Special Current.com.au Feature by Claire Reilly

After announcing the roll-out of a select network of home appliance stores at the end of last year, JB Hi-Fi has been quietly trialling the new JB Hi-Fi Home store concept around Australia over recent months.

While JB CEO Terry Smart initially spoke of a trial in Queensland alone (using the old Clive Anthonys stores which JB Hi-Fi owned), a new store recently opened in the Homemakers Supa Centa in Moore Park in east Sydney. Taking the familiar aesthetic and layout of the traditional JB stores that consumers know, the company has put a new spin on the sale of appliances.

Current.com.au went inside to take a look…

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Same colours, same branding, same signage: outside the JB Hi-Fi Home store in Sydney’s Moore Park.

The first thing to greet shoppers when they walk in-store is rows of brightly coloured small appliances from De’Longhi (foreground) and Kenwood (rear). Eye-catching and accessibly priced, the foodie feel of these appliances is reinforced by episodes of Nigella’s Kitchen playing on a display TV.

Behind the colourful appliances is another popular category — coffee machines. The focus in this display was on manual machines, ranging from sub-$200 models up to Breville’s premium BES900 Dual Boiler manual machine.

For the few Australians who have not bought a Nespresso machine, there is a dedicated Nespresso stand next to the main coffee machine display.

Nespresso isn’t the only brand to get a dedicated branded space — Dyson has an end-cap on the floorcare section of the store, with point of sale explaining the brand’s proprietary cyclonic technology and videos on loop featuring James Dyson himself.

Samsung also gets a look-in in the whitegoods department with this bright blue branded display.

While LG’s high-end Door-in-Door French Door refrigerator is on display in the whitegoods section, there was also a row of more entry-level white fridges and freezers. Just as many younger consumers gravitate towards JB Hi-Fi for its music, gaming and tech offerings, the store is also clearly catering towards younger consumers looking to buy appliances for flats or for a first house.

Still in the whitegoods area, the focus was on maximising useable floorspace. Dishwashers were stacked two rows high with boxed stock taking up a third row on top. More products are also able to be kept in the store, thanks to the narrow aisles — similar to the layout found in JB’s rows of CD racks and console games.

Over in cooking, the JB familiarity is also present. Neat and utilitarian, like the products themselves, the displays were made up of plenty of freestanding cookers lined up on the polished concrete floors.

The store also offers built-in ovens. Here JB's famous yellow signage was its usual busy self.

We weren’t sure what to expect in terms of product mix in JB Hi-Fi Home, but those looking for electronics can rest assured that the full gamut of computers, sound systems and, of course, TVs are still on display.