Following the opening of a new showroom in Melbourne, high-end cooking appliance manufacturer Smeg has given its Sydney showroom a bit of a revamp too.
One year on from the company’s split with Hagemeyer Brands Australia, Current revisited Smeg’s Sydney site to see what had changed, and to discuss the logistics of showcasing cooking appliances in both retail and supplier showrooms.
“When people come to Smeg I think that they have an expectation of the brand,” said Smeg’s new business development manager, Jim Kalotheos. “So the idea of the showroom was always for us to hopefully fulfil that expectation when they get here.
“I think the fact that now the whole showroom has Smeg product in it from one side to the other, allows us to better fulfil that expectation. It allows us to create more space around the product as well.
“The difficulty of displaying the Smeg brand in retail outlets unfortunately is that you just don’t get enough space to show the whole range,” he added. “When you get to that premium end of the market, Smeg has one of the most comprehensive ranges that exists in the marketplace.
“So it’s always challenging for us with retailers to find that really nice, delicate balance between displaying the right product – so that the customer understands that there’s a really good range when it comes to Smeg – but at the same time not convoluting the display. If you have so many products so close to each other, the products get confused and it just goes over you.
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“Here there’s a lot more space, so people get a chance to visualise it a bit better and what it might look like in their own homes, and also compare models a little bit better. Essentially they’re getting great advice from people who know about the product.”
Now that the Melbourne showroom is up and running, Kalotheos said the company would be focusing on solidifying its presence in the Melbourne consumer space.
“Obviously we need to get on the front foot now in terms of promoting the space and making sure people are aware that it’s there. So we’ll ramp that up next year,” he said. “We’ll probably do some updating in the Sydney showroom as well next year, because we’ve had this space for five or six years. So while it looks fantastic, we always want to try and stay ahead as well.”
Smeg has updated its Sydney showroom with a little Christmas flair.
A wall of Smeg's distinctive FAB fridges.
Built-in ovens and cooktops at Smeg's Sydney showroom.
No Italian-inspired showroom would be ocmplete without the requisite Vespa scooter.