Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM AUGUST 2016 54 S tyle and innovation continues to drive the home appliance business. People are investing in their homes like never before. What was once dominated by home entertainment electronics has expanded into indoor and outdoor home furnishings and major appliances. Within the appliance sector, none has become more exciting than kitchen appliances. The kitchen has become an entertainment room of itself. The industry has responded to consumer needs and demands for visually attractive appliances and state-of-the-art performance features and functions. With internet, WiFi and Bluetooth integration so widespread in appliances today the division between white-goods and brown-goods (love those retro terms) has blurred. The new JENN-AIR connected wall oven is the oven that goes wherever you do. This is all made possible thru a nifty and comprehen- sive operating app for your smart device. You can monitor and control what's cooking from anywhere, anytime. Sometimes you're as close as being in the den or backyard, but you don't need to excuse yourself to check on the roast! And should you have the Nest Learning Thermostat in your home, the JENN-AIR will interact to make adjustments to your heating or AC system based on the oven's settings. French door ovens are rapidly growing in popularity. They look great and are also convenient. Now you can get up-close to the contents cooking without have to reach over a hot open door. Love it! And the GE Monogram model works over WiFi so you can monitor the cooking process from anywhere. GE also features synched controlled appliances that work together in the kitchen. If you pride yourself as a home chef in delivering all of your dishes to the table at the same time, these Bluetooth equipped appliances talk to each other to regulate cooking times to match! Sparkling water right from your refrigerator? Sure! Samsung has introduced a line of refrigerators that feature an automatic sparkling water dispenser, powered by SodaStream ® . The sparkling water dispenser uses a standard SodaStream 60L* CO2 carbonator that rests in a small, concealed area inside the refrigerator. This makes it easy to access and replace when empty. And think of all the bottles you DO NOT have to return to the supermarket! Appliance color variety is back, including white. New white applian- ces feature high-tech surfaces and designs. Whirlpool's Ice Collection has a glossy finish for a fresh, clean look. Retro designs from specialty companies are finding their way into homes, as are industrial-grade looking products. People want a unique, personalized touch to their remodeled kitchens. The new trends are all about consumer convenience, creating better tasting more professional foods and fashion. I hope you're excited... you should be! Since most appliances are replaced every 10 years or so, the average consumer is loving what is available today. They're learning online about what's new and available. Television commercials are doing a great job of fortifying brands and showing off lifestyle technologies. It's the flat- panel TV excitement level from 15 years ago resurfacing in appliances. Take a hard look at your sales floor and your merchandising. How much of it reflects new product innovations and consumers' trends? From a knowledge base, how up-to-date are you? Knowledge is power. When you're knowledgeable you can speak enthusiastically. It's that sales enthusiasm that motivates customers in your store to upgrade from what they might have thought they were originally going to buy. Today's market and variety of product offerings equips you better than ever as an independent retailer to run circles around your BigBox competition. KITCHEN APPLIANCE TRENDS Jim Sendrak Appliance Trends Jim Sendrak is executive VP of consumer electronics and marketing for MEGA Group USA. He has worked in the retail business merchandising consumer electronics for three notable national and regional chains. Sendrak moved into buying group management and currently helps the 1,700+ members of MEGA Group compete and profit in markets where "big box" retailers are so prolific. RO

• Cover