It’s hard to believe it is possible but last month saw the launch of yet another cooking brand in Australia: Cavallo. Described as a completely unique business model, Cavallo appliances are being sold complete with a new kitchen out of a showroom in Castle Hill, in northwest Sydney.
The company backing Cavallo is in charge of the process from the factory manufacturing the product all the way through to its installation and 5-year warranty, prompting the company to claim it can offer its customer heretofore unseen value in this mid-to-premium appliance space.
“Cavallo offers designer appliances to enhance and compliment your kitchen and home. Far surpassing their competitors in value. Cavallo products are an investment in enhancing the cooking experience because they are crafted by a team of worldwide designers and engineers,” the company says in a statement.
“Cavallo is unique within the appliance and kitchen industry due to their passionate commitment throughout the process. Cavallo manufactures, warranties and provides retail and after care service when purchasing these quality European design appliances.”
General manager Andre Dowling said Cavallo is hoping to open a second showroom within the next 3-to-4 months and has plans for 40 stores nationwide by 2020. He said the company is already close to securing sites for the first batch of these new outlets.
Dowling is not a newcomer to the appliance or kitchen industry, having previously been the CEO of Salvarani, which operates kitchen showrooms in Willoughby, Drummoyne and Caringbah. Before this, Dowling worked as a self-styled ‘advisor’ to both the old and new Kleenmaids.
During his time at Salvarani, new Kleenmaid was a major appliance supplier, though this relationship soured in late 2012.
In emails seen by Appliance Retailer, Dowling and Hamilton clashed over allegations that Italian manufacturer Meneghetti had unilaterally ended its production of appliances for Kleenmaid and, as a result, the brand could not guarantee a pipeline of products. Hamilton strenuously denied this claim, and even forwarded an invoice to Appliance Retailer to prove that product was on the water.
“Since you have broken your agreement with Salvarani Australia Pty Ltd with regards to not meeting your obligations please facilitate…[the removal of] all your stock from our Galleries i.e. Brookvale, Drummoyne and Willoughby and we will invoice the cost of displaying the same as you have offset whatever you owed us from commissions,” wrote Dowling in an email to Hamilton, which he copied to several other Kleenmaid retailers (“I feel they deserve to be aware of the situation and make up their own minds how to move forward”).
Hamilton replied, rejecting this allegation, and several others relating to the financial viability of the new Kleenmaid, though he did acquiesce to the removal of all the showroom stock, though not before a squabble over the date, time and who should pay.
Showroom real estate doesn’t stay empty for long — within weeks of this divorce, the new Teka had slotted in to Kleenmaid’s former cavities — and a phone call to the Willoughby showroom last month revealed that Winning Appliances is now furnishing several brands to the Salvarani outlets.