Luxury Appliances for High-End Builds: BSH Offers a Full Suite for Discerning Customers
Any large-scale residential project involves virtually thousands of supplier partners, and the complexity can become overwhelming. That’s why savvy specifiers, from developers and builders to architects and designers, rely on the BSH Home Appliances Group family, which includes Gaggenau, Thermador and Bosch, three appliance brands that cover the entire continuum – from the ultra-luxury to the added-value luxury.
“Our portfolio represents an incredibly unique offering, well-positioned to meet the spectrum of needs of the building and development community,” says John McDonough, Vice President, National Builder Sales for BSH Home Appliances Group.
“Our ability to mix brands as needed depending on the price points – say, Bosch on floors 1 to 25, Thermador on 26 to 50 and Gaggenau in the penthouses – gives us an incredible advantage for builders and developers eager to streamline their projects while achieving market rates throughout the building,” he says.
We talked to brand experts to explore what each brings to the table.
Gaggenau: The crown jewel
Considered the leading ultra-luxury appliance brand in the world, Gaggenau’s heritage goes back to 1683 to its beginnings as a German iron and nail forge. “For over 300 years we have embodied the quality and craftsmanship of German engineering,” says Heather Ryan, Marketing, Sales and Brand Leader for Gaggenau North America. “We set the bar very high in everything we do.”
As an industry leader, Gaggenau has pioneered such innovations for the residential market as the electric oven, the built-in wall oven, the downdraft, the induction cooktop with remote sensor and the combi-steam oven, including an automated cleaning model that is still the only one-of-its-kind.
“Our ambition is to create appliances that allow home chefs to produce professional results,” Ryan explains. “We want to inspire home entertainers with easy, repeatable, consistent results to create culinary masterpieces as impressive as those coming from a commercial kitchen.”
In design innovation, Gaggenau has been at the forefront of the handleless kitchen, offering a sleek aesthetic that emulates today’s ultra-modern European look, which features natural materials and clean lines.
“Our products are seen in the most prominent properties in locales like Dubai and Europe, which gives us cachet among the ultra-high net worth buyer who has been exposed to a global lifestyle,” says Ryan. “This client usually has a gatekeeper handling their project whom they trust to get the best.”
For that reason, Gaggenau prides itself on the white-glove service they offer, including “Club 1683,” which provides personalized guidance and professional support for specifiers through a bespoke concierge team who can navigate all product questions and details.
This elevated service continues once the owner is in the property as they are invited to make an appointment for a personalized live virtual experience with a Gaggenau professional, who will walk the owner – or a designated staff member, such as a nanny or chef – through their space to share tips on appliance care and use.
Upping its prominence, Gaggenau is the only home appliance brand that enjoys the status of the Preferred Home Kitchen Appliance brand Partner of the Michelin Guide North America. Via that relationship, they have created the “Black Jacket Society,” consisting of a select group of chefs who helm Michelin-starred restaurants. These noted professionals collaborate on recipes and events, including hosting engagements with the specifier community.
Ryan sees the trend toward home entertainment extending, and Gaggenau will correspondingly continue to create innovations and events that suit this renewed interest. Whereas before COVID the appliances of this upscale demographic might have housed designer bags, Ryan jokes that “The Birkins aren’t back in the oven.”
Thermador: Prestige in a premium product
Thermador, the epitome of luxury and excellence, has its origins deeply rooted in the vibrant and imaginative Los Angeles region. According to Beatriz Sandoval, Head of Marketing for Thermador, the brand’s foundation is built on three pillars: innovation, performance, and design setting the highest standards in the industry. “We are viewed through the lens of innovation, which drives performance and meets today’s design expectations,” she says.
Throughout its 106-year legacy, Thermador has introduced many firsts, including inventing the wall oven category, which earned it recognition in the National Kitchen and Bath Association’s Hall of Fame. It was also the first to introduce the stainless steel aesthetic, which has become the default choice among tastemakers.
Sandoval describes the Thermador target as two-fold. The first are consumers who stand out for their culinary passion. “They love to host friends and family, and are a very astute crowd who see cooking as an adventure,” she says. “They might have recently traveled to Morocco and upon their return are not afraid to replicate a gourmet meal they had at a favorite restaurant.”
Then, Thermador also works closely with trade specifiers, such as architects, designers and developers who seek the brand affinity and performance buyers expect in high-end projects.
Sandoval reports that her division has seen high demand as consumers gravitate to the home improvement category. “It’s a frenzy that continues as homeowners strive to create a restaurant-quality kitchen to match their zeal for entertaining,” she says, adding that sales of their professional products have skyrocketed to meet this demand.
She notes popular products are those that feature a “wow” factor, such as a dishwasher that changes color to enhance the vibe of the event. Customers are also creating elaborate bars to accompany today’s “cocktail culture” and flocking to deluxe coffee machines that replicate the experience of a barista in your home.
This audience also appreciates the connected features Thermador products offer. “Our client is an early adopter so everything we do is oriented toward meeting this discerning demographic.”
Bosch: Invented for Life
Likewise, Bosch aims to reach a premium customer, yet its comparatively more affordable appliances extend the appeal. Lower price tag aside, it retains the stature of its sister brands, never compromising in either design or functionality.
“Our objective is to make people’s lives easier, which is the genesis of our tagline, ‘invented for life,’” says Purificación (Puri) Romeo, Head of Marketing for Bosch in North America. “Technology is at our core, and every product is developed with the goal of improving consumers’ quality of life.”
Typically buyers select Bosch as the appliance of choice for the entire kitchen in order to achieve a level of quality and cohesive design throughout the space. While specifiers request Bosch products in certain projects, Romeo notes that consumers also ask for it by name, based on its brand equity and reputation.
“They seek us out because of our highly regarded quality and simple solutions. They want to buy an appliance that will last and also offers modern functionality and design,” she says. The brand earns this trust based on reliable third parties, from Consumer Reports to reviews from fellow homeowners.
She adds that consumers also appreciate Bosch’s mastery of the “smart home” category, with a complete suite of connected appliances throughout the portfolio, including a new line of dishwashers being launched shortly where every single product is “smart.”
As with all the brands that comprise the BSH Home Appliances Group, Bosch offers enhanced sales support through its dedicated builder sales managers and trade marketing managers – local representatives who are equipped to answer questions, offer customized support and create customized marketing collateral as needed.
In addition, the Bosch Virtual Kitchen Experience is an online destination offering an evergreen interactive and educational virtual experience for consumers, trade and media. “Hosted by award-winning Chef Curtis Stone, it showcases new products and innovations while offering kitchen-planning inspiration,” Romeo explains.
Harnessing the Appeal of High-End Appliances
With this complete line of products, the BSH Home Appliances Group allows builders and developers to elevate their projects. McDonough emphasizes that its benefits extend past the product stage, with a robust builder sales organization that invites the development community to leverage the company’s expertise from specification to execution.
That includes several layers of assistance, from its giant network of after-sales support, which focuses exclusively on managing project business to make sure the product arrives as promised, to its builder service program that can take care of consumer needs after they’ve already been enjoying their products. “Our value proposition is unique, with our three-brand approach that allows us to act as a single point of contact for a range of price points,” McDonough says. “There is a great deal of equity in all three of our brands, which are uniformly well-received and recognizable.”
Do you want to know more about how BSH Home Appliances Group can bring prestige and streamlined service to your next project? Click here to learn more about Gaggenau, Thermador, and Bosch.
This article was produced by The Real Deal’s Brand Studio Team in conjunction with BSH. For more information about working with our Brand Studio Team please click here.