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Tag: appliances

  • Philippine retailer AllHome to list in October

    Philippine retailer AllHome to list in October

    AllHome Corp, the Philippines home-furnishings retailer, is looking to raise up to US$348 million in an IPO.

    AllHome operates 25 large one-stop homewares and home-improvement stores, most of them in the nation’s capital city, Manila. The partial float would value the company at between $827 million and $1 billion, according to Reuters.

    The shares will be listed on the stock exchange on October 10.

    Robert Ramos, senior VP and trust officer at Eastwest Bank said that AllHome has a market advantage of already being entrenched in the category.

    The company is likely to face competition when Ikea makes its debut in the Philippines in the Mall of Asia next year.

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  • Noel Leeming launches safety plans

    Noel Leeming launches safety plans

    Technology and appliance retailer Noel Leeming has announced it is now offering enhanced purchase protection for the life cycle of its products.

    The new Noel Leeming Protection service plan offers customers the ability to lock-in accidental damage cover, theft protection, automatic replacement and blockage cover for items under $500, just to name a few.

    “This means that customers can now be covered for most eventualities that can affect the use of their technology and appliances, providing peace of mind that they won’t be without their item for long,” the retailer said.

    Customers can buy the plan as an add-on to their technology or appliance purchase either online or through one of Noel Leeming’s 77 retail stores.

    Tim Edwards, Noel Leeming CEO, said being able to offer customers a full suite of add-ons to their purchase is a great way to enhance customer confidence in their decision-making.

    “We’ve noticed that consumers nowadays are interested in a more holistic solution, looking for protection programs that better support the way they use their technology and appliances,” Edwards said.

    “We’re confident that this product goes over and above any competitor’s offer, is market-leading, and a New Zealand first in consumer purchase protection.”

    Edwards said feedback from customers has been overwhelmingly positive since the product offering was introduced.

    Hemaka Perera, director for Southeast Asia at Assurant, said the new Noel Leeming Protection offering has been built with the customer in mind and goes over and above the industry standard.

    “We are thrilled to partner with Noel Leeming in offering a new product that sets the standard for product protection,” Perera said.

  • JB Hi-Fi reports record profits, sales in FY19

    JB Hi-Fi reports record profits, sales in FY19

    JB Hi-Fi has seen record profit and sales for the 2019 financial year, leveraging strong communications, fitness and games hardware sales to deliver growth across all channels of the business.

    Net profit for the year grew 7.1 percent to $249.8 million, compared to the $233.2 million seen last year, while total group sales grew 3.5 percent to $7.1 billion – up from $6.9 billion in FY18.

    JB Hi-Fi Group chief executive Richard Murray said the group was pleased with the result, and that the success of the JB Hi-Fi brand during a difficult second half in Australia proves it has the right business model.

    “It was a solid result for JB Hi-Fi Australia, and a particularly pleasing finish for FY19 with strong sales in the key tax time promotional period,” Murray said.

    Comparable sales grew 2.8 percent, while total sales grew 4.1 percent to $4.73 billion – driven by communications, audio, fitness, games hardware and connected technology.

    However, the company’s media segment underperformed. Sales in the category fell 7.3 percent compared to FY18, with a double-digit decrease in movies and music sales offset by strong growth in the gaming software segment.

    Murray noted during an investor call that while store roll-outs had slowed, physical locations remain key to its growth, even as it expands the online channel, which grew 23 percent in FY19 and now makes up 5.5 percent of total sales.

    The New Zealand business also saw strong growth online, with 38.3 percent growth in online sales to NZ$13.3 million, or 5.6 percent of total sales. Comparable sales grew 8.2 percent, while total sales grew 2 percent to NZ$236.2 million.

    According to Murray, this result is evidence that JB Hi-Fi’s offer is resonating with New Zealand customers, and proves that hiring New Zealand managing director Cherie Kerrison to lead the international business was the right call.

    As for the recently acquired The Good Guys brand, total sales grew 2.2 percent to $2.15 billion, with comparable sales up 0.9 percent, while online sales grew 3.7 percent to $130.9 million.

    “In a competitive environment, we remained focused on sales and market share whilst stabilizing gross margins and continuing to evolve the business,” Murray said.

    JB Hi-Fi Group will continue to invest in The Good Guys brand while seeking to maintain and enhance it, said Murray.

