Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM MAY 2016 48 T he Architectural Digest Design Show in New York City this past March displayed a wide variety of major appliances that utilize high technologies. While most of these new high end products are far from mainstream priced, we all know how rapidly technology finds its way into the everyday. So, you might consider that what we see today is an accurate glimpse into the not-to-distant-future in the world of MAJAPS. Built-in cooking guides were plentiful. The new Viking TurboChef Speedcook oven uses a touch screen that sets the oven automatically after you answer a few questions about what you're cooking. Other brands such as Dacor, Jenn-Air and Wolf have similar video panels that even play "how-to-cook" meals in YouTube style presentations. The not-yet-available (end of 2016) June Intelligent countertop oven uses a built-in camera that can recognize food and recommend cooking settings. It also has built-in Wi-Fi so once you download the app to your smartphone or tablet; you can monitor cooking progress and watch it cook. And get this, it will time-lapse video the cooking progress so you can share it on social media. Steam cooking was highlighted in built-ins by Capital Appliances, Sharp, and the Miele PureLine SensorTronic Steam Oven. Some models feature healthy reservoirs that you fill with water while others have plumbing hook-up for continuous feed (like your refrigerator's ice maker). Steam cooking is not only one of the healthiest methods of preparing food, but it is also a special way of preparing it which allows the steamed products to keep their shape, color, taste and juice. As we all know any product feature today that promotes better health and wellness is in high consumer demand. Designer colors from Smeg, BigChill, and BlueStar offer a vast variety over the standard white, stainless and black. Consumers can choose their color preferences for swatches in the appliance department. Just like custom furniture. Imagine a French Blue or Sunflower Yellow kitchen! Bosch displayed 24-inch custom panel appliances. For the upscale big city small apartment dweller Bosch has an entire line of 24-inch refrigerators, cooktops, wall ovens and 18-inch dishwashers. You can apply custom color panels to all for a coordinated look in your mini-kitchen. Connectivity is emerging slowly. Several brands have some limited use functions. Jenn-Air said they will have wall ovens that work with Nest this summer. (Nest Labs is a home automation company that makes programmable, self-learning, sensor-driven, Wi-Fi-enabled thermostats, smoke detectors, etc.) At the consumer electronics show, Samsung showed a refriger- ator that has a 21-and-a-half-inch touchscreen on the door. You can control the refrigerator lights, stream music, and order groceries right from the screen. It also has a camera inside. Each time you close the door it takes a picture of the contents. So when you're at the supermarket you can look on your phone to see what you need! Right before our eyes the major appliance industry is transforming and melding with the consumer electronics world. We know that both Samsung and LG are electronics companies who ventured quite successfully into the appliance category. The Haier Group, a Chinese multinational consumer electronics and home appliances company is a relative newcomer at only 34 years old. And now their pending acquisition of GE Appliances will only further ensconce them in the major appliance business. And now the latest speculation is that Vizio, Inc., the big name in TVs, audio, and A/V components, may have major appliances in its future. They filed trademark applications for kitchen appliances such as dishwashers, refrigerators, rice cookers, coffee makers, as well as other home appliances such vacuum cleaners, washers and dryers. It only makes sense and follows in the footsteps of LG, Samsung, Haier and others. So how long do you think it will be before major appliances are considered to be a category of the behemoth consumer electronics industry (if it isn't already)? MAJOR APPLIANCE TRENDS Jim Sendrak Appliance Trends Jim Sendrak is executive VP of consumer electronics and marketing for MEGA Group USA. RO

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