Friday, October 31, 2008

New LG proves it's hip to be square



LG's newly designed 4.5 cu ft. Ultra Capacity SteamWasher™ with Allergiene™ and wider door opening makes it easier to wash more clothes in fewer loads. The power of TrueSteam™ penetrates fabrics for enhanced cleaning performance and is proved to reduce allergens by more than 95% with LG's exclusive Allergiene™ cycle.
4.5 cu. ft. Ultra Capacity SteamWasher™ allows for larger loads saving you time and energy
Allergiene Cycle is proven to reduce common allergens in fabrics, such as dust mites and domestic animal dander by more than 95%
SteamWash™ Option for Superior Cleaning means brighter whites and more vibrant colors
Larger door opening of 16.93 in. is 7.5% bigger to provide easier access for loading and unloading
TrueBalance™ anti-vibration system for less vibration and noise
1300 Maximum RPM
Trilingual Blue LCD Display with Dial-A-Cycle™
Direct Drive Motor for the Ultimate in Durability and Reliability
9 Wash Cycles
Available now at our Home Appliance Showroom in Sandy.
9269 South Village Shop Drive (In the Quarry Bend Shopping Center)

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Kenmore HE5t Washers available in great colors!

Kenmore Elite HE5t Steam Washer: First Look
The addition of steam makes this washing machine one hot performer

Kenmore Elite HE5t Steam Washer
GETTING STEAMED The Kenmore Elite HE5t washer does an excellent job cleaning clothes.
Price we paid: $1,600

Date of Consumer Reports full report: February 2008

What it is. This front-loading washer, model 4778[1], is an updated version of the HE5t model we’ve previously tested, but it adds Steam Treat, which is supposed to enhance cleaning performance.

When you push the button to select the Steam Treat option, available for five of the machine’s wash cycles, the water temperature is automatically set to warm. As the wash cycle progresses, the water is slowly heated and steam is introduced into the tub. Sears claims the steam washer will provide "optimal removal of organic stains" (food and blood) and "temperature-sensitive stains" (oil), and is designed for "heavily soiled loads that need improved stain treatment, loads with multiple types of stains, or loads you suspect as having stains, but are afraid may have been missed."

This Energy Star–qualified appliance is available at Sears stores nationwide. It comes in white or red (shown; Sears calls it Barolo) and has a stainless-steel wash basket, a sanitize temperature, and a clean-washer cycle to keep the interior clean (we haven’t tested those features).

In initial testing, the HE5t has delivered excellent wash performance with and without the steam option. However, when using the steam option, performance has been somewhat better. Among its appealing features are an extra-large capacity (a claimed 4.0 cubic feet), quiet operation, and high marks for water and energy efficiency.


Our initial take. Our preliminary testing shows this washer to be a top-notch appliance, though it is expensive. Indeed, you can get similar washing performance from the nonsteam HE5t for several hundred dollars less.

Monday, October 27, 2008

Sears Reasserting its Appliance Supremacy

HOFFMAN ESTATES, ILL. — Sears is getting back to its appliance roots.
A decade after touting its softer side while ceding share to the home-improvement channel, the retailer is mounting a major effort to remind older consumers and inform younger ones that Sears is the best place to buy appliances.
The cornerstone of the strategy is a new ad campaign built around the "Blue Appliance Crew," a blue-shirted team of delivery, installation, repair, support and assisted-sales personnel who demonstrate Sears' white-goods strengths in a series of humorous TV spots.
Those strengths, interim CEO Bruce Johnson told reporters in a rare media gathering at corporate headquarters here, include the industry's broadest assortment, top brands, competitive pricing, a robust Web site and a full suite of services including next-day delivery.
Specifically, Sears is the only retailer that carries the country's top 10 appliance brands, including premium badges Bosch, Electrolux and KitchenAid, and offers hundreds more models than the next largest chain, Johnson said.
Sears is also leveraging its private-label credit card relationship with Citibank to offer shoppers 12-month, no-interest financing day in, day out.
In addition, Sears has begun placing Web terminals within its appliance departments where customers and sales associates can shop competitors for price. Sears will match the lowest offer and give shoppers 10 percent of the difference.
Sears also operates 120 cross-docking centers, which allows next-day delivery on most orders placed by 3 p.m., and makes 21 million home visits annually. "We're the UPS of big-ticket purchases," Johnson said.
According to Steve Light, home appliances VP/general merchandise manager, Sears is further bolstering its majap proposition with:
extra training for 12,000 sales associates and support staff, delivered via a multi-vendor truck tour;
major investments in e-commerce, including a "Hot Buys" section on Sears.com with new week-long offers posted every Sunday;
a new 120-SKU "urban assortment" of smaller-sized majaps that will be offered in 60 Sears stores;
50 new franchised dealer stores; and
additional Home Appliance Showrooms. Sears will have more than 50 of the 4,000- to 5,000-square-foot, new format shops in operation this year.
Light's direct report, appliances president Doug Moore, noted that while big ticket items are presently "under duress," majaps will always be in consumers' homes.
The future looks equally bright for flat-panel TVs, said Moore, who also oversees Sears' hardlines. Consumers "won't be more than 15-feet away from a display within the next few years," he predicted.
Moore added that Sears has targeted several other categories for fast-track growth, including tools and apparel, and that the big investments will deliver big payoffs as the retailer reclaims its leadership postion.
"We're transforming ourselves as a new company," Moore said. "We used to be silent, but it's appropriate to be a little more transparent."
Nowhere is that more apparent than in the new ads. According to chief marketing officer Richard Gerstein, the spots beg the question, "Why shop anywhere else?" given Sears' white-goods heritage and its status as the nation's most trusted retailer.
"We know appliances, it's in our DNA, but we hadn't explained that," he said. "So we're going to speak much louder about the differentiators our competitors aren't offering."
Commercials make the point with lines like "We find the lowest prices, then we beat 'em," and "Appliance is our middle name. No, really, it is." What's more, the focus on the Sears' Blue Appliance Crew, which represents the company's 25,000 product specialists, installers, servicers and support staff, addresses the "very high service expectations" of today's younger consumer, Gerstein said.
Sears has also launched a separate ad campaign for Kenmore, the company's private-label line that still comprises 60 percent to 70 percent of the sales floor. The family-focused spots present the brand as "an extra pair of hands," he said, or the character "Alice" from "The Brady Bunch," in that its products help make life easier for busy moms.
Taken together, CEO Johnson said the plan of attack that will restore Sears' supremacy in appliances and allow it to move away from its now regular 15 percent-off promotions.
"We have a strategy that I'm convinced will win in the marketplace" and help Sears "regain its position of preeminence in the industry."

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Welcome!

Hi, thanks for clicking your way to our blog. Sears Home Appliance Showrooms are a very new and exciting concept in the retail appliance industry. These smaller, yet more elegant showrooms display America's most popular brands of major home appliances. Sears has been a stalwart in overall appliance market share for years, leading the way by a large margin. The Kenmore name is trusted by millions and known for durability. Our Home Appliance Showroom in Sandy, UT is a privately owned and operated location. Our parent company, Verita' Corp. also owns a Sears Dealer Store in Clinton, UT which opened in May 2008. The Sandy location celebrated its Grand Opening on Septemeber 13, 2008.

We plan to use this blog to post the latest updates and information in the appliance industry so that you can keep abreast of changes that may benefit you and your home. When new products are announced we will be the first to feature them on this site.

So, stay tuned for more, we hope this site will be a great resource for you.

Take Care,

Craig