The footy is on TV, heaters are being turned up and electric blankets are being dragged out of the cupboard after a long summer’s hibernation. As they say in the North, ‘winter is coming’!
And one of the big winter markets in the appliance industry is laundry — washers and dryers — ‘garment care’ according to the modern nomenclature. Kids running around in the mud, rain and snow spoiling clothes and 13 rugby league jerseys (or, even worse, 18 Aussie rules singlets) to clean thoroughly when your turn comes around: the colder months correlate with homemakers looking to buy washing machine that will give them more bang for their buck, in terms of energy efficiency, larger wash loads in a time-poor society and greater convenience through the use of smartphone apps to start, monitor and pause cycles.
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So when customers come into your retail store to buy a washing machine, how should you best serve their needs? According to Rachel Lewis from Miele, one of the most important questions retailers should ask is whether the washer will be placed on a concrete or wooden floor.
This might seem strange to some readers, but remember that more and more people are living in smaller apartments without dedicated laundries, meaning washing machines are being co-opted into cupboards, kitchens and bathrooms.
“A concrete floor is the most suitable installation surface for a washing machine, being far less prone to vibration during the spin cycle than wooden floorboards or a carpeted surface,” Lewis said. “It is also important that the machine is level and securely positioned. To avoid vibrations during spinning, the machine should not be installed on soft floor coverings.
“Plinth installations should only proceed on concrete or cemented bricked plinths as Miele cannot verify the structural integrity of other surfaces.”
“An understanding of this information will ensure the appliance is best installed for the consumer and therefore they get the best from their appliance.”
A previous version of this story contained information about Miele laundry products not available in Australia.