Retail Observer

JUNE 2019 RETAILOBSERVER.COM 11 LG FOR BUILDERS Builders know that appliances in demand add value to their offering. LG consistently ranks as the #1 choice among younger affluent buyers (18-34 years old with $75K+ household income) and enjoys the largest market share among Millennials. LG has emerged as an award-winning choice, ranking highest in customer satisfaction in 7 of the 11 J.D. Power categories for Kitchen and Laundry Appliances* – more than any other manufacturer. And LG maintains its position as one of the nation's top sellers in laundry appliances. Another hot button for today's homebuyers is having Smart technology built into their new home. LG with SmartThinQ ® technology showcases some of the industry's most advanced smart home thinking. Led by Signature Kitchen Suite, LG brands feature new ways to control the home, a future-ready open platform, and the most extensive range of WiFi-enabled appliances available today. To better showcase its product offerings and commitment to the building industry, LG debuted its Experience and Design Center (EDC) in Napa, CA, earlier this year to give those involved in the luxury appliance decision-making process a hands-on experience with all LG brands and a deeper understanding of the features, benefits, and customers for each LG line. Designed to celebrate the intersection between innovative- tech and culinary passion, this stunning, 23,000-square-foot facility features everything including a best-in-class demonstration kitchen, a futuristic Artificial Intelligence (AI) Room, elaborate dining and conference rooms, and hands-on cooking experi- ences on appliances from Signature Kitchen Suite, LG, and LG STUDIO. An onsite executive chef and partnerships with local wineries and produce farms provide a world-class culinary counterpart to the award-winning cooking and preservation technology being demonstrated in the showcase Signature Kitchen Suite demo kitchens. Signature Kitchen Suite is now booking two-day immersion sessions at the EDC to allow builders to experience the culture, passion, and integrated holistic thinking that goes into Signature Kitchen Suite and every other LG brand. As many as 1,200 builders, plus VIP dealer sales associates, designers, and influencers are expected to train at the facility annually. A LOVE FOR DESIGNERS At the opposite but no less important end of the luxury kitchen appliance decision-making spectrum are designers needing to provide their tech-savvy, culinary-centric clients with appliances that allow for food to be prepared in the best possible way. In the three years since its founding, Signature Kitchen Suite has worked hard to establish itself as a designer-centric resource that can answer the call. LG's flagship built-in kitchen line supports designers through partnerships with ASID, NKBA, KBIS and programs such as the Luxe RED Awards as part of a larger commitment to the instrumental role designers play in the purchase process. At the heart of this philosophy are the designer-specific immersion sessions at the Experience and Design Center (EDC) to allow designers to live the Signature Kitchen Suite brand experience through hands-on training with discovery and trend- casting programs that reflect Napa's world-class food and wine culture. Beyond that are three programs designed to encourage direct designer interaction with the brand and place Signature Kitchen Suite above all other luxury brands. The first is the Personal Use Program which extends special programs for trade partners and professionals to empower them to experience the brand in their home. The second is the True Partner Program™, which seeks to build long-term alliances within the design community through ongoing rewards, contests, a personal-use discount, product sneak peaks and exclusive events. And finally, the inaugural design contest, True Design Challenge™, will ultimately reward 15 designer finalists $100,000 in cash prizes, plus an all-expense-paid trip for two to an awards gala at the EDC in Napa including visits to the Culinary Institute of America's COPIA and area wineries. THE INDUSTRY'S MOST IMPRESSIVE PRODUCT PORTFOLIO Builders, designers and dealers alike can satisfy their clients with an award-winning product line divided into four distinct-but- integrated collections: Signature Kitchen Suite, LG, LG STUDIO and LG Signature. From starter homes, condominiums and apartments to spec homes, custom projects and high-end luxury dwellings, LG has virtually every potential buyer covered. SIGNATURE KITCHEN SUITE Signature Kitchen Suite was unveiled to great fanfare in 2016 as a first-of-its-kind, built-in luxury kitchen appliance line designed from the ground up for Technicurean™ home cooks whose quest for culinary excellence is matched only by their passion for all things tech. Under the True to Food™ brand mantra, this expanding line at the top of the LG brand echelon combines performance, precision and design with a level of leading-edge technology that gives users the flexibility to prepare food in the best, most authentic way possible. Signature Kitchen Suite initially turned heads with an industry- leading trifecta: a 48-inch range with the only built-in sous vide; the most spacious refrigerator and freezer columns on the market; and the industry's only French door refrigerator with a five-way adjustable middle drawer. To that, product developers added a 36-inch dual-fuel range with the luxury kitchen industry's

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