By Alan Wolf, YSN
A trio of BrandSource members recently offered their insights to TWICE Magazine on the impact of the health crisis on appliance replacement sales.
All three agreed that the confluence of tighter vendor inventory and greater demand from homebound consumers is forcing both customers and dealers to consider availability over preference.
As Bekins President and BrandSource Service Committee Chairman Scott Bekins told the publication, greater use of home appliances during the COVID lockdowns “often reveals existing problems that went unnoticed before, as well as raising consumer dissatisfaction with product performance.”
Mark Patterson, VP at Pattersons Home Appliances, observed that stay-at-home customers are using their newfound free time to finish remodeling projects that call for complete kitchen suites — and are willing to pay more for step-up models if they are in stock or can be delivered in a timely manner.
Suzanne Carey-Fernandez, co-owner of Moderno Appliance & Furniture, said flagging in-stock inventory on her website helps customers “see what they could get quickly at a time when many basic items were not available.”
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Bekins believes the current take-what-you-can-get market will quickly ebb as soon as “people go back to work and restaurants are opened again.” Until that time, “If you can stock entry-level replacement models, be price competitive, and offer quick delivery, you have the winning combination,” he said.
Hat tip to TWICE.
BrandSource is a unit of YSN publisher AVB Inc.