The Goods Guys chairman Andrew Muir has given a rare interview to the The Australian today, in which he says the DIY boom has improved kitchen appliances sales and that being a family-owned, private company gives his retail chain more flexibility to adapt to changing environments.
“We have seen an increase in sales as a result of the recent DIY boom,” Muir tells Glenda Korporaal. “Consumer confidence in Australia is on the increase, but there is still work to do.
“With household budgets becoming tighter, and with consumers seeking out the best prices and the best value, we need to be accountable.
“On any given day, The Good Guys leads on price competitiveness across its range of products.”
To coincide with its comprehensive sponsorship of The Block on Channel Nine, The Good Guys launched a new kitchen design consultancy-style branch called Good Guys Kitchens. This venture seeks to replicate the premium, design0-forward showroom-style of kitchen appliance selling mastered by rivals chains like Winning Appliances and E&S Trading. The Good Guys has traditionally been more of a discount-driven, warehouse sales retailer; a market that has been adversely affected by downward macroeconomic shifts.
“At The Good Guys we pride ourselves on being one of Australia’s leading consumer household appliance retailers. Offering high-quality electronics at affordable prices, our company philosophy puts you, the customer, first.
“Now, after more than 50 years offering Australians the best range of home appliances and electronics across 98 locations in Australia, we offer kitchen design and cabinetry services due to popular demand from our customers.
“Our comprehensive design and construction process combined with our huge range of kitchen appliances means turning your dream kitchen into a reality is easier than ever.”
The Good Guys Kitchens lists 26 current showrooms for this cabinetry and appliances service. This business is run in operation with a separate company called Wholesale Kitchens, which specialises in partnering with well-known and trusted retail brands to provide a mutually beneficial service. Wholesale Kitchens is developing a somewhat poor online reputation. The second page that comes up on Google when searching for it is a long and detailed Whirlpool forum thread listing customer complaints. Most of these issues relate to overzealous sales people, questionable design skills and lack of longterm customer care.
Appliance Retailer spoke directly with a would-be customer who said her experience was not good but she eventually got her deposit back. “My experience with was really poor, but ended up getting our deposit back and escaped fairly well given the circumstances,” she said. “I would advise any kitchen renovation folk to use specialist kitchen partners. Even the package deals on appliances we negotiated at Winning Appliances were better and it was broader range than the deals offered as part of the kitchen package.”