Dealers Praise Sharply Priced Feature Roster

By Alan Wolf On Jul 22 2002 - 6:00am

In the battle for majap market share, retailers point to the best-selling Frigidaire FRS26R4A side-by-side as an important weapon in their product arsenal.

"No question, it's a top-seller, a biggie," confirmed Doug Kelly, director and general merchandise manager at P.C. Richard & Son. The reason for its popularity, he said, is simple: it provides plenty of bang for the buck.

"It follows the 'features for the money' formula," Kelly observed. "It's a deluxe refrigerator that we tag at $899" — now a key price tier in the growing but contentious side-by-side category.

"Frigidaire has an unbelievable ability to put out product at very reasonable prices," Kelly continued. What's more, the quality of their products has "taken off" following a problematic changeover to the D.O.E.-compliant line. "They're back stronger than ever," he said.

Randy Johnson, VP/appliances for BrandsMart U.S.A., also considers the R4A a key component of his side-by-side assortment. "The price competition on side-by-sides has gotten extremely tight," he observed, "and the R4A is a very, very, very competitively priced piece."

The unit carries an everyday retail of $948 at BrandsMart, although Johnson said, "We put it on sale all the time." Part of a four-SKU lineup, it "knocks on the door of the next piece up, the Gallery, which represents the top of the line for us."

Johnson concurred with Kelly that Frigidaire has made "tremendous" quality improvements during the last 18 months, and that his business with them has tripled as a result.