Better Life signs up Fisher and Paykel

The Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group's new home appliance division — Better Life — has added the New Zealand home appliance brand Fisher and Paykel to its portfolio. Better Life will be Fisher and Paykel's exclusive distributor for the Middle East.

Better Life, the only specialist home appliance chain in the UAE, now has eight international brands under its wing: Siemens, Binatone, Terim, Admiral, Wolf, Scandinova, Star-mix and Fisher and Paykel.

It plans to boost its product portfolio with new outlets across the region; Oman and Qatar are earmarked for entry in the near future.

Established in 1938, Fisher and Paykel started life as a manufacturer for key brands like Kelvinator, Bendix and National Panasonic.

A public stock company, it has become the largest manufacturer in New Zealand.

"The 'smart' technology Fisher and Paykel has harnessed allows it to compete with much larger companies in its own region, and also to make significant inroads into highly competitive markets such as Singapore, Hong Kong, the US and the UK in recent years," says Ajai Dayal, general manager of retail and marketing for the Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group. "Fisher and Paykel products are tailor-made for the Middle East since our buyers are becoming increasingly quality and style conscious, and are looking for innovative solutions to their day-to-day requirements in the home."

Fisher and Paykel holds 60 per cent of the market in New Zealand and 25 per cent in Australia, and exports to more than 40 countries.

The company earned $600 million in export revenues in 2003.

Geoff Ebdon, international sales manager for Fisher and Paykel, said: "Our international approach is to drive sales through technology developed in New Zealand and protected by over 400 international patents.

"Our new relationship with Better Life gives us a solid local platform to leverage our competitive advantages in the region." he added.

"We are very optimistic about being in the Middle East, particularly at this time of unprecedented growth in the UAE real estate sector.

"Our approach to business is simple: our washing machines wash clothes better, and our refrigerators keep food fresh longer. We believe that this is what customers are looking for."

The products are positioned in the middle to upper price segment.