Vann's To Open Sub-Zero, Wolf Appliances Store

By Alan Wolf -- TWICE, 11/5/2007

BOZEMAN, MONT. — Vann's, the white- and brown-goods chain, is installing a Sub-Zero and Wolf Appliance store-within-a-store at its location here.

The shop, dubbed The Living Kitchen, presents the manufacturer's complete refrigeration and cooking line within home-like vignettes featuring cabinetry, counters and decorative floors.

The shops have been rolled out to every Sub-Zero and Wolf distributor showroom nationwide, as well as to a number of select dealers, as part of an aggressive multiyear branding and product development strategy for the 60-year-old, family-held premium white-goods company.

"The Living Kitchen is truly a destination luxury shopping experience for homeowners and designers," said Jim Bakke, president/CEO of Sub-Zero and Wolf. "Simply lining products up against a wall doesn't cut it anymore. Much like luxury automotive manufacturers such as Mercedes and retailers like Neiman Marcus have branded the consumer luxury retail experience, we are surrounding these two specialty brands in what we believe is a powerful, experiential shopping context."

Products showcased within the shop include the Sub-Zero 736 TR all-refrigerator unit, from the company's integrated refrigeration line, and Wolf's sealed burner range-top with a welded burner pan for easier clean-up. Other recent introductions include the Sub-Zero Pro 48 professional-style residential refrigerator; an induction cooktop from Wolf; and a 15-inch wine storage unit, Sub-Zero's smallest.

John Thelan, president of Roth Distributing, the exclusive Sub-Zero and Wolf distributor in Montana, said Vann's was "the natural choice for a Living Kitchen location because of its service philosophy and leadership in representing our products."

Vann's officially debuted the shop during an invitation-only open house on Nov. 7.

Vann's, a six-store member of the PRO Group, is the nation's 50th largest majap dealer, according to TWICE's annual Top 100 Major Appliance Retailer rankings, with approximately $28 million in white-goods sales last year.