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28th January 2021
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Laundry and kitchen appliance owners increasingly seeking brands first, retailers second
Increasing proportions of United States home appliance owners say they choose which appliance brand to purchase first, then visit a retailer carrying that brand, rather than selecting the retailer first, according to the JD Power and Associates' 2011 Laundry and Kitchen Appliance Satisfaction Studies, both released this week.
The extent of this shift in shopping behaviour varies slightly by appliance type. For example, the largest increase is observed amongst owners of ranges, hobs and ovens. Approximately 44% of these owners in 2011 say they selected their appliance brand first, up six percentage points from 2010. The smallest increases occur in the clothes dryer and refrigerator segments, which are up by four percentage points each from 2010.
"The wide array of product information available, particularly from online sources, makes it easier than ever for appliance shoppers to do research prior to making a purchase," reveals Jim Howland, senior director of the real estate and construction industries practice at J.D. Power and Associates. "Online ratings, for example, are becoming increasingly influential among many appliance shoppers."
In addition, appliance owners who research appliance brands and/or select an appliance brand prior to visiting a retailer are notably more satisfied with their appliance than owners who don't. Amongst owners who say they researched appliance brands prior to visiting a retailer, satisfaction averages between 20 points and 34 points higher on a 1,000-point scale (depending upon the type of appliance) than amongst owners who didn't perform prior research.
Satisfaction amongst owners who select the appliance brand prior to visiting a retailer averages between 14 and 29 points higher than satisfaction amongst owners who selected the retailer first, then chose a brand carried by the retailer.
Although shopping behaviour is evolving, the study also finds that more traditional sources of shopping information-the owner's past experience with a brand, in-store product displays and recommendations from salespersons-continue to be very influential among appliance owners.
According to the JD Power and Associates 2011 Appliance Mystery Shopping Report, many of the appliance brands that receive high overall satisfaction scores also receive particularly high proportions of strong recommendations from retail salespersons. These recommendations can significantly impact brand choice and market share, particularly when salespersons provide compelling reasons for the recommendation.
Laundry Appliance Satisfaction Study
The Laundry Appliance Satisfaction Study measures customer satisfaction with clothes washers and dryers based on performance in six factors: ease of use; features (such as the usefulness of settings available and appliance capacity); performance and reliability (including energy efficiency, noise level and how well the appliance functions); styling and appearance; warranty; and price.
Clothes Washers
For a third consecutive year, Samsung ranks highest in satisfying clothes washer owners, achieving a score of 834. Samsung performs particularly well in three of the six factors: ease of use; styling and appearance; and price. Following Samsung in the ranking are LG (827) and Kenmore Elite (825). LG performs particularly well in the warranty factor, while Kenmore Elite performs well in the features factor.
Clothes Dryers
Samsung ranks highest in customer satisfaction with clothes dryers for a fourth consecutive year with a score of 830, and performs particularly well in four of the six factors: ease of use; styling and appearance; features; and price. Whirlpool Duet (829) and LG (823) follow Samsung in the ranking. Whirlpool Duet performs particularly well in the performance and reliability and features factors.
According to mystery shoppers, LG, Samsung and Whirlpool washers and dryers are recommended most often by salespeople at major US appliance retailers.
Kitchen Appliances Study
The Kitchen Appliance Satisfaction Study measures customer satisfaction in three product categories: refrigerators; dishwashers; and hobs/ranges/ovens. Customer satisfaction is measured based on performance in six factors: performance and reliability (including how well the appliance functions, noise level and energy efficiency); features (such as the usefulness of settings available and appliance capacity); ease of use; styling and appearance; price; and warranty.
Refrigerators
Sub-Zero ranks highest in satisfying refrigerator owners with a score of 834 and performs particularly well in five of the six factors: ease of use, performance and reliability; styling and appearance; features; and warranty. Following Sub-Zero in the ranking are Samsung (820) and LG (790). Samsung performs particularly well in the price factor.
Mystery shoppers indicate that, among refrigerator brands, Samsung receives particularly high recommendation rates from major appliance retailer salespersons.
Dishwashers
Miele ranks highest in customer satisfaction with dishwashers for a second consecutive year with a score of 814 and performs particularly well in two factors: performance and reliability and warranty. Following Miele in the ranking are Fisher & Paykel (805) and Kenmore Elite (802). Fisher & Paykel performs particularly well in the styling and appearance and features factors, while Kenmore Elite performs well in the ease of use factor.
Kenmore dishwashers receive notably high rates of salesperson recommendations, according to mystery shoppers.
