In South Melbourne.

During the month of May, Gaggenau was host to a number of key events to present its new showroom in South Melbourne and provide an insight into the Gaggenau culture. There were some smaller boutique events with groups from various luxury and high net worth segments including finance jewelry, automotive as well as intimate retailer and commercial clients – with a minimum of five people through to a maximum of 20 people.

Gaggenau Australia general manager, Robert Warner told Appliance Retailer, “From a Gaggenau perspective, we are constantly inspired by good design, professional cooking and craftsmanship and we have tried to deliver a space that will inspire our customers – architects, designers, developers, retail partners and end consumers.

“We have three brands in the space with Bosch and Neff also integrated into the showroom. Primarily Bosch is in the space to service the commercial and developer network as we haven’t had a space that is independent of our distribution platform to bring a developer in and help them make a product selection. There is an intimate space at the back of the showroom for Neff that provides an opportunity for a cooking demonstration experience as well as a training facility. The larger portion will be Gaggenau, and we will be able to section the brands off or have them completely open if required.

“On first impressions, it doesn’t look like an appliance showroom. We have vertical structures that link back to our roots of the Black Forest – it is very dark with a pitched ceiling and ERCO mood lighting. The fit out features certain pieces of furniture that resonate with the Gaggenau community and there are also pieces of art into the joinery to take it away from being an appliance and showcasing other pieces of our art in horizontal applications as well. The highlight of the showroom, the EB333, is set within basalt black stone and literally comes out of the wall as a piece of art.

Gaggenau Australia general manager, Robert Warner

“It has been a tremendous fitout by Sue Carr and the Sue Carr Design team and we love the concept of beautiful luxurious dark emotional space, although executing has been a challenge as it is an older brick building.

“We will be offering private dining within the Gaggenau kitchen, and our aim is to design a space that a Gaggenau customer might want to live in with relevant table, chairs, light pendants as guests look through a steel façade window into a private courtyard. We have also established an exclusive AV partnership for the showroom with Bang & Olufsen.”

Gaggenau Australia senior brand manager, Aleks Efeian (pictured above) said, “After 335 years of crafting metal, we believe we have created something that transcends our brand – the culture. It is with great pleasure and a sense of pride that I welcome you to Gaggenau Melbourne. The story that began over three centuries ago in the black forest of Germany has been reignited here.

“All it took was one idea. Our forefather had one idea and saw the potential of a land that was rich in iron ore and he created the Gaggenau hammermill and the nail forge. That spark – the desire to take something raw and make it into something that was beautiful – is the same spark that brings us here. It has enabled us to transform this space.

“At Gaggenau, we do things differently and it’s not to impress or differentiate but because we believe that is what it takes to achieve perfection.”

Message to Retailers

Gaggenau’s Robert Warner said the number one reason the showroom was created is to provide the greatest experience for an end consumer in the appliance industry.

“Consumers from Toorak in Melbourne through to Rose Bay in Sydney will come into the Gaggenau home and will be treated to an outstanding experience in a pre-purchase or post-purchase environment.

“As a consumer entering the Gaggenau world, we want to be able to cultivate a relationship and talk about that relationship so fondly that their peers want to also enter that world. It is not designed to take sales away in any retailers, it is to increase sales through our retail channel and they can also use this as a resource for their customers to not only show product and also to deliver an amazing experience and we have never had a full Gaggenau dedicated showroom – this is a beautiful standalone space and people will be treated to an experience they wouldn’t otherwise expect.

“The space will be open from 10am-4pm Monday to Friday and at other times if the customer is travelling from interstate or internationally. This showroom is a national resource within our region and as Gaggenau is a global luxury brand that is one of our key points of difference. We will have people from New Zealand, Singapore and Hong Kong visit the showroom and experience our home our way.”

Chef Mark Ebbels