Samsung wins multi-year built-in kitchen suite orders from Clayton

Samsung Electronics Co. is upping the ante to widen the lead in the US home appliance market with a long-term contract to provide its hyper-connected, energy-efficient built-in kitchen suites to the country’s leading single-family home builder Clayton Home Building Group.

South Korea’s electronics giant announced on Tuesday that it has signed a multi-year partnership agreement with Clayton to supply its artificial intelligence-powered kitchen appliances to the US builder.

It will supply its Bespoke kitchen suites including refrigerators, dishwashers, ovens and microwaves for the builder’s new homes. Its laundry appliances are also offered as an option to Clyaton’s new home buyers.

All appliances to be offered to Clayton, famous for its high-quality homes, are Wi-Fi connected and certified as ENERGY STAR by the US Environmental Protection Agency, Samsung said.

“Clayton incorporates the latest home buyer trends and designs into every one of its high-quality homes, making them the perfect match for our stylish, energy-efficient appliances,” said Shane Higby, senior vice president and head of Home Appliance Business for Samsung Electronics America.

With the latest deal, Samsung is expected to ratchet up efforts to widen its lead in the US home appliance market, where it commanded the largest 21% share last year in terms of sales, according to US-based market research company TraQline.

It was narrowly followed by cross-town rival LG Electronics Inc. with a 19% share, as well as local giants General Electric Co. with 18% and Whirpool Corp. with 15%.

BEYOND THE US

The Korean appliance major also aims for the top spot in the global home appliance market, which is currently led by LG Electronics, with its smart and energy-efficient white goods.

Earlier last week, the company unveiled a new Bespoke lineup at EuroCucina 2024, one of the world’s largest kitchen goods events, held on the sidelines of Milan Design Week.

At the event, Samsung’s Device eXperience (DX) division head Han Jong-hee, also Samsung’s vice chairman, said Samsung will further enhance the connectivity of its appliances with a large-language model-based generative AI.

Its premium Bespoke appliances are linked to its SmartThings ecosystem with built-in Wi-Fi, internal cameras and AI chips.

They come with the new AI Home, a connected 7-inch LCD display that provides intuitive, easy access and control across the connected ecosystem.

The AI Home includes 3D Map View, a feature that provides users with a full 3D view of the house, allowing them to easily locate all the appliances that are connected and control them.

“In the electronics market, finding the pain point where consumers feel uncomfortable is the key to winning. And that’s what Samsung is good at,” Han said last week at EuroCuchina 2024, expressing confidence in a race to win consumers in the bigger global home appliance market.

Write to Chae-Yeon Kim at why29@hankyung.com

Sookyung Seo edited this article.