By Adam Coleman in Melbourne
MELBOURNE: Chinese appliance manufacturer, Hisense has heralded its arrival on the Australian market and with extensive warehousing, 3500 IT and AV service agents and a three year in-home replacement warranty on its LCD and plasma televisions, the brand signalled its intentions to make a serious assault on the local market.
“With warehousing in Queensland, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, our commitment is to ensure that Hisense offers consistency of supply,” said Hisense Australia, general manager – sales and marketing, Tania Garonzi.
“Hisense is able to fully track and trace all orders on line and will provide PODs within 24 hours of delivery.”
The brand has set up its Australian production headquarters in Melbourne and will initially sell mid-range plasma and LCD displays.
Towards the end of this year Hisense will release refrigerators, freezers, wine coolers and air conditioning products.
Early next year will see the introduction of integrated HD Flat panels with 1080p resolution and throughout 2007, Hisense Australia plans to introduce DVD recorders, hard drive products, laundry products, mobile phones and computer IT products.
“We are confident that by the end of 2007, Hisense Australia will offer a comprehensive, high quality digital lifestyle product range which will form the basis of a larger, stronger and better consumer electronics powerhouse not seen since our Korean rivals have entered the Australian market,” said Garonzi.
The Hisense three-year in-home replacement warranty will be carried out nationally in metropolitan and regional areas by its 3500 AV and IT service agents.
“Our commitment to our Hisense retail partners and end customers is demonstrated every day by providing first-class products, efficiently and with a first-class warranty policy. This ground-breaking warranty offer will set a new benchmark in Australian consumer electronics industry and offers a unique point of difference that no other brand currently can match.
“Hisense has total confidence in the quality of our products and have made a significant investment in ensuring that this in home replacement will happen nationally in most areas, within a 24 hour period excluding weekends.”
Hisense has also set up a customer support helpline 1-800- HISENSE to assist Hisense customers with all product queries.
“This service is run out of Melbourne and is yet again further evidence of our commitment to providing a quality brand, quality products and quality service.
“Our promise to our retail partners is to offer a full product range which enables healthy, stable profitability – we are committed to mutual long term success with our retail customers,” she said.
Hisense is a $5 billion USD consumer electronics group and is one of China’s premier manufacturers of TV sets with annual capacity to produce 11 million TV’s, 4.7 million mobile phones and over one million computers.
In addition to manufacturing in China, Hisense has production sites in Algeria, Hungary, Iran, Pakistan, and South Africa.
“Each year, Hisense re-invests into it’s R&D division five per cent of total sales income,” Hisense vice president, Dr Lan Lin told current.com.au.