Hobs/Ranges/Ovens
Among manufacturers of hobs, ranges, and ovens, LG and Wolf rank highest, in a tie (804 each). This is the second consecutive year that Wolf receives an award in the hobs/ranges/ovens segment. Wolf performs particularly well in three of the six factors: ease of use; performance and reliability; and styling and appearance. Ranking third in the segment is GE Monogram (801).
Mystery shoppers indicate that appliance retailer salespersons provide high rates of recommendations for GE ranges.
The 2011 Laundry Appliance Satisfaction Study is based on responses from more than 5,600 customers who purchased clothes washers and more than 5,500 customers who purchased clothes dryers during the past 24 months. The study was fielded between March and April 2011.
The 2011 Kitchen Appliance Satisfaction Study is based on responses from more than 4,000 customers who purchased dishwashers, more than 4,300 customers who purchased cooktops/ranges/ovens and more than 5,000 customers who purchased refrigerators during the previous 24 months. The study was fielded between March and April 2011.
The 2011 Appliance Mystery Shopping Report compiles the findings of 600 trained mystery shoppers who performed either on-site or telephone evaluations of a major U.S. appliance retailer. The report is released quarterly; Q2 2011 results are based on evaluations collected between April and June 2011. Major appliance retailers included in the report are Best Buy, hhgregg, The Home Depot, Lowe's and Sears.
Overall customer satisfaction with clothes washers JD Power.com Power Circle Ratings (based on a 1,000-point scale) for consumers:
Samsung 834 5
LG 827 5
Kenmore Elite 825 5
Electrolux 822 5
Whirlpool Duet 807 4
Maytag Epic 799 3
Industry Average 783 3
GE Profile 780 3
Maytag 777 3
Fisher & Paykel 768 3
Frigidaire 767 3
Bosch 764 3
Whirlpool 763 3
GE Appliances 754 3
Kenmore 750 3
Amana 730 2
Roper 721 2
Admiral 660 2
Overall customer satisfaction with clothes dryers JD Power.com Power Circle ratings (based on a 1,000-point scale) for consumers:
Samsung 830 5
Whirlpool Duet 829 5
LG 823 5
Kenmore Elite 818 5
Electrolux 808 4
Maytag Epic 799 3
GE Profile 790 3
Maytag 783 3
Industry Average 783 3
Bosch 780 3
Fisher & Paykel 772 3
Kenmore 761 3
Whirlpool 761 3
Frigidaire 754 3
Amana 746 2
GE Appliances 734 2
Roper 719 2
Admiral 664 2
Overall customer satisfaction with Refrigerators JD Power.com Power Circle Ratings (based on a 1,000-point scale) for consumers:
Sub-Zero 834 5
Samsung 820 5
LG 790 4
Maytag 785 4
Whirlpool Gold 777 4
Kenmore Elite 774 3
KitchenAid 774 3
Industry Average 759 3
Jenn-Air 757 3
GE Profile 752 3
Electrolux 751 3
Whirlpool 749 3
Kenmore 739 3
Amana 735 3
GE Appliances 734 3
GE Monogram 732 3
Frigidaire 728 2
Bosch 715 2
Hotpoint 679 2
Overall customer satisfaction with dishwashers JD Power.com Power Circle Ratings (based on a 1,000-point scale) for consumers:
Miele 814 5
Fisher & Paykel 805 5
Kenmore Elite 802 5
Bosch 798 4
KitchenAid 784 4
LG 780 4
Whirlpool Gold 769 3
Jenn-Air 765 3
GE Profile 764 3
Samsung 761 3
Industry Average 760 3
Maytag 756 3
Kenmore 753 3
Electrolux 749 3
Whirlpool 748 3
GE Monogram 745 3
Frigidaire 735 3
ASKO 728 2
GE Appliances 714 2
Amana 686 2
Overall customer satisfaction with Hobs/Ranges/Ovens JD Power.com Power Circle Ratings (based on a 1,000-point scale) for consumers:
LG 804 5
Wolf 804 5
GE Monogram 801 5
Electrolux 800 5
Whirlpool Gold 799 5
Viking 795 4
Kenmore Elite 791 4
Thermador 791 4
KitchenAid 787 4
GE Profile 783 4
Samsung 781 3
Frigidaire 774 3
Maytag 774 3
Industry Average 774 3
Bosch 773 3
Jenn-Air 772 3
Kenmore 770 3
Whirlpool 767 3
GE Appliances 758 2
Hotpoint 734 2
Amana 731 2
Power Circle Ratings Legend:
5 - Among the best
4 - Better than most
3 - About average
2 - The rest
Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., JD Power and Associates is a global marketing information services company operating in key business sectors including market research, forecasting, performance improvement, Web intelligence and customer satisfaction.
5th August 2011