Whirlpool Product Innovations Designed With CHOs in Mind
BENTON HARBOR, Mich., Jan. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — American homes are being run like businesses according to the first-ever State of the Home survey from Whirlpool® Home Appliances, unveiled today at the International Builders Show in Las Vegas.
With more women in the workforce than ever before, homes are being run with the help of computer scheduling and basic business technique focused on activities like delegation, prioritization and task completion. “Today’s moms are taking the techniques they’ve learned in the workplace and using them to great effect in the home,” said Stacy DeBroff, president of Mom Central, Inc. “With the growth of two-income families, a multitude of children’s activities and households headed by singles, the only way that all the tasks can get done is if the household is organized. Moms are now using high tech tools like Personal Digital Assistants and computer spreadsheets to run their homes efficiently.”
Whirlpool is using the term Chief Home Officer, or CHO to describe this new breed of home manager — typically Mom — that is taking on the role of delegating tasks and assigning responsibility within the family.
According to Whirlpool’s State of the Home survey of 1,000 women:
Ninety-five percent of moms delegate household tasks to other family members
Nearly 40 percent say they run their home like a business — Almost two out of three (61%) rank themselves as “very efficient” in managing their homes
More than half (58%) say they keep to-do lists at home for themselves and family members
The tasks CHOs most often delegated to other family members include: cleaning bedrooms (65%); doing dishes (62%); vacuuming (61%); and putting away groceries (57%).
Appliances Designed to Meet the Demands of CHOs
Whirlpool, the world’s largest appliance maker, has seen this trend coming for several years and has used these insights to create products that meet the needs of the new generation of American households. “The CHO is at the heart of everything we do,” said Jeffrey Davidoff, director, Whirlpool brand. “Every appliance we create is designed with her in mind. Our goal is for CHOs to feel that they can delegate the task to our products, and know the job will get done.”
Whirlpool Home Appliances is showcasing its latest insights on the market and innovations for CHOs today at the International Builders Show in Las Vegas. From design and engineering to color and ergonomics, Whirlpool is the industry leader in developing products that save time, require less effort and provide more space.
On display at IBS 2004 are advancements in each of the four major appliance product categories that were driven by research on the new ways in which homes are run:
Fabric Care
Problem: CHOs don’t want to spend the time or money required to take clothes to the dry cleaner or hand wash delicate items. In fact, Whirlpool research indicates that 83% of consumers try to avoid buying clothes that require dry cleaning or extra care.
Solution: The Whirlpool Duet® HE is the first washer in North America certified by The Woolmark Company as being safe for laundering machine washable wool. The world-renowned Woolmark insignia now appears on the control panel of Whirlpool HE washers. Duet HE is the centerpiece of the new Whirlpool Family Studio.
Food Preservation
Problem: CHOs like to buy in bulk, but often lack the necessary storage, particularly in the freezer.
Solution: The Whirlpool In-Door-Ice® ice dispensing system creates up to 19 percent more room in the freezer compared to standard 25 cu. ft side-by-side refrigerators. It delivers enough space to store eight additional 12-inch pizza boxes and several models come in the Satina® finish, which has the stylish look of stainless steel, but does not show fingerprints and holds a magnet.
Food Preparation
Problem: Twenty-six percent of in-home suppers are made with a microwave oven due to ease of use and time constraints, but most CHOs prefer the taste of food prepared in a conventional oven or on a stove top.
Solution: The new Whirlpool g2microven(TM) Speedcook Appliance combines the speed of a microwave with the results of an oven — without compromising taste or texture. The g2microven allows people to grill, bake, brown, crisp or even pan-fry foods in its special Sizzle Pan. When teamed up with the new Whirlpool Polara® refrigerated range, the g2microven can help make healthy, family dinners a reality.
Cleaning
Problem: Whirlpool research indicates consumers are often frustrated over finding room for awkward-sized objects like cookie sheets, mixing bowls and tall glasses in the dishwasher.
Solution: The new Whirlpool Tall Tub dishwasher is 15 percent larger than standard models and was built to handle tall and odd shapes. With a 2-inch adjustable top rack, it can fit a 9-inch plate, a 13-inch vase, cookie sheets or serving platters on the bottom rack. In addition, the movable AnyWare Plus(TM) silverware basket allows for 100 percent of usable space in the bottom rack.
About the Whirlpool Corporation
Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE: WHR – News) is the world’s leading manufacturer and marketer of major home appliances, with annual sales of over $11 billion, 68,000 employees, and nearly 50 manufacturing and technology research centers around the globe. The company markets Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Brastemp, Bauknecht, Consul and other major brand names to consumers in more than 170 countries. Additional information about the company can be found on the Internet at www.whirlpool.com .