As I sit in front of my computer on one of these miserable New England winter afternoons writing this blog, sleet and freezing rain keeping me indoors, I wondered who the biggest "players" in the major appliance industry were. A quick Google search provided the answer:
- Lowes
- Home Depot
- Best Buy
- Amazon
- Costco
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| Inside an Amazon DC |
There's a pretty clear trend here. With a national presence, and with a combination of "brick and mortar" stores in every major market, combined with an easy to access online presence, it's not surprising to see national/online chains listed at the top.
Now before circling back and answering the lead-off question, I want to share a conversation I had some time back:
A few years ago I was at a Christmas party held at an in-laws house. Being in the appliance industry, I couldn't help noticing that my in-laws had bought a new refrigerator and stove. At some point when the obligatory small talk was at a minimum, I politely asked where they purchased the new appliances, and I was told they bought them at one of the "Big Box" stores. I nodded my head and said "OK", or something like that. A couple of minutes later I went into another room, and I heard my wife asking her brother "Why didn't you buy them from David?" The reply: "Well, aren't the big stores cheaper?"
This preconception, that you have to pay more if you want to support local business, is challenging to us. It's also a bit unfair, because...
Well, the short answer is a resounding "NO!!"
NO, No... No....Not at all. This apparently is still a preconception with a lot of people (including people who know what I do for a living!), and a preconception that I sometimes have to try very hard to debunk.
So, let me proceed with the debunking:
First of all, the ease of Internet shopping has essentially leveled the playing field when it comes to price. In recent years the majority of shoppers have learned to use their smartphone or laptop to do a quick price comparison on items, whether it be a refrigerator, hotel room, or the price of a gallon of gas. You no longer have to be a computer expert to do this.
And just as you, the consumer, have the ability to to do instant price comparisons, so do we! I think you'll find that in the overwhelming majority of instances pricing on a given appliance is remarkably consistent from store to store - big box stores vs. independent retailers included!
In fact in many cases, especially when our "independent retailer exclusive" rebates are factored in, we wind up less expensive!
Additionally, we can offer services the bigger stores cannot.
I'm going to touch on a few examples.
First - product knowledge:
I am one of many salespeople at Manny's with - literally - decades of experience. Perhaps you have an unusual setup in your kitchen. Maybe you have a range that's only 27" wide instead of the standard 30". Perhaps you want one of the contemporary French Door refrigerators, but are limited in height (or you have narrow doorways - a factor many people don't consider until it's time to make the actual delivery!) Or you're considering bringing your laundry up from the basement into a bathroom. We've been through these scenarios (plus countless more), and can help you by presenting viable options, as well as pointing out potential challenges (space, power, etc.) that you might need to consider.
Second - support:
Did you know that Manny's has their own service department? Well, yes we do. We provide in-home service on broken appliances out of both our Greenfield and Wilbraham, MA locations.
And, I am fully aware that there is nothing pleasant about having to deal with the cost and hassle of addressing a broken washer or refrigerator. At least with Manny's you get to talk with one of our own employees, working out of a local office, who will be scheduling and dispatching a Manny's service tech to address (and hopefully) solve your problem. Anyone who has encountered the hell of multiple touch-tone options and dead ends when trying to get assistance from a larger, faceless national companies can surely appreciate the convenience of speaking with a real live, local person!
Third - buying power:
This goes back to my anecdote at the beginning about the mistaken perception that because we're small, we must somehow also be more expensive. Just how do we stay price-competitive? A fair question.
Manny's is a member of the New England Appliance Group (NEAG). We pool resources with over a hundred independent retailers in the northeast. This billion-dollar-plus buying power allows the Group to go toe-to-toe with the giant national retailers when it comes to purchasing. It also allows Manny's to warehouse many more models and colors in NEAG's distribution center than would be feasible otherwise.
In other words, we have access to thousands of products, in a variety of colors, and can ship these to you home (or to a store if you prefer to pick up) in a timely manner, at a price that is very competitive vs. our big box competition.
Throw in the exclusive rebates we frequently offer on multiple piece purchases, and the end result is usually a faster, more satisfying experience for you, the customer... and often at a LOWER PRICE!!
If you have questions on any of the above... or if it's time for you to make an appliance purchase, please reach out to the sales professionals in any of our eleven showrooms (phone numbers and addresses can be found on the front page of our site, just to the left of the "Read our blog" link you recently clicked on.)