireless charging
• Small kitchen appliances

Headquarters

HQ city

Parsippany

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Hardware Sales: Sale of consumer electronics including clock radios, microwaves, compact refrigerators, fans, heaters, wireless chargers, and power banks through retail and direct channels
2. Licensing Royalties: Licensing of proprietary SmartSet technology and brand names including Emerson, H.H. Scott, Olevia, and SmartSet to third-party manufacturers

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Emerson Radio designs, markets, and distributes consumer electronics and small home appliances for everyday household use. Its flagship category is SmartSet-branded dual alarm clock radios with Bluetooth audio, wireless phone charging, USB charging ports, and patented automatic time-setting technology. The company also sells microwaves, compact refrigerators, fans, space heaters, insect traps, power banks, and wireless charging products, while licensing its brand names (Emerson, H.H. Scott, Olevia) and SmartSet technology to third parties.

Product overview

Emerson Radio is a consumer electronics company offering a diverse portfolio of products centered around its flagship SmartSet clock radio line (over 15 million units sold to date) supplemented by home appliances and licensed brands. The core product line includes SmartSet alarm clocks with various features: wireless charging (up to 15W), Bluetooth connectivity (V5.0-V5.4), AM/FM radio, multiple alarm modes, LED displays (cyan, aqua, white, orange, red), and white noise/sunrise simulation capabilities. The appliances category includes microwaves (grill and retro models), insect traps, compact refrigerators, fans, and space heaters. Licensed brands include Olevia (flat-panel TVs/HDTVs), the historic Emerson brand (since 1912), and H.H. Scott audio products. All clock radios feature the proprietary patented SmartSet Technology for automatic time setting.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SmartSet: Patented clock radio technology that automatically sets time to correct year, month, date, day and time as soon as plugged in. Includes dual alarm features and smartphone wireless charging capabilities.
• Olevia
• H.H. Scott

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 15 million Smart Set Clock Radio units sold

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered primary and minor.

• AmazonprimaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAmazon serves as a primary online marketplace for Emerson Radio products, including exclusive items such as Emerson Insect Traps. Products are sold through Amazon's platform reaching millions of consumers.
• WalmartprimaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWalmart distributes Emerson Radio products through both brick-and-mortar retail locations and Walmart.com online platform, providing broad consumer access.
• Home DepotprimaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHome improvement retailer offering Emerson appliances and consumer electronics through national retail presence.
• Lowe'sprimaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHome improvement retailer partner selling Emerson products including SmartSet clock radios and small appliances.
• QVCminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVideo shopping network distributing Emerson Radio products to their观众 through television and digital platforms.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Timex: Timex is an iconic American timekeeping brand that monetizes heritage IP through licensing across watches and clocks. Comparable to Emerson in leveraging a legacy U.S. brand for licensing royalties and licensed product lines in timekeeping-adjacent categories.

Broad incumbents

• Sony (consumer audio & electronics): Sony is a broad incumbent in consumer electronics, including alarm clocks, Bluetooth speakers, and wireless charging audio products that overlap with Emerson's electronics line. Much larger scale and R&D budget; competes for similar shelf space in mass retail.
• Conair: Conair is a broad incumbent in small electric appliances and personal care products sold through mass retailers like Walmart, Target, and Bed Bath & Beyond. Comparable to Emerson's appliance category (fans, heaters, kitchen) in channel, price tier, and target buyer.
• Hamilton Beach Brands: Hamilton Beach is a major incumbent in small kitchen appliances, competing with Emerson's microwaves and compact refrigeration in mass and home-improvement retail. Similar sourcing model and consumer demographic; broader catalog but overlapping channels.
• Panasonic (consumer products): Panasonic is a broad incumbent in consumer electronics and small appliances (microwaves, alarms, fans, personal care). Direct overlap with Emerson's appliance and electronics portfolio in the same Walmart, Home Depot, and Lowe's channels.
• Black+Decker (small appliances): Black+Decker is a broad incumbent in household small appliances and tools. Its small-appliance line overlaps with Emerson's microwaves, compact refrigerators, fans, and heaters in the same mass and home-improvement retail channels.

Direct peers

• RCA (consumer electronics brand): RCA is a long-established consumer electronics brand, similarly licensed for TVs, audio, and small appliances. Mirrors Emerson's strategy of monetizing a historic American CE brand through licensing and selective direct retail, competing in the same value-tier mass channels.
• iHome: iHome (SDI Technologies) is one of the most direct competitors to Emerson in the clock radio category, offering Bluetooth, wireless charging, and dual-alarm bedside clock radios with similar feature sets (e.g., Qi charging, app integration). Targets the same consumer at similar price points in the same retail channels.
• Sangean: Sangean specializes in clock radios, table-top radios, and related audio products, often positioned at the premium end of the bedside clock radio category. Directly comparable to Emerson's SmartSet line in product, channel (specialty audio + mass retail), and target buyer.
• Crosley Radio: Crosley sells retro-styled radios, turntables, and consumer electronics under a heritage-style brand, similar in vintage-brand positioning to Emerson. Comparable in targeting consumers seeking classic-style consumer electronics and in using brand licensing/historic IP to compete.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/buyemersonradio
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@emersonradio
• Facebookfacebook.com/emersonradio
• Instagraminstagram.com/emersonradio

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Emerson Radio