Shopping for appliances spins out some lessons
David Perry, Executive editor -- Furniture Today, January 4, 2004
If you want to learn more about how to sell mattresses, it might be a good idea to look at how washers and dryers are sold. After all, the two have a lot in common: Both do a lot of spinning. OK, I couldn't resist that one. Seriously, it does provide an interesting perspective to take a look outside our industry every now and then.
Don Hofmann, senior vice president of marketing at Simmons, shared some thoughts with me on how he and his wife fared while shopping for a new washer and dryer. He labeled his reflections, "Learning from a Parallel World."
I think there's wisdom in his observations (and no spinning). Here, in Don's words, is what he found and the lessons he learned:
-
I suggested to my wife that we shop at Lowe's, because I heard they had become a major appliance retailer. My wife asked why we don't shop at Sears, since that's where we bought our current set, which has served us well.
Lesson: Customer loyalty and repeat purchases offer big opportunities. What if stores had a $50 Off Your Next Washer and Dryer, a $50 Trade In Program or free delivery/pickup for repeat purchasers? -
My wife searched the newspaper for special sales. The Lowe's flyer did not have washers and dryers. My wife asked if I was sure they sold them.
Lesson: Advertising is important. -
The first thing we asked the salesperson was if they deliver and remove the old washer and dryer. If they didn't, we would have gone someplace else.
Lesson: There's more to the purchase decision than price. -
They carried at least four brands, all the machines were white and they all seemed to offer the same features. We looked closely at Maytag and Westinghouse, although they were more expensive, because we think of them as quality brands.
Lesson: A brand name is valuable and worth more money. -
The point-of-sale information on the Maytag helped us understand how they were different/better, and why they cost more. The other brands didn't have any POS material, and they were soon forgotten. We stepped up to Maytag.
Lesson: Good point-of-purchase materials can help consumers understand brand differentiation and help you step consumers up.
The salesperson talked us out of the $25 upcharge for a new "spray-rinse" technology that uses less water and is more economical because he "hasn't been convinced it works as well." That "saved" us some money.
Lesson: Retail sales training is critical to both the manufacturer and the retailer. Twenty-five dollars less per sale times the number of sales per store times the number of stores selling your product equals big dollars lost.
Thanks, Don, for those insights. Hope your shirts come out looking great.
Opinion columns are available online at www.furnituretoday.com.
-
Specialty sleep products likely to stay hot
Dec 22, 2004
Featured Company
-
Brandwise Inc.
Brandwise serves a model - not just an industry - by integrating, automating, and optimizing the entire sales channel, from wholesale Suppliers to their Reps and the Retailers they service. In short, our software helps Reps and Suppliers sell more and create... more
VIEW ALL GALLERIES
