By Claire Reilly
After showing off its new sparkling water-dispensing refrigerator at the Samsung Regional Forum in Jakarta in March, and after launching the product in the US market, Australian retailers will finally be able to get their hands on the Samsung SodaStream creation, following the local launch of the French Door Refrigerator in Sydney last night.
Utilising Samsung’s SpaceMax technology (an insulation system that increases capacity without increasing footprint) as well as a ‘Flexi Middle Zone’ drawer with four cooling modes, the key selling point of the refrigerator is its ability to dispense sparkling water, thanks to a SodaStream carbonation canister inside the fridge door.
With a RRP $4,999 price tag, the new refrigerator is at the top end of Samsung’s whitegoods offering. But while the product might be more of a considered purchase than an entry-level top mount, it represents Samsung’s increased drive into the premium appliance space.
“We’re trying to add value,” Samsung Electronics Australia’s head of home appliances, Mike Lilly, told Current.com.au. “Yes [this fridge] is at the premium in a French Door, but we feel there’s enough appeal in it to make Australians and our consumers think a lot more about it and say, ‘That’s a really good feature’ or ‘It’d be worth it to put into the kitchen’. So we think it’s a solid enough feature that drives more intrigue in the product.”
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According to Lilly, it’s not just the sparkling water fridge that brings Samsung up into the higher end of the brand spectrum — high-end products are a consistent focus across the board.
“Our focus is to get the premium product out there. It’s where we put the technology, it’s where we put the innovation. So for us to grow our home appliance business — whether it be fridges or washing machines — we’re looking at bigger capacities, better features, better energy efficiencies. Our strategy is definitely to bring better products to market.
“With the way the market’s going, areas like French Door are growing. So there’s an automatic shift to that premium product. For our business, large capacity is growing in fridges, large capacity is growing in washing machines, so it’s all pointing in the right direction. Consumers are also much more educated now than they used to be, they’re realising the benefits of bigger capacities and useability and all the bits and pieces that we like to put into the product.”
But Lilly was quick to reiterate that a premium product strategy should not just be concerned with upping RRPs.
“We know price is a consideration for shoppers, but it’s about ensuring they are comfortable with the features they’re getting for the price they’re paying. And that’s a really important differentiation to make. Because when people say price, they think it’s got to be low, but that’s not the case.
“From our perspective, we’re dedicated to value for money. People are educated now, so they’re researching. But we’re always pushing back to the premium story, and that’s where we focus our development.”
While the new Samsung SodaStream collaboration will hit stores on 1 September, the arrival of summer will bring with it even more products from the brand, including more French door models due to launch later in the year, alongside pigeon pair models comprising a separate refrigerator and freezer, designed to be built-in side by side.