    One such initiative will be to take learnings from JB Hi-Fi’s telecommunications category and use it to launch a similar offering in The Good Guys.

    Looking to the next 12 months, the retail group expects total sales for FY20 to reach $7.25 billion – with JB Hi-Fi Australia to contribute $4.84 billion, JB Hi-Fi New Zealand NZ$240 million, and The Good Guys $2.18 billion.

    Murray notes that while the business continues to see variability in the overall retail channel, JB Hi-Fi enters the new financial year confidence in its ability to execute and grow market share.

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  • BSH opens Asia’s first UnserHaus

    BSH opens Asia’s first UnserHaus

    BSH Home Appliances has opened Singapore’s first UnserHaus Customer Care Centre and a UnserHaus Experience Centre.

    Meaning “our house” in German, the UnserHaus centre is a lifestyle concept featuring Bosch and Gaggenau appliances in a home-like environment.

    “UnserHaus is an exciting new proposition that gives BSH’s home appliance brands, business partners and collaborators a chance to flourish,” said Hendrik Kretzer, CEO and head of BSH Home Appliances Asia Pacific Region.

    “Our philosophy and core ethos are focused on building long lasting trust with all of our customers and partners. We provide a platform to learn and experience unique ideas, future thinking, and real passion and understanding of the products that could benefit the way we live.”

    Located next to the Bosch building, the 1350sqft UnserHaus Customer Care Centre resembles a modern-day home, with a repair room that allows customers to watch technicians through a glass divide.

    While waiting for their appliances to be repaired, customers can visit either the dining room, which provides a hands-on experience with built-in appliances like dishwashers, coffee machines and ovens; or the living room, where they can sit down, unwind and relax with music or a wide-screen television. There is a children’s playing space as well.

    All products at UnserHaus come tagged with a QR code that allows visitors to purchase and pay for them online.

    UnserHaus Experience Centre

    Previously known as the Bosch Experience Centre, the UnserHaus Experience Centre is a functional open-concept home that allows customers to experience the latest Bosch and Gaggenau appliances.

    Located in the Bosch Building, the centre is divided into adjacent Bosch and Gaggenau brand zones. Visitors can try and choose Bosch- or Gaggenau-themed kitchens for their own kitchen planning. Hands-on experiences are available for appliances from six product categories: laundry, dishcare, cooking and baking, refrigeration, food preparation and indoor cleaning.

    Customers can also join cooking classes, held with partner chefs in live kitchens.

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  • March delivers biggest month in Winning’s 113-year history

    March delivers biggest month in Winning’s 113-year history

    Winning Group chief executive John Winning credits “good old-fashioned customer service” with delivering what he says was the biggest month in Winning Appliance’s 113-year history.

    According to the CEO, March sales were up 42 per cent on last year’s written sales, and same-store sales were up 32 per cent on the same period last year.

    While the company has acquired Melbourne appliances business Michael’s Appliance Centre and opened a new showroom in Western Australia over the last year, Winning said the sales increase was the result of its customer-centric approach to business, rather than a bigger footprint.

    “At Winning Appliances we focus on providing an exceptional customer experience from the minute someone steps foot in our store or goes onto our website, until well after they have received their appliance,” he told.

    “We provide good old fashioned customer service in a modern context.”

    Customer-centric approach

    The family business operates 15 showrooms across the country, including seven in NSW, two in Queensland, four in WA, one in the ACT and two in Victoria. It is set to open a new flagship in Richmond, Victoria, this year, and also operates an e-commerce business, Appliances Online.

    The retailer recorded $478.26 million in revenue for the financial year ended June 30, 2018, according to documents lodged with Australian Securities & Investments Commission.

    Winning Appliances says it is focused on providing the best customer experience possible. Its parent company Winning Group last year changed the corporate motto to, “we say ‘yes’ in a ‘no’ world”.

    This mentality extends across the in-store experience, where all showrooms have working kitchens and customers can get one-on-one demonstrations of product features, to the delivery of customer service, where the support team is available 24/7 to speak to the manufacturer and arrange service calls on behalf of customers.

    “We don’t work on commissions, so customers know that when they come to Winning Appliances, they receive unbiased advice that is based on their needs and how they like to live in their homes,” Winning said.

