Is It Time to Upgrade Your Kitchen?

The other afternoon I was about to sit down and finish this latest post to my blog when a tractor trailer showed up from our distributor with fifty more appliances to be sold in our new Westfield scratch and dent outlet center. 

That's right - fifty! - of all different models and types. This particular trailer was all General Electric pieces that had been returned to our distributor for one reason or another.  Our next trailer -who knows?  It could be a single brand such as LG, or it could be a mixture.  Each week more appliances keep pouring in, keeping our new showroom stocked

The reason for the returns are as varied as the pieces we've been selling so far.  We have everything from no-fits to items with dented rears or sides (if it's a fridge or range, who knows? - the dented side just might be the side concealed in your house, condo, or apartment), to distressed boxes to misorders.  And just like 99% of the other pieces that have been flying out of Westfield, these appliances come with warranties (as well as the option of protecting your purchase with an extended warranty.)

We've been pricing all our scratch-and-dent merchandise at 30-50% below regular retail.  Yes!! We're excited about this new opportunity for you to save significant $$, and for us to clear out some of our mistakes!

(Note! On some "harder to move" items such as vent hoods, wall ovens, and micro trimkits, in many cases we've gone below 50% off!!)

So, if you're in Western Massachusetts,  Northern Connecticut, or even in the central part of Mass., and are in the market to save some significant dollars, give us a try here in Westfield.  New product is arriving as quickly as older items are leaving!

Now, I've devoted quite a bit of blog space to scratch-and-dent merchandise the last couple of months.  I don't want to ignore the rest of our appliance business however.   

With spring -finally!!- approaching, a lot of people start thinking about moving, remodeling, or maybe just upgrading some tired appliances to freshen up their kitchen.  Here at Manny's we can help you choosing a new kitchen appliance suite.  We can also supplement our advice with aggressive pricing as well as manufacturer's rebates worth hundreds of dollars (often these rebates are not offered by the Big Box behemoth stores, by the way!)

I'm going to put together three kitchens.  The first offers a four-piece suite for under $2000, ideal for rentals, apartments, or starter homes.  The second suite offers a nice upgrade to appliances with more contemporary features and style, but still only about $3000 (and quite a bit less once you submit the rebates!)  The third is a more upscale kitchen, to give you an example of what we can offer someone who invests a lot of time and attention to their kitchen.

I'm also including links to each product in case you'd like to explore any item's features in greater depth.

Also, To keep the upgrades clearer, I'm going to stay with the Frigidaire brand.  I can, of course, show similar savings on our other brands as well.

First, a perfectly useful, Frigidaire brand basic kitchen in white. 

This suite offers an efficient top-freezer refrigerator with glass shelves, a smoothtop range with an extra-large oven, an efficient dishwasher, and a companion over-the-range microwave:

Top freezer    FFTR1835VW  $649   https://www.mannystv.com/products/Frigidaire/frig/fftr1835vw.html

Electric manual clean range  FCRE3052BW $629  https://www.mannystv.com/products/Frigidaire/frig/fcre3052bw.html

24" dishwasher  FDPC4221AW   $319  https://www.mannystv.com/products/Frigidaire/frig/fdpc4221aw.html

Over-the-range microwave  FMOS1764BW  $249   https://www.mannystv.com/products/Frigidaire/frig/fmos1746bw.html

Total $1846

Next, we step up to "Frigidaire Gallery". 

Our appliances go from white to the more modern stainless steel.  We upgrade from a top-freezer model refrigerator to a larger, more contemporary French door unit with an icemaker.  We add self-cleaning and a convection/air-fry feature to the range. The dishwasher gets quieter, and adds a stainless steel interior, Finally, we give the over-range microwave with cleaner, more contemporary look and stronger exhaust fan:

French door fridge, internal icemaker   FRFN2813AF  $1449   https://www.mannystv.com/products/Frigidaire/frig/frfn2813af.html

Air Fry range  FCRE3083AS  $799   https://www.mannystv.com/products/Frigidaire/frig/fcre3083as.html

Stainless steel interior dishwasher  FDSH4501AS  $599   https://www.mannystv.com/products/Frigidaire/frig/fdsh4501as.html

Stainless front over-range microwave FMOS1852AS  $299  

https://www.mannystv.com/products/Frigidaire/frig/fmos1846bs.html

Total $3146 - plus $400 in rebates available only to independent retailers!

Finally, let's "step up" to a "Frigidaire Professional" suite!  

