With increasing industry pressures.
The opening of the e&s Preston store brought together over 300 guests to experience the 3,000 square metre super showroom.
Co-owner of e&s, Rob Sinclair, delivered a passionate speech which explained how the store was conceived.
“This is a very important night for the Sinclair family and the e&s family that make up this incredible business,” he said.
“In the room tonight, we have our supplier and trade partners, builders, cabinet makers, interior designers, architects, insurers and also for the first time – ANZ our bankers who have been with us from our inception representing 57 years of partnership emphasising how this business values the long term nature of relationships.
“Also here tonight is Narta – the incredible buying group organization we belong to and also helps drive our organization.”
Sinclair reflected on the impact the Narta conference held in Phuket in 2002 themed Dare to be Different had on him.
“At the time we were selling televisions, fridges, kettles, toasters, cooktops and ovens, we were the same as everyone and they were a lot better than we were. Now here we are – and please challenge me if you can – opening one of the finest showrooms on the planet that combines kitchen, bathroom and laundry. Why do that? The appliance industry is under threat from Amazon or Appliances Online driving the opportunity to click and buy.
“We have done it because you want to stimulate people – you do it because the product that we sell is some of the best you can buy and the only way you can demonstrate that they do things is by having a showroom where people can have the touch and feel and engage. You don’t get to sell 14 products in a kitchen package online if you can’t help the consumer choose.
“When I first started on the floor we sold an oven, a cooktop, a rangehood, a dishwasher with a sink and a tap. Today we sell a combi steamer, a combi microwave, two ovens, two warming drawers, and we might put a sous vide over there with another warming drawer, so we have eight products in the wall, and we haven’t even left the wall yet.
“You can’t sell that unless you create dreams for people in an environment like this, so how do you get here? You have to have a whole lot of suppliers that believe in us and who didn’t just believe in the dream, we have supplier partners that have decided on the back of this store, to listen and to engage in a brand experience. I am so proud of what all of the suppliers partners have done in this store – to take this industry to another level.”