Battling old age appliances

When GE began its search for the World’s Oldest Fridge, it must have been happy with its national press and TV coverage. But, no doubt, what it hadn’t accounted for was the thoughts of owner, Doris Stogdale, 89, reported in the Daily Mail: “Things like fridges were made of strong stuff 60 years ago – nowadays they all have warranties of a couple of years and it’s almost as if the makers expect them to break at some point.” http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1323338/Still-chilling-58-years-Britains-oldest-fridge-shows-signs-freezing-up.html

It’s not exactly a glowing endorsement for modern refrigeration models and future fridge sales.

This type of media coverage could make the job of the kitchen designer and salesperson just that little bit harder when encouraging consumers to purchase new appliances. But what Doris, and some retail consumers, may not fully understand is that refrigeration technology has moved on in leaps and bounds over the past few years – let alone the past six decades.

This misunderstanding of modern refrigeration highlights the continued need for retailers and designers to gen up on their appliance product knowledge. They need to understand not only the technological features but the benefits they offer. Improved food preservation can reduce wastage, while enhanced energy efficiency means the appliance can be cheaper to run. If retailers and designers can show how appliances meet the needs of consumers and help their pockets too, then perhaps they will be able to covert the most resistant to change and maybe Doris?