Selling Appliances Seen as Boosting Dealer Margins,
Experts Suggest
Someone in the product supply chain is making money selling
appliances, and that someone could be kitchen and bath dealers,
according to Dave Norton of Ellis Kitchen and Bath Studio in
Columbus, OH, and Dan Noenning of Appliance & Cabinet Center in
Billings, MT.
Indeed, “If you send your customers to an appliance store for
the purchase, you’re leaving money on the table, regardless of the
business you think is being sent your way in return by the
appliance store,” say Norton and Noenning, a pair of Bath &
Kitchen Buying Group (BKBG) dealer-members. “There is money to be
made selling appliances.”
With that in mind, Norton addressed members of the Houston,
TX-based BKBG at a recent educational conference sponsored by the
member-owned co-op.
According to Norton and Noenning, profits from the sale of
appliances can range from 15% to 30%, based on how they are
packaged in a kitchen sale.
“Since we, as kitchen dealers, are usually involved with the
specs of the appliances, we should be compensated for our time,”
they note. “There’s no reason we should not be making money.”
The duo offered some suggestions that could help dealers get
started. Among the ideas were the following:
- Start by packaging the appliances with the cabinet cost, and
make them a part of a complete kitchen sale. If you need some
pointers or help, try asking the appliance representative to come
in and help sell the appliance as part of your kitchen. - Show appliances on the floor with a minimum selling price and
an explanation of what you will do as part of the price. - When you price appliances, if it has a wood panel on it, for
example, tell the customer that it is included in the cost of the
appliance. - Make sure you have a spec book of all of the appliances that
you offer with cut-out and all other pertinent information. - Use an appliance sign-off sheet to protect your profits.
- Outsource the delivery or installation of appliances.