    “We have the world’s best appliances available at every budget and our showrooms are designed with a distinct focus on customer interaction, which provides customers with an experience beyond browsing and buying.

    “We have also recently introduced 30-minute training sessions each morning, which allows each of our product experts to learn about the new technologies within the appliances and other features and benefits that can help customers get the best use out of their appliances.”

    While 2019 may be proving challenging for other retailers, Winning said the family business’s old-fashioned approach is delivering results. Sales have been on an upwards trajectory since the beginning of the year, he said, despite some analysts predicting a slowdown in the home furnishing sector due to the property slump.

  • Number of AI speakers in Korea to hit 8 million

    Number of AI speakers in Korea to hit 8 million

    The number of artificial intelligence (AI) speakers in Korea is expected to reach the 8 million mark in the new year as the devices gain popularity, a report by a local digital media lab said Sunday. According to the findings by KT Group affiliate Nasmedia, some 40 percent of the country’s 20 million households will likely have an AI speaker in 2019. The numbers represent a sharp increase from just 1 million units supplied in 2017 and the nearly 3 million that have reached the market this year.

    “The rise in demand comes from greater choice in terms of the products being offered, as well as more upgraded features that have made the AI speakers more attractive to ordinary consumers,” the 2019 digital media and marketing forecast report claimed.

    It added that greater competition among manufacturers to secure the growing market is fueling the spread of such smart devices.

    Korean companies – such as SK Telecom, KT, Naver and Kakao – have all rushed to release new AI speakers.

    Nasmedia said that, in particular, there has been considerable competition in the area of children-related content and audio shopping services with companies vying with one another to “lock” customers into their ecosystem.

    The speakers have been marketed as personal home assistants for adults and even as private tutors for small kids.

  • Xiaomi India to foray into appliances, white goods space

    Xiaomi India to foray into appliances, white goods space

    Xiaomi is all set to convert its India arm into an end-to-end consumer durables company. According to a report, Xiaomi officials are currently identifying potential categories including air-conditioners, washing machines, refrigerators, laptops and small appliances like vacuum cleaners and water purifiers for the Indian market. All the products will be smart appliances based on Internet of Things (IoT) or which can connect to the internet and other devices, and operated remotely.

    Xiaomi entered the Indian television market in February this year with products 30-50 percent cheaper than the top three brands — Samsung, LG and Sony. It eventually expanded TV sales to offline stores and started assembling them in India in partnership with contract manufacturer Dixon. It recently announced having shipped more than a million televisions into the Indian market.

    The company will follow the same model for appliances. The products will be priced aggressively in line with its announced strategy of keeping just 5 percent profit margin for itself and start local assembly after gaining some scale to take advantage of Make in India duty benefits, according to the report.

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  • Home appliance retailers gear up in race to expand

    Home appliance retailers gear up in race to expand

    Opened in 2010, Dien May Xanh in late 2014 reported revenue of VND1 trillion a year. Since early 2015, Dien May Xanh has been gearing up with the application of digital technology to internal administration and sales management.

    In August 2015, Dien May Xanh began conquering the northern market. It had opened 75 supermarkets by the end the year which brought the turnover of VND4.4 trillion, holding 5 percent of the market share. The figure reportedly had increased to 14-16 percent by the end of 2016.

    According to Tran Kinh Doanh, CEO of The Gioi Di Dong JSC, the owner of Dien May Xanh brand, after two years of following the ‘fast fight fast victory’ strategy, with 266 supermarkets, Dien May Xanh has become the biggest partner of home appliance manufacturers and distributors in Vietnam.

    The owner of Dien May Xanh hopes its revenue in 2016 can reach VND12 trillion and the figure would be double in 2017 to VND25 trillion.

    Analysts commented that unlike other retailers, Dien May Xanh has been following its own business strategy because it arrived later than other rivals.

    A Dien May Xanh center covers 800-1,000 square meters, while the standard area for one home appliance supermarket is 4,000-5,000 square meters. With such a scale, the cost for one Dien May Xanh is VND6-10 billion, which is much lower than the traditional model.

    Meanwhile, Dien May Xanh can receive financial support from The Gioi Di Dong which is believed to have powerful financial capability.

