Miele has cut the ribbon to officially open its new Miele Experience Centre in Chatswood, in the heart of northern Sydney’s shopping precinct.
Miele co-owner, Dr Markus Miele was in Australia for the opening event – for the first time since the opening of the Miele Experience Centre in Brisbane in 2018.
Situated across the road from Chatswood Chase shopping centre, the 400 square metre store showcases Miele’s premium appliances, contemporary design, and innovative technology.
Two 75-inch screens and smart home display are designed to immerse customers in the latest Miele technology across induction cooktops, ovens, dishwashers and laundry categories.
In a first of its kind, the Miele Experience Centre Chatswood is home to a Projects Apartment for the architect and design community, incorporating the latest Miele appliances complemented by Neolith stone benchtops, a butler’s kitchen and Stylecraft furniture.
The Chatswood store offers free live cooking and appliance demonstrations from Miele’s dedicated team of culinary experts in a kitchen space for up to 12 guests.
Palisa Anderson, owner of Chat Thai and Boon Luck Farm restaurants, together with her team, catered the evening using organic produce from Boon Luck Farm.
Miele Australia managing director, Yves Dalcourt welcomed guests – architects, designers, developers, Miele for Life members and staff – to the opening event.
“I am delighted to welcome you to the new home of Miele in the heart of Chatswood. It is an honour and a privilege to have you here to celebrate the official opening of our new Experience Centre,” he said.
“We have collaborated with Palisa, who is a passionate campaigner for electrification, on a number of projects, from our ‘Flavours of Thailand’ masterclass, through to the recent ‘Eat Better, Tread Lighter’ sustainability content series and we feel this is a lovely extension of our partnership.
“A special thank you to Dr Miele and his wife, Katja for taking the time to join us for the launch celebration. We are incredibly grateful for you making the long journey to Australia – a true testament to our brand’s family values.
“Customer centricity is at the forefront of everything we do. For us, relocating from our previous premises at Frenchs Forest to Chatswood, which is more centrally located, made perfect sense. We are already hearing positive feedback that our new Experience Centre is more convenient for our valued customers, given that it is situated within a bustling shopping district and across the road from one of Australia’s busiest premium retailers, Chatswood Chase.
“I feel that with each new Experience Centre we open, they just keep getting better. With the spacious open plan layout, the smart home set up where our customers can appreciate the benefits of future-proofing their home with connected Miele appliances, and lounge area for relaxed conversations, we’ve created something special.
“The most remarkable inclusion, in my view, would be the Projects Apartment where our architect and design community can connect and discuss business plans in a sophisticated environment. It showcases our appliances with beautiful décor to evoke inspiration and demonstrate how Miele will look within their client’s home.”
Dr Markus Miele also welcomed guests, describing his journey to see a new Experience Centre as a ‘real highlight in the calendar’.
“Welcome to Miele Chatswood. I am extremely pleased to be here to join you in officially opening our new Miele Experience Centre at this fantastic location. It’s been far too long since I was able to visit Australia as it is one of my favourite countries to travel,” he said.
“The story of Miele and Australia began 43 years ago, when my father Rudolf Miele and his partner, Peter Zinkann founded our first subsidiary outside of Europe. From then until now, Australia has been one of our most important markets, having successfully gained and expanded its place in the top three markets outside Germany over many years.
“Our Australian team has demonstrated great commitment, consistently raising awareness and popularity of the Miele brand in this country, and with great success. Over more than four decades, many dependable partnerships have been forged and many satisfied customers have been gained. Although we only have a small population in Australia, we are ‘punching above our weight’ in terms of importance to the global business.
“We are filled with pride and gratitude that the Miele brand has been so well received. Australians are renowned for their love of entertaining, design and sense of quality, which is in line with what our products stand for today.
“One of the key elements of our success is our customer-oriented strategy. In Australia, we already have 13 Experience and Partner Centres – this makes Australia one of the three countries with the largest number of Experience Centres.
“In 1989, we opened our Experience Centre in Frenchs Forest, which has been successful over recent years. Thanks to continuous development of our subsidiary in Australia and to better meet the needs of our customers, we decided to close that Centre and set up a new one in this prestigious place.
“The standards we expect of each Experience Centres are high and this Centre has done an excellent job of achieving these goals. We are proud to include this new Experience Centre in the impressive line-up of significant flagships of the brand.
“This Experience Centre is built in a most modern way with state-of-the-art digital technology like interactive digital screens. Each of these technologies is designed to make the selection of Miele appliances as easy as possible and to bring more meaning to several product categories – from kitchen appliances to laundry care and floorcare.
“My personal highlight of this Centre is the smart home display for our customers to immerse themselves in our latest connected appliances. Our customers can get a feel for how convenient our features are. For example, they can experience FoodView, where a camera in the oven continuously monitors the dish.
“I would like to point out another aspect for our architect and design community, the new Projects Apartment, to better envision our products in any room concept.
“For us, the focus on premium ignites our desire to research, develop and manufacture using the best available technologies. Our Australian customers also focus on the extremely important topic of sustainability because we all share one common home – our planet – and we all have a responsibility to protect this home.
“Since our company was founded in 1899, ecological and social responsibility have been inseparable linked to the company and Miele brand. This applies to all facets of our corporate activities and their impact on people, the environment and the climate.
“On one hand, this corresponds to our understanding of responsibility and on the other hand, the sustainability of a company and its products is now a fundamental competitive factor. We have achieved a lot on this path.
“For example, since 2021 we have been carbon neutral across all locations in terms of greenhouse gas emissions from our own combustion processes and those of our energy suppliers. We started to use green steel in our production and are already including this climate-friendly raw material in our ovens from Oelde.
“We want to do everything in our power to support our customers in living more sustainably – and better. We are the only manufacturer in the industry who tests its home appliances for a 20-year lifespan. This is what we call the ultimate form of sustainability.
“I would also like to take this opportunity to say thank you – on behalf of the entire management team – to those who have contributed to the success of Miele in Australia with their expertise and commitment.
“My special thanks to our Miele Australia team and our business partners throughout the country. With your commitment, the Miele brand has been able to establish itself so outstandingly in today’s market.
“I would like to thank the architects and designers for their decision to further upgrade their exclusive real estate by including Miele appliances. This is another important mark of confidence in a market which is important to us. I would also like to thank our Miele for Life members for being loyal to us and our brand and for placing confidence in Miele.
“I am looking forward to many more years of co-operation, implementing exciting projects and delighting many more customers.”
Feature image: Miele co-owner, Dr Markus Miele & Miele Australia managing director, Yves Dalcourt cutting the ribbon on the Chatswood Experience Centre.