Winning Group CEO John Winning has responded to criticism of Appliances Online, saying that if it weren’t for his and similar companies’ innovation, the Australian retail environment would be even tougher.
Following Appliance Retailer’s report of John Winning’s speech at the Online Retailing conference last week, several commenters on the story suggested that Appliances Online had played a leading role in eroding price and margin in the industry.
“A big yeah for Appliances online the main reason so many people no longer have a job in retail (sic),” wrote one reader, prompting Winning to respond.
“There is no denying that Australia’s retail sector is doing it tough however much of that comes down to our slowness to adapt and move with the times,” replied the young entrepreneur. “If we never changed or innovated there would be an even greater influx of offshore retailers targeting Australian consumers who would jump at the opportunity to shop with a company offering a superior shopping experience.”
Appliances Online was the joint-winner of the Best Pureplay Online Retailer award at the 2014 Online Retailer Industry Awards and is also nominated for two gongs at the 2014 World Retailing Awards, being announced in Paris, France, on 30 September 2014.
Read John Winning’s full response in the Comments section of this story.