By Kymberly Martin
In-store expert delivers extensive knowledge.
The Good Guys Alexandria proprietor, Brian Fox (pictured) serves a dense customer population in the vibrant inner city Sydney suburb. He has told Appliance Retailer why he believes the benchtop appliance category has more room to grow in 2016.
Fox has identified growth in slow cookers, pressure cookers and low oil air fryers, trends he believes are driven by health conscious consumers.
“Benchtop ovens have also become popular for preparing smaller dishes, as they consume less power than a traditional built-in oven. Some benchtop oven models have fast-heat properties that reduce the overall cooking time,” he said.
Fox added that the recent introduction of the KitchenAid range to the shopfloor will also be an exciting addition for his customers.
Meanwhile, he points to rustic style cooking trends, influenced by reality TV cooking shows which have driven demand for pressure cookers and slow cookers to create recipes such as pulled pork sliders, tacos and lamb shanks.
“The benefits for the customer of these electric pressure cookers is their time saving features which also exhibit similar cooking properties to a slow cooker,” he added.
Fox has also pointed to the positive effect of the impressive technology that enables connected devices such as a smartphone or tablet to work as the interface in controlling kitchen appliances.
When asked about his ‘pick of the crop’ from the present range of benchtop appliances these brands made the list:
- Philips Viva all-in-one cooker with slow cook and pressure cook functions which can also be used to prepare rice, soups and yoghurts.
- Russell Hobbs RHSC650 slow cooker which features a removable pot that enables meat to be seared on the cooktop before returning to the slow cooker. Fox said that digital controls add a modern touch.
- Sunbeam BT5350 benchtop oven enables baking, roasting, toasting and grilling “with all the functions of a conventional oven and the convenience of benchtop use.”
As customer behaviour continues to evolve, Fox said that within the portable appliances category, customers usually take the ROBO approach: Research Online, Buy Offline.
“In saying that, our customers value our extensive knowledge in this category and often look to our in-store experts to help them make their final decision,” he concluded.