Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Air-Conditioners Australia (MHIAA) has announced a change in sales strategy, designed to enhance the availability and focus of its product range.
In an exclusive interview with Appliance Retailer, MHIAA general manager for sales and planning, Adrian Brown shares the company’s evolving strategy which responds to changing consumer behaviour.
“Over the years, the air-conditioning market has continued to grow but the retail segment has contracted. This has been driven by the rise of digital sales platforms embraced by consumers across all product categories, including air conditioning,” he said.
“While consumers may visit a retail store to have a look at an air conditioning unit on display, they mostly want a professional installer to correctly size, quote and install, resulting in a shift towards our dealer networks. This has been happening for quite some time but has been accelerated by Covid-19.
“We believe online research will continue to be important in the path to purchase as consumers seek information on product quality – demonstrated by MHIAA’s recognition by Choice, Canstar Blue, Finder and Product Review – but more importantly, to find their preferred installer.
“Our change in distribution strategy is based on an evolution over time where we have seen air conditioning sales gradually decline in the retail segment, while our Air+ dealer network and wholesale/trade network has grown exponentially.
“As a result of the change in our sales approach, MHIAA products will no longer be available at our current retail partner, The Good Guys, effective from July 2021 but customers will still be able to find wholesalers, trade partners and Air+ dealers via our website which is regularly updated.
“We have had a strong relationship with The Good Guys over the last 15 years and they have been excellent retail partners. We thank them for their support and the significant part they played in growing our brand in Australia,” Brown concluded.