By Chris Nicholls
SYDNEY: Fisher & Paykel has said it was proud win Product of the Year for its Aquasmart washing machine at the 2008 Australian Electrical Retailing Awards (ERAs).
Held last Friday, the ERAs are the major industry awards of the year, with suppliers judged by representatives of Australian retailers and vice versa. The Product of the Year is awarded to the most popular and best selling product in any consumer electrical category, including flatscreens, DVD players, video games and small appliances.
The Aquasmart took the award from 87 products nominated in a unanimous decision. Judges commented that the AquaSmart, was extremely innovative, well designed, unique, created a new market niche and benefited from excellent marketing support.
In a statement, Fisher & Paykel said the unanimity “may have to a degree reflected the extent of price and margin erosion experienced by retailers within the to-date popular flatscreen television category.”
Fisher & Paykel national marketing manager, Peter Russell, said the award “recognises the hard work of Fisher & Paykel’s national sales team, including our customer care and service teams and of course, our extremely talented laundry design, development and manufacturing teams. But most of all it recognises that retailers appreciate a high demand product such as the 4 star WELS Aquasmart, which responds to the community’s water efficiency needs and at the same time effectively created a new and profitable sales niche.”
“We are delighted to win this award which follows our recent win of two GfK awards, Fisher & Paykel’s Number ONE brand 2007 – Best Selling Washing Machines, and Number ONE brand 2007 – Best Selling Dishwashers.”