Bloomingdale’s Hopes 5 Generations of Shoppers Want Luxury Appliances

Department store Bloomingdale’s has been a New York institution for 157 years (starting out with hoop skirts, which were all the rage in the 19th century) evolving into something of a cultural icon, favored by an elite clientele including First Ladies Jacqueline Kennedy, Lady Bird Johnson and Betty Ford. It’s also the site where Jackie O. … Read more

Smart appliances: Do white goods cos want to make it easy or make us lazy?

Your refrigerator will walk to you, the ceiling fan will adjust its temperature depending on the surrounding and the washing machine will wash and fold clothes. Powered by artificial intelligence, appliances are now turning smarter to the point that individuals wouldn’t even have to get up from their seat to operate the machine. Take the … Read more

Whirlpool doesn’t want Sears selling any of its appliances

Whirlpool wants its stuff back. All of it. On Thursday, the Michigan-based appliance giant fired off a letter to Sears, demanding that the retailer return all refrigerators, washing machines, dishwashers and other appliances that Whirlpool shipped to it in the 45 days leading up to Sears’s Oct. 15 bankruptcy filing. Whirlpool argued that Sears was … Read more

People want Amazon’s Alexa on the toilet (and brands are listening)

Consumers are getting increasingly comfortable with voice assistants like Apple’s Siri, Google’s Assistant and Amazon’s Alexa. So comfortable, in fact, that they’re looking to use those assistants in their bathrooms — even while on the toilet. That’s according to public relations firm Walker Sands’ 2018 “The Future of Retail” report, based on a survey of … Read more