    Analysts also praised Dien May Xanh’s policy on developing centers in city suburbs and provinces. This is believed to be a reasonable decision as retail premises in the central business districts of Hanoi and HCMC have become too expensive.

    Other home appliance retail chains, having realized the efficiency of Dien May Xanh’s small-center model, have also followed the development model.

    The centers of Media Mart developed recently, for example, have an area of between 700 and 1,500 square meters.

    Even Nguyen Kim, which only developed large shopping centers, has also changed its strategy. Eight of 14 supermarkets put into operation in December 2016 run under the shop-in-shop model with the average area of 300 square meters. They are located in big shopping malls such as Big C in HCMC, and the provinces of Binh Duong, Binh Thuan and Thanh Hoa.

    Meanwhile, strong brands including Thien Hoa, Nguyen Kim, Phan Khang and Dien May Xanh all have spent money to develop online sales. The number of customers buying goods on nguyenkim.com rises by 400 percent during sale promotions.

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  • South Korean home appliance and IT giant opens new store in Genting

    South Korean home appliance and IT giant opens new store in Genting

    Samsung Malaysia Electronics has launched its first Samsung Experience Store (SES) in Genting Highlands at the Sky Avenue mall, offering a wide range of the Samsung Galaxy mobile phones as well as a variety of wearables.

    The SES outlet is a one-stop shop that provides customer satisfaction with the best products and services.

    “The opening of the SES is another step forward in our expansion plans to different regions of Malaysia,” said Samsung Malaysia Electronics IT & mobile business unit vice-president Lee Jui Siang.

    “Our aim is to continuously expand our channel coverage, providing consumers a revolutionary digital convergence experience.

    Visitors to Genting Highlands can now experience the full Galaxy ecosystem at the newly opened Samsung Experience Store in the prestigious Sky Avenue mall.

    “With this expansion to Genting Highlands, we want to bring our innovations closer to locals as well as those visiting the country,” he said.

    In celebration of the store’s opening, Samsung offered customers a chance to take home a personalised caricature mug specially drawn using a Galaxy Note5 with purchase of any Samsung product on Jan 14.

    The company also gave away a special edition umbrella for the purchase of any Samsung product.

    Located at Lot T2B-57, Level T2B, Sky Avenue, Genting Highlands Resorts, the SES is now open every day from 10am to 10pm.

    Samsung Malaysia Electronics president Lee Sang Hoon (right) presenting a specially designed caricature mug, drawn using the Galaxy Note5, to Netcom Mobility Sdn Bhd director Elvis Chew as a token of appreciation.

    Samsung Malaysia Electronics president Lee Sang Hoon (right) presenting a specially designed caricature mug, drawn using the Galaxy Note5, to Netcom Mobility Sdn Bhd director Elvis Chew as a token of appreciation.
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  • TCL Electronics pictures broader appliances market beyond TVs in Thailand

    TCL Electronics pictures broader appliances market beyond TVs in Thailand

    TCL Electronics, a Chinese electrical appliance manufacturer that sells televisions in Thailand, is considering expanding its product range in the country. The company is conducting a market study that may pave the way for it to sell other home appliance products, including air-conditioners, refrigerators, and washing machines. Such a move would reduce TCL’s reliance on only one product line in the Thai market.

    Thailand’s overall consumer electronic market dropped 3 per cent year on year to Bt34.5 billion in the first 11 months of last year. Sales of flat-screen and plasma televisions dropped slumped by 8 per cent |over the period to about Bt23.3 billion.

    In contrast, overall sales of home appliance products, such as refrigerators, air-conditioners, and washing machines, increased by 6 per cent to Bt54 billion in the first 11 months of 2016.

    Sandy Zhou, head of marketing at TCL Electronics (Thailand), said TCL Thailand was keen to add a broader range of electrical appliances to its offerings in Thailand, meeting rising consumer demand in the segment. The strategy also would help TCL to improve its operational efficiency and lower management risk.

    She said that TCL Thailand achieved sales of Bt2.5 billion last year, maintaining its position as a top-three TV player in Thailand with 8 per cent market share.

    Zhou said TCL’s main income is derived from products such as Smart TV and QUHD TV, which cover the mid to premium ends of the market. TCL’s customer base can be categorised as 45 per cent in Bangkok, with 55 per cent in the rest of the country.

