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"!