Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM FEBRUARY 2014 54 W hile Major Appliance retailers play an important role in influencing trends and fads, they can no longer dictate what consumers will buy. Thanks to the Web and the plethora of home-design fashion magazines and TV programs, consumers today are very knowledgeable about the latest trends and features in home appliances. For instance, most of your prospective customers are probably aware of the trend away from front load washers in favor of top load HE models. Does your floor assortment reflect this? Retailers, of course, can only stock what manufacturers produce and hope that the latest trend is a hit with consumers. But if your store isn't showing and promoting the latest "in" products, hip consumers will give you a pass. FASHION IS FICKLE, EVEN IN MAJOR APPLIANCES Over the years, the appliance industry has introduced and promoted new looks, some more successful than others. Here are some of the highlights: Initially, appliances were only available in white. In the 1950s, manufacturers began testing the market and experimenting with color, introducing a wide range of colour options from Stratford yellow and Sherwood green, to blue, wood-tone brown and petal pink. Not very popular, most of these new colors were discontinued by the end of the decade. By the 1960s, only a few of the previous decade's vibrant colour options had survived. Two new colour options emerged: Coppertone and Turquoise. After White, they became the two most popular colors for several years. Avocado soon replaced Turquoise toward the end of the decade. Harvest Gold and Avocado became the appliance colors of choice throughout the 1970s and early 1980s. In the early 1980s, almond-colored appliances became so popular that some manufacturers were making freezers exclusively in that color, causing us to wonder, at the time, if traditional white was going to disappear. Surprisingly, in the second half of the '80s, solid white-on-white appliances took off again! White appliances never seem to go out of style. They can make small kitchens appear larger and provide a neutral backdrop for the introduction of color in other, more creative ways. In the 1990s, while color remained important, consumers began to focus on how appliances adapted to their kitchen's décor. For the first time, fashionable homeowners wanted appliances that fit flush with the cabinetry—most likely influenced by European-style kitchens, which are generally smaller. This trend also introduced appliances with the utilitarian, polished look of stainless steel, as well as the sleek sophistication of black. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, the industry began to narrow the choice of kitchen appliances to three colors: black, white and stainless. More recently, manufacturers have pitched oiled bronze, antique copper and a gray hue called ''meteorite,'' as well as aluminum and look-alikes. But none has been able to unseat stainless steel in the kitchen, which has surprised everyone with its resilience and popularity over the past decade, accounting for 35 percent* of the kitchen appliances sold today. However, we may have arrived at a pivotal moment in kitchen design. Although stainless steel still dominates the look in kitchen appliances, there are clear signals that it has begun to wear out its welcome, even though no clear successor is waiting in the wings. Manufacturers are placing bets on the potential alternatives to the shiny upscale stainless steel finish. In 2013, Whirlpool had great success with the launch of its White Ice Collection, which accents traditional white appliances with stylish stainless steel handles. Time will tell if this will become the next big trend in the evolution of kitchen appliances or just another passing fad. As for color, it hasn't disappeared entirely. We are now seeing vibrant colors making inroads in the laundry category, as more and more families move their laundry room from the basement to the main floor of their homes. WHAT DOES ALL THIS MEAN FOR RETAILERS? As a savvy retailer, you and your staff need to be as knowledgeable about the latest decorating and appliance trends as your customers. This will help you be proactive in stocking and showcasing what consumers expect to find in your store. Obviously, this will have a huge impact on what your customer will actually purchase from you. Your success depends on it! RO Denis Corbeil Appliance Trends THE NEXT BIG TREND IN MAJOR APPLIANCES? Ask Your Customers! Denis Corbeil, Network Director, Appliance Expert and Quebec Appliance Affiliates, Cantrex Nationwide Group Inc. *Source: 2011 Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers Color Report.

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