Winning Group chief executive John Winning credits “good old-fashioned customer service” with delivering what he says was the biggest month in Winning Appliance’s 113-year history.
According to the CEO, March sales were up 42 per cent on last year’s written sales, and same-store sales were up 32 per cent on the same period last year.
While the company has acquired Melbourne appliances business Michael’s Appliance Centre and opened a new showroom in Western Australia over the last year, Winning said the sales increase was the result of its customer-centric approach to business, rather than a bigger footprint.
“At Winning Appliances we focus on providing an exceptional customer experience from the minute someone steps foot in our store or goes onto our website, until well after they have received their appliance,” he told Inside Retail.
“We provide good old fashioned customer service in a modern context.”
Customer-centric approach
The family business operates 15 showrooms across the country, including seven in NSW, two in Queensland, four in WA, one in the ACT and two in Victoria. It is set to open a new flagship in Richmond, Victoria, this year, and also operates an e-commerce business, Appliances Online.
The retailer recorded $478.26 million in revenue for the financial year ended June 30, 2018, according to documents lodged with Australian Securities & Investments Commission.
Winning Appliances says it is focused on providing the best customer experience possible. Its parent company Winning Group last year changed the corporate motto to, “we say ‘yes’ in a ‘no’ world”.
This mentality extends across the in-store experience, where all showrooms have working kitchens and customers can get one-on-one demonstrations of product features, to the delivery of customer service, where the support team is available 24/7 to speak to the manufacturer and arrange service calls on behalf of customers.
“We don’t work on commissions, so customers know that when they come to Winning Appliances, they receive unbiased advice that is based on their needs and how they like to live in their homes,” Winning said.
“We have the world’s best appliances available at every budget and our showrooms are designed with a distinct focus on customer interaction, which provides customers with an experience beyond browsing and buying.
“We have also recently introduced 30-minute training sessions each morning, which allows each of our product experts to learn about the new technologies within the appliances and other features and benefits that can help customers get the best use out of their appliances.”
While 2019 may be proving challenging for other retailers, Winning said the family business’s old-fashioned approach is delivering results. Sales have been on an upwards trajectory since the beginning of the year, he said, despite some analysts predicting a slowdown in the home furnishing sector due to the property slump.
