RETAIL PROFILE - ADELAIDE APPLIANCE GALLERY

From humble beginnings

as Mr Dishwasher to retail powerhouse as Adelaide Appliance Gallery

BY EMILY BENCIC

It’s 1981 and 17-year-old, Chris Ktoris is fresh out of high school looking for his first job. He finds employment as a junior technician at Mr Dishwasher fixing dishwashers, which at the time, were prestigious and sought-after appliances. He developed a loyal customer base due to his thorough and meticulous servicing, in addition to the products he developed to achieve the best results for the customer and longevity of the machine. He quickly realised that the key to a successful business was exceptional customer service.

The Mr Dishwasher store was open for trade in Adelaide CBD for 30 years.

In 1974, Mr Dishwasher introduced Miele to Australia, importing the first Miele products into the country. Four years later, in 1978, Miele entered the Australian market in Melbourne off the back of the foundation laid by Mr Dishwasher. Soon after Ktoris’ employment, he became Australia’s premier Miele service technician based in Adelaide.

Fast forward to 2021, he is now the managing director of a successful retail business, Adelaide Appliance Gallery.

According to operations manager, Andrew Ktoris, the latest chapter in the journey started in 2016 when the decision was made to relocate from the original 100 square metre showroom in Adelaide’s CBD, where the business had been trading for 30 years, and move to neighbouring St Peters.

Falmec rangehood display in the Adelaide Appliance Gallery Showroom.

“At the time, there were only two Asko ovens and three Miele ovens on the showroom floor that were more for decoration than anything else. Our business was driven by replacement dishwasher, washing machine and dryer sales but we understood that we needed to evolve to cater to growing demand in the cooking category,” he told Appliance Retailer.

After conversing with suppliers, councils, property managers, real estate agents, investors, stakeholders, staff and family, the business moved into a 1,500 square metre property with over 1,000 square metres of dedicated showroom space.

Bertazzoni cooking display in the Adelaide Appliance Gallery Showroom.

“This is when the name Adelaide Appliance Gallery was born, and the fully interactive ‘gallery’ style showroom was developed. Without the support of foundation partners in Asko, Miele, Bosch, Neff and Laurastar, it was just a pipedream that would not have eventuated,” Ktoris said. New staff members, who specialised in cooking, joined the family business to complement the strengths of the existing team.

“With the success of our foundation partners, other suppliers could see the value and started approaching us. The introduction of Falmec and Falcon increased exposure and broadened our customer base, while strengthening our market share. This led to an unannounced visit and invitation to become a ‘Designer Appliances’ store as a flagship of the BSR Group.”

Our business was driven by replacement dishwasher, washing machine and dryer sales but we understood that we needed to evolve to cater to growing demand in the cooking category.

Neff cooking display in the Adelaide Appliance Gallery Showroom.

Over the past 18 months, new suppliers have been introduced into the business including Smeg, Fisher & Paykel, Electrolux Home Products and Liebherr, which is attracting new customer demographics to the store that offers functioning and interactive appliance displays.

“The showroom has been completely regenerated and there are commitments from more suppliers to be announced shortly. Staff numbers are increasing and infrastructure investments are being made to keep up with demand.

“With the noise and distraction of growth, it’s easy to drop the ball, but one thing remains constant – exceptional customer service is not negotiable. It’s 2021 and a 17-year-old boy has come a long way, but the story is only just beginning. Stay tuned for the next chapter.” AR