Chuck Knight at Knight's Appliance Offers Big-Box Pricing
Tuesday, November 2nd, 2010
As a member of the largest buying group of independent appliance dealers in the country, Knight’s Appliance and Electronics is able to combine the advantage of competitive pricing with the advantage of locally owned, friendly customer service. The company buys its appliances and TVs through Nationwide Marketing Group, a 3,000-member buying group with $12 billion in purchasing power.
“The biggest misperception people have about independent dealers is that our prices will not be as low as big-box retailers. We can buy at the same price as a Sam’s or Costco and tend to offer higher quality appliances with popular features,” said Chuck Knight, owner of Knight’s Appliance and Electronics.
Opened in 1965 by Knight’s father, the company carries multiple brands of kitchen and laundry appliances as well as air conditioners, televisions and video players. Knight’s is the only appliance dealer in Albany that also operates its own appliance service business. In total, Knight’s Appliance and Electronics has 15 employees, two of whom have been with the company for more than 40 years.
Waiting for consumer confidence to return
Sales for Knight’s Appliance and Electronics so far in 2010 have been flat with 2009 due to an ongoing lack of consumer confidence. According to Knight, the year has been up and down with sales strong for several days and then nothing.
“We expected sales in 2010 to be up but the housing market and employment have not turned and consumers are still spooked,” Knight explained. “We’re hopeful that consumer confidence will improve after the election regardless of the outcome.”
Even then, pre-recession shopping patterns may not return. Knight worries that retailers are programming consumers to shop six to eight days out of the year when products are offered at little or no profit to drive store traffic. The practice makes it difficult for all retailers to make money, especially independent dealers who may not carry as broad and diverse a product line.
Knight recently broadened his product line by adding televisions and video players. Forty-five years ago, Knight’s opened as a TV dealer and rode the wave of people upgrading to color TVs. The store then evolved to an appliance dealer and now has come full circle.
Driving growth in Albany
Knight believes the loss of high-paying jobs at local employers such as Cooper Tire and Procter & Gamble has hurt Albany. Those individuals tend to move away from the area with their families, shrinking the economy.
“We’ve also done a real disservice to our community with the education system,” Knight continued. “I have people applying for jobs who cannot fill out the application.”
Knight believes local leaders need to look beyond divisive issues and drive the community as a whole forward. Knight said, “Our city leaders need to move beyond race as an issue. I think most of the community has moved beyond it and we need our leaders to stop using it as a political issue.”
Go talk to those crazy people
Knight’s Appliance and Electronics may be best known for its sometime outrageous TV commercials. The objective is simply to create a memorable impression that will stick in viewers’ minds.
“The next time an appliance breaks, maybe people will say let’s go talk to those crazy people on TV,” Knight said. “We just hope people will give us a shot at their business.”
More information of Knight’s Appliance and Electronics is available on their website at knightsappliance.com or by calling 229-432-9338.