    “TCL Thailand expects to increase our market share in the local TV market to 10 per cent or approximately 300,000 units (Bt3.2 billion in sales value) this year. For other home appliances, our products will be launched on the market in the third and fourth quarters of this year,” she said.

    “We however have no plan to set up a manufacturing facility for our consumer electronic and home appliance products in Thailand at this moment,” said Zhou.

    TCL Thailand has been established in Thailand for more than 13 years, building up a brand loyalty and good teamwork in its workforce.

    “For this year, our strategy is to expand our sales channels domestically. We plan to increase the number of our dealers here by 30 per cent, and by 15 per cent for the number of modern retail stores. We also plan to adjust the image of our existing 100 showrooms in the Kingdom to be under the ‘Creative Life’ concept,” she said.

    Zhou said that TCL had 75,000 employees throughout Asia, the Americas, Europe and Oceania, with sales organisations in more than 80 countries and regions, and 23 research institutions and 21 manufacturing and processing bases worldwide.

    “TCL Thailand will focus on Thailand only. TCL Group also has offices in the Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia,” she added.

    TCL Thailand pursues its business with customer- and product-oriented strategies. Core strategies include a focus on brand awareness and price performance through maximising product value and performance efficiency.

    Wannapong Tawara, associate director of GFK Retail and Technology, a market research company in Thailand, said Thailand’s TV market value in 2017 should be similar to that of 2016, considering consumers are still cautious on discretionary spending.

    However, electrical appliances including TVs that are designed to be connected with other applications appeared to be in high demand, tapping into new consumer lifestyles, Wannapong said. With this in mind, electric appliance makers should consider introducing a variety of products that offer complex entertainment and service options and are well priced and easy to use, while coming with good after-sales service.

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  • Samsung home appliances now available on Lazada Malaysia

    Samsung home appliances now available on Lazada Malaysia

    Samsung Malaysia Electronics (SME) Sdn Bhd today established a partnership with online shopping mall Lazada Malaysia to offer its first portal-in-portal site in South-east Asia.

    Head of Consumer Electronics Business Jimmy Tan Chee Wee said the partnership would allow more Malaysian consumers to shop online for their desired Samsung home appliances.

    “Today, many consumers are tech-savvy and enjoy online shopping on their own space, and the partnership will help them enjoy savings and convenience compared with the conventional way of shopping,” he said.

    Tan was speaking at the “Unbox the Wonders of Home” year-end online campaign in conjunction with Lazada’s Online Revolution campaign here today.

    He said the collaboration would provide SME a greater opportunity to reach a wider customer base through online portal and mobile applications, and share the latest promotions as well as product information at the same time.

    “Lazada helps to track every shop within the onsite portal according to the postcodes to ensure each of them is geographically tagged and catalogued to fit the shopper’s address.

    “This will bring them to the nearest SME retail shops, automatically entitling them to free and fast delivery,” he said.

    Tan said products offered online range from smartphones to televisions and refrigerators, with no price differences between online and offline products.

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  • Counterfeit appliance business exposed

    Counterfeit appliance business exposed

    Vietnamese authorities have cracked a counterfeit appliance retailing business passing off cheap Chinese appliances as branded European goods.

    Thanh Nien News reports that a company called Romal Vietnam was selling gas ranges, electric stovetops, ovens and blow dryers inside supermarkets, online and at shopping centres in many provinces and cities across the nation.

    A nationwide crackdown has now been launched by teams of inspectors from the National Steering Committee for Combating Smuggling, Commercial Fraud and Counterfeit Goods (also known as Committee 389).

    A Romal Vietnam shop in Hanoi was raided on January 22 and 185 Chinese products bearing Italian and German brand names on labels were seized.

    Another 85 products were seized in the central seaside town of Danang and Ho Chi Minh City police sealed a Romal store after “the manager locked its doors and fled” according to Thanh Nien News.

    The company’s director, Nguyen Thi Ninh, and her husband Nguyen Huy Tho have been summoned by police for questioning. A police source told the newspaper that Ninh, Tho and their employees admitted importing Chinese products from Zhongshan Company in Guangdong since 2008.

    Labelling the goods as European allowed the shop to import the products for between $150 and $200 and sell them for as much as $750 to $800. The fraud had netted the business several hundred thousand dollars annually.

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