Let's make the refrigerator counter-depth, and add a fourth drawer and an ice/water dispenser.  Let's lose the back of the stove to create a more "built-in" look, and add a super-fast induction cooktop to the rangetop.  We'll get a quieter dishwasher and add a third rack.  Finally, we upgrade the microhood to a convection/micro combo unit, giving you that second oven when needed:

Counter-depth French door four-door fridge with ice and water dispenser  PRMC2285AF  $2599   https://www.mannystv.com/products/Frigidaire/frig/prmc2285af.html

Slide-in induction range  PCFI3080AF  $2899   https://www.mannystv.com/products/Frigidaire/frig/pcfi3080af.html

Stainless interior three-rack dishwasher  PDSH4816BF  $899 

https://www.mannystv.com/products/Frigidaire/frig/pcfi3080af.html

Over the range air fry/convection/micro combo   PMOS1980AF  $799  https://www.mannystv.com/products/Frigidaire/frig/pmos1980af.html

Total $7196, and that's before $850 in rebates ($450 nationally, but also $400 exclusive to independent retailers!!)

Now these kitchens are only examples, and we can always tweak the packages to your specific wants.  (We also have similar kitchens in other major lines such as Whirlpool, GE, and LG.)

Here at Manny's our sales professionals are happy to discuss your plans, make suggestions that fit your visions, and present you with fair pricing.  We can deliver your product if needed, and can service your products after the sale.   

With the opening of our two newest stores last year in Pittsfield MA and Middletown CT (formerly Mike's Maytag and Portland Electric, respectively) we now have thirteen showrooms you can shop at your convenience.

If you've been a Manny's customer in the past, we thank you.  Please continue to keep us in mind next time you're in the market for a new kitchen appliance or washer/dryer.

If you haven't shopped with us before, why not give us a try?  I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Our New Scratch And Dent Outlet Is Here!!

Sometimes we here at Manny's make mistakes.  After all, we're human.

Sometimes we get to a customer's house and uncrate a stove, only to discover the top is smashed in, rendering the stove unusable.

Sometimes we deliver a giant French door refrigerator to a customer's house, only to find we are unable to get the unit through their kitchen doorway.

Sometimes we deliver an electric dryer, only to find out the customer actually needed a gas-powered dryer.

All these and other scenarios happen from time to time.  So what do we do next?

Well, first of all we take care of our customer - of course!  We do what we have to in order to address and correct the problem, and we do that as quickly as we can.

But! - Once our customer is satisfied, we still have that original appliance to deal with. Keep in mind that Manny's now has thirteen locations, as well as a growing Internet business.  Multiply those occasional misfires by seven days a week, fifty-two weeks a year, and all of a sudden we find ourselves with a bulging surplus of appliances in dire need of new homes.

Our solution:  Our new Scratch and Dent Outlet, just to the right of our Westfield location. 

(Just a couple of months ago, I wrote an entire blog devoted to the different types of open-box merchandise.  I will reprint some of that blog at the end of this entry, but suffice to say that the term "scratch and dent" doesn't do many of these pieces justice.)

Let me share an example of just how these pieces can find a home in a new kitchen:  

This past Saturday afternoon I was helping a young couple put together an appliance package for their newly remodeled kitchen. (I happen to work in the Westfield store, by the way.)  As they perused different French door models, trying to decide on the look, features, and size that fit their vision, we came across a Kitchenaid four-door French door refrigerator in our scratch and dent room.  Why was it there?  We attempted to deliver the fridge only to discover the unit wouldn't fit through a kitchen door.  We put it back in the box and returned it to our warehouse.  Shortly, and I mean just a few days later, that particular model was discontinued when the manufacturer had put out a new, very similar model, with a few minor tweaks to the interior.  

Unfortunately for us, we were no longer able to return this piece to Kitchenaid.  The result: my customer was able to save about 40% off the original price of this unit, which was exactly what they were looking for, and with the full manufacturer's warranty!

Now, granted, not all these pieces are as pristine as that $2300 refrigerator.  We do have units with dents and scratches, as well as units that had to be repaired (and tested!) in Westfield.  We are discounting these pieces aggressively - we want to find them a good home!!

We've been hard at work in recent weeks prepping our new showroom for business. Work has progressed rapidly!

Just this past week our warehouses began shipping truckloads of appliances to Westfield, with many additional truckloads waiting their turn.  Come in and check the outlet store out - we have items in many different sizes and price categories.  In addition to the most popular kitchen categories (fridge, range, dishwasher),  we have dozens of vent hoods (I haven't even begun pricing these yet!), as well as a good supply of wall ovens in various widths.  We even have a few wine coolers, as well as a couple of those giant 84" tall built-in refrigerators available.  

In closing, come on in and check us out!  If we don't have exactly what you're looking for, we just might tomorrow or next week! (and if open box isn't your cup of tea, you can always check out our more traditional Westfield showroom as well).

