The Great Kiwi Home Improvement Boom shows no signs of slowdown, with kitchen renovations the main area of activity and an unexpected element in the beautifications – a new era of fridges.
Industry experts report more demand for kitchen and bathroom do-ups now than in pre-Covid times as Kiwis channel unused holiday money into their homes. That's led to refrigerator designer and manufacturer Samsung starting a new trend – fridges which express a kitchen's (and therefore a home's) personality and responding to a new hunger for make-my-life-easier functionality.
As Kiwis continue to upgrade their kitchens, so they are displaying that appetite for a new type of fridge, says Adam McElroy, Head of Marketing for Consumer Electronics at Samsung.
Expectations of a fridge's looks and performance have changed, he says, and Samsung's modern range is disrupting the market: "For generations, fridges were just one thing in New Zealand," he says. "I can remember moving into my first flat 20 years ago, we bought a fridge and I was astonished when it slid perfectly into the gap in the kitchen. It could have slid into any gap in any kitchen around the country.
"Now we have freedom with our choices for fridges and we're embracing that with the innovation and design of the most beautiful and functional appliances."
Samsung's research in 2019 showed 39 per cent of homeowners surveyed were planning to renovate their kitchen within the next two years. That seems to have been accurate - Placemakers said earlier this year they were expecting to help New Zealanders renovate 7000 kitchens in 2021, up from 5000 last year.
Of that 39 per cent planning to renovate their kitchen, 72 per cent wanted to include an upgrade to a "modern fridge", debunking the old consumer pattern of upgrading every 10 years. Of those surveyed, 31 per cent wanted a larger fridge next time.
Samsung believes Kiwis are using their purchases to express themselves – like the new range of modern French door fridges which combine a sleek flat-door design of modern silver and black colours with large capacity – and which become much more a feature of a kitchen than traditional fridges.
But it is also the new functions of the French door and side-by-side fridges that appeal to homeowners.
They include a hidden, in-built beverage centre that features both a water dispenser and a BPA-free Autofill, allowing water to be infused with fruit and herbs. A clever door insert hides the Dual Auto ice-maker which makes and stores up to 3kg of two different types of ice; a Power Freeze function blows intensely cool air into the fridge at the touch of a button, and the All Around Cooling System ensures all food is properly cooled, no matter which compartment it's in.
"If you look at previous behaviour around what drove a fridge purchase six, seven or eight years ago, generally this was something you did because you had to; it had broken down, or didn't fit the space," says McElroy.
"But with the home renovation trend and surge since Covid-19, these are mostly not purchases made out of necessity – they're something people really want, adding a fridge into your life that is ideal for your situation. They need to perform well but look beautiful too."
National Kitchen and Bathroom Association Executive Officer, Suzie Rees confirms that kitchen do-ups are still trending up: "The majority of our designers and manufacturers are significantly busier than pre-Covid. Kiwis love their kitchens and we are noticing a greater deal of interest in the latest styles and trends.
"The kitchen is the first and most costly room renovated – every element of that kitchen is a considerable investment, it needs to be ideal for your situation and certainly that applies to major appliances to work in that space."
Kitchen designer Celia Visser agrees Kiwis want to create unique spaces that reflect their living environment, and a fridge is a key part of that: "Technology is advancing fridges quickly; the options available are changing and evolving constantly.
"Some consumers love an integrated, hidden fridge, while others love seeing their fridge on display. Many people love the smart, hi-tech fridges that become the centre of the home with all their incredible futuristic features. These can be a fantastic addition and can make life easier."
McElroy believes the extra capacity is one of the key requirements for modern day families: "We're finding they're asking for more space in a fridge; they want to have access to everything in the one area, not have a second fridge in the house or garage.
"Traditional fridges just haven't matched with modern lifestyles, and we are changing that," he says." Kiwis have a real taste for clean lines, nice smooth finishes when it comes to appliances and that's what these new ones deliver."
For more information on the Samsung range go to: www.samsung.com/nz/refrigerators/french-door/