Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM MARCH 2014 64 The CONNECTED KITCHEN & HOME RO • Whirlpool ® WashSquad Laundry App : According to Whirlpool brand consumer insights, 44 percent of U.S. households only have one person who's responsible for laundry. Whirlpool brand developed the WashSquad Laundry app as an answer, helping consumers juggle stain-solving tricks, making family laundry tasks a friendly game of competition and de-coding clothing fabric care labels, all in the palm of their hand. CONNECTING THE DOTS FOR ENTERTAINING What if someone could identify a date and meal time and leave it up to their refrigerator to coordinate a menu based on the best deals for the best cuts of meat, select the produce in season, and add the perfect bottle of wine to a shopping list, along with directions of what to pick up and where? Or, perhaps it could suggest songs to play for your cooking or dining mood, and adjust the volume based on noise level. Whirlpool brand brings these ideas to life for consumers, with products that combine versatile and functional capabilities with elements of entertainment. • Whirlpool ® Interactive Cooktop : Whirlpool brand's future- forward interactive cooktop is a multi-purpose digital cooking surface, serving as the kitchen's cooking and informational hub that allows consumers to check weather updates for out-of- town guests, manage their social calendar, search for exotic new ingredients and make a delicious dinner—all on one surface that can be activated with the touch of a finger or the sound of a voice. • Whirlpool ® Refrigerator with CoolVox ™ Sound System : Whirlpool brand knows that consumers do more than simply cook in the kitchen— for years it has operated as the heart of the home, where memories are made with family and friends. Available exclusively at Lowe's this summer, Whirlpool brand's refrigerator with the CoolVox™ sound system, including Harman/Kardon speakers, seamlessly connects with any Bluetooth ® enabled device, infusing entertainment into everyday kitchen moments. EXPRESSING PERSONAL STYLE What if one could change the look of their appliances as often as changing a seasonal wardrobe? Whirlpool brand explores the endless possibilities, from creating one-of-a-kind laundry pairs customized to reflect personal design preferences, to microwaves that express distinct cultural styles. • Whirlpool ® Max Art Microwave : Demonstrating how a daily- used appliance can be an object of personal expression and art, Whirlpool brand collaborated with two artists, Isauro Huizar and Tomás Güereña, from local art collective Los Contratistas in Mexico, to turn a set of 50 Whirlpool brand microwaves into a colorful, modular installation representative of Mexican culture. As an installation, these concept pieces holistically create a special take on the modern day appliance, enriched by culture, design and the arts. • Whirlpool ® Duet ® Laundry Designs : Introducing two unique patterns in-booth for its Whirlpool ® Duet ® washer and dryer, this customized concept allows consumers to take their design aesthetic to the next level and express their personality with a laundry pair that can complement any space. • Whirlpool ® Black Ice Suite : Appliances are not only functional pieces, but a reflection of our personal style as well. The Whirlpool ® Black Ice kitchen suite elevates the design and sophistication of home appliances to dramatic beauty and refined style, making the kitchen suite as distinctive as the consumer. • Concludes Quatrochi : "The real benefits of connected kitchens and connected appliances are the future. Through upgrades and new applications, the functions of connected appliances can go as far as the customer's imagination can take them." For more information on Whirlpool brand and how its Inside Advantage program helps meet the needs of the building, design and appliance retail industry, visit InsideAdvantage.com.

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