(Here's my recently posted description of the different types of open-box pieces you'll find in our new showroom:)

In a lot of instances, buying "open box" can be a win-win.  There are many reasons for us to mark down an open box appliance on our showroom floor:

One washer might have had a minor problem. After we exchange the model for our customer, our service department repairs the unit and checks it out for resale. It makes its way back to a showroom (usually, but not always, our Westfield MA location), where it is sold at an appropriate discount and with a full warranty.

Another washer might simply have been a mis-order (yes, being humans, we do sometimes make mistakes!). Since that unit is now out of its original box, we can't sell it as "brand new".  We discount the product, which can make for a great deal for a customer who doesn't mind the fact that the box is gone.

Other items might be "open box" because of a size issue (despite our best efforts to anticipate, sometimes a 28 cubic foot behemoth of a French Door refrigerator simply doesn't fit through a doorway).  Or perhaps the side or front of a range is dented.  If our customer preferred a new delivery vs. taking a damage allowance, we will bring that original piece to a sales floor (again, usually but not always Westfield) and sell it at an appropriate discount.

Sometimes a certain model simply becomes discontinued.  When this happens we will sell off our display piece with a nice discount.  We like to keep our showrooms "fresh"!

It's Presidents Day Weekend! Time for some great deals!

 

Back in 1879, Congress passed legislation making February 22, George Washington's birthday*, a holiday for Federal employees working in Washington D.C.  In 1885 the holiday was expanded to include all Federal workers.  In 1970, our late controversial ex-President Richard Nixon approved legislation to celebrate Presidents Day on the third Monday of every February in order to include Abraham Lincoln's birthday of Feb 12 in the observance, as well as to give the public a three-day weekend.

*(History buffs may already know this fact, but Washington was actually born on Feb. 11.  At that time the British Isles were alone in using the older, not-quite-accurate Julian calendar, which by the 18th century was 11 days behind the Gregorian calendar that is still in use today!)

Over time, as our industry began focusing on ways to get customers out of their houses in the middle of a gray, gloomy winter, the Presidents Day weekend blossomed into a sales "event" the same way Black Friday and Fourth of July sales events have grown.  Retailers start pumping up their advertising on TV, radio (and increasingly today online!) in early February to get consumers excited.

And yes, the discounts are real!  On most appliances you will pay less right now then you would have in January, or that you'll most likely be paying in March and April. Also... don't forget that Manny's often can offer rebates in addition to the discounted prices, rebates that in many cases are not extended to the giant "Big Box" chains!  More on that below.

Also, please note!! You don't have to show up on that Monday; our vendor allowances and your discounts extend to 2-25.

So how much can you really save?  To demonstrate, I'm going to give an example of a single piece, and then put together a four-piece kitchen suite.

First, take a look at my most popular upper-end dishwasher, the Kitchenaid KDTS424SPS:

US made and owned; giant interior tub, energy-star rated, smooth-glide racks... This has been a great seller for us at its normal pricing.

This dishwasher retails as high as $1349.  We advertised it at $999 in January.  Right now, during the Presidents Day event, we are offering it for $849!!

In addition, we have an $150 install rebate.  While most rebates post-Covid have been geared to encouraging you to buy a multi-piece package, this rebate is on just the dishwasher!  

(And, oh yes... you only get the extra $150 from an independent retailer like Manny's!) 

 It's our way of saying "Thank you for buying local."

How about a four piece package? 

Let's take a look at a popular package from Frigidaire Gallery, a line that has served us well over the years:

-French Door refrigerator with ice and water through the door (Model GRFS2853AF).  Regular price $2699, Presidents Day price $1799

-Electric Free-standing range with true convection (Model GCRE3060BF)  Regular price $1259, Presidents Day price $899.  NOTE- we have similar savings on gas ranges, as well as the ultra-fast induction ranges!

-Matching Energy-Star rated, stainless steel dishwasher (GDSH4715AF)  Regular price $849, currently $699.

Finally, let's complete the suite with an over-the-range venting microwave (GMOS1962AF)  Regular price $479, on sale for Presidents Day for $329.

Your total: $3726.

In addition, Frigidaire currently offers a $300 rebate for the four piece package.  Total after the Frigidaire national rebate: $3426.

BUT WAIT!! Buy this package (or similar) from Manny's, and you will get an ADDITIONAL $600 rebate!!

Now your final total drops to $2826 for a contemporary, coordinated kitchen set..  Not bad!

Of course, this is just an example.  We seldom sell the same package to multiple customers as tastes, sizes, budgets, etc., vary from kitchen to kitchen.

Perhaps you've seen a refrigerator, stove, or dishwasher online or in person that piques your interest.  If that is the case, feel free to reach out to any of our thirteen locations across southern New England; our sales professionals will be more than happy to assist!

(addresses and phone numbers can be found on the front page of our website, right next to the "blog" link you just clicked.)