By Claire Reilly
LG Electronics Australia yesterday unveiled the latest addition to its home appliances line-up with the launch of the new SmartWasher washing machine range.
Designed with new features, better cleaning technology and large capacities for the Australian market, the range includes three key hero products — a 10-kilogram front loader, 10-kilogram top loader and a 9-kilogram Eco Hybrid model combining washer and dryer in one. has been developed to help address declining values in the whitegoods sector, according to LG’s general manager of marketing, Lambro Skropidis.
Outlining the status of the current market, LG’s general manager of marketing Lambro Skropidis said consumers are increasingly moving towards larger machines, with 5-kilogram washers almost non-existent in the market and capacities over 9 kilograms making up 9 per cent of sales. In addition, almost 70 per cent of the local market is driven by sales of machines in the $501-$1,000 price point.
In light of this, Skropidis said there was a need for a range of products with large capacities, and advanced feature sets to meet consumer demand and to help bring value back into the category.
“With the market in decline due to excessive price competition but this growing consumer trend to buy bigger and better machines, the onus is on LG as market leaders to bring significant new innovation to drive the category value,” said Skropidis.
“We’ve done just that.”
The SmartWashers are “smart in the true sense of the word” according to Skropidis, with “smart features that consumers are asking for, not in isolation, but all in the one machine”
LG is centring its message on four key features with the launch of the SmartWasher range. Aside from larger capacities, these features include LG’s proprietary 6 Motion Control, which delivers different washing actions to suit different fabrics and washing needs, TrueSteam Technology to loosen allergens in clothes and refresh fabrics on shorter cycles, and a Smart Diagnosis feature that allows consumers to use their smartphone to establish problems with their machine and send details to LG customer care.
At the launch yesterday, Skropidis billed these new features as the “next evolution of the washing machine in the Australian marketplace,” saying LG had a responsibility as market leader to deliver such best-in-class performance.
“By 2010 LG…had become the outright market leader in Australia, and has never really looked back,” said Skropidis.
“With leadership comes new responsibility,” he added. “Our role for retailers is to grow the washing machine category and to build value in the category. Our role for consumers is to innovate, set the pace and provide meaningful innovation that they’re willing to invest in.”
The range includes the 10-kilogram Front Load SmartWasher with Steam (WD14070SD6, RRP $1,899), 10-kilogram Inverter Direct Drive Top Load Washer (WT-R10856, RRP $1,599) and the 9-kilogram Eco Hybrid Condensor Dryer (TD-C901H, RRP $2,599).
The new 10-kilogram Front Load SmartWasher with Steam from LG (WD14070SD6, RRP $1,899).