Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM JULY 2015 18 NEW FRIGIDAIRE PROFESSIONAL ® SUITE OF APPLIANCES MAKES DREAM PROFESSIONAL KITCHENS AN AFFORDABLE REALITY R&D, design and consumer testing conducted in Charlotte The latest collection of appliances unveiled by Frigidaire Professional ® aims to deliver on what consumers are looking for: the sharp look and high-caliber performance of professional appliances, designed to fit consumers' kitchens, and budgets. Electrolux, whose North American business is headquartered in Charlotte and who owns the Frigidaire Professional ® brand, is the only appliance manufacturer to design and develop appliances for both professional kitchens and consumers' homes—experience that proved crucial when designing the Frigidaire Professional ® collection. "Our goal is to deliver on unmet consumer needs in the mass market," said John Weinstock, senior vice president of Marketing, Electrolux. "The innovation process for the new suite of appliances was spearheaded right here in Charlotte. In fact, our R&D and design teams worked closely with numerous local consumers during the 8-month development and design process. These handpicked Charlotteans provided valuable insight into their needs and wants for a professional suite of appliances, specifically about size, capability and look. 1 "Having access to local consumers allowed our Charlotte-based designers to be more responsive to consumer needs during the development of the new Frigidaire Professional ® suite," Weinstock said. "The resulting suite is not only stylish, functional and well-priced, but is also an exciting example of the consumer-driven innovation being developed right here in the city." LOCAL R&D, DESIGN At its heart, the new Frigidaire Professional ® collection is designed around two consumer findings: • One in five U.S. consumers would like to have professional- looking appliances, but don't currently own them. 1 • 96 percent of consumers desired appliances that could fit within existing cabinet cutouts in their kitchens, eliminating the time and expense of a remodel. 2 For Electrolux designers in Charlotte, this data posed a unique and challenging opportunity to design a professional-looking line that could fit seamlessly into traditional appliance cutouts. As a result, the new collection is set to bring professional-inspired appliances to more consumers than ever. The next step was to define how this stated preference for "professional style" translated to tangible design elements and performance features. Considering design, consumers seek out symmetrical lines, heavy-duty knobs and handles, and easy-to-use, straightforward control panels. Feature-wise, consumers expect professional-inspired, yet simple features that deliver powerful, precise performance and efficient cleanup. The suite, which starts at an MSRP of $6,696.00, offers powerful features that deliver consistency, precision and freshness: • The new suite features standard size appliances, making it accessible to a wide variety of consumers who are interested in upgrading their kitchen without having to remodel. • The free-standing range offers even roasting and baking. A PowerPlus ® 2-in-1 Griddle & Burner offers the versatility of simmering sauces and cooking meals. • The French Door Refrigerator offers organization, and pre- serves freshness and taste with an innovative PureAir ® Ultra Filtration System. • The dishwasher has a 30-minute wash setting which gets a full load of dishes clean in a quarter of the time 3 , and features wash zones for hard-to-reach areas of bottles and delicate stemware. • The suite comes in Smudge-Proof ™ Stainless Steel that resists fingerprints and cleans easily. THE COMPLETE SUITE INCLUDES SEVEN NEW APPLIANCES: Frigidaire Professional ® Free-Standing Range (with Front Control or Back Control) • PowerPlus ® Convection delivers consistent results with powerful performance and evenly cooks dishes every time. • A PowerPlus ® Temperature Probe lets you set and monitor dish temperature to ensure great results the first time. • The PowerPlus ® 2-in-1 Griddle & Burner offers the ultimate cooking versatility for endless meal options. Use the simmer burner to prepare sauces or the griddle burner to evenly cook French toast (select models). I N D U S T R Y [ N E W S ]

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