Purveyor of luxe kitchen appliances optimistic about local market
By Lin Zhiqin
/ EdgeProp |
Despite being headquartered in Switzerland, V-ZUG’s engineering team understands that the humidity in Singapore causes condensation to collect on the doors of refrigerators, which looks unsightly and damages timber material. According to Angeline Yap, managing director of V-ZUG Singapore, additional insulation has been added to refrigerators that are supplied to the tropics to nip this problem in the bud.
Yap says this is an example of the leading Swiss household appliance brand’s philosophy to continually improve each product offering by understanding consumers’ needs and pre-empting and solving any potential problems. The appliances can also be installed in different design settings to suit individual tastes, adds Yap, who was the managing director of Miele Singapore before she joined V-ZUG. “Miele appliances are being used in many projects,” she notes. “I am bringing a new brand to offer differentiation to the luxury market.”
V-ZUG appliances can be installed in different design settings
Singapore’s luxury property segment has been in a slumber over the past few years, says Yap. As a result, she worked with V-ZUG to enter the China and Hong Kong markets, where the brand has been well received. The luxury residences at Beijing Greenland Center and St Regis Residences Shanghai boast V-ZUG appliances.
As the luxury market in the city state is in the nascent stages of a recovery, Yap reckons this is an opportune time to grow the brand here. Several existing luxury developments, such as Boulevard Vue by Far East Organization, Ardmore Residence by Pontiac Land and Tomlinson Heights by Hotel Properties Ltd, are already fitted with V-ZUG appliances, she points out.
As the Swiss are very eco-conscious, V-ZUG’s products have been designed with energy efficiency in mind, says Yap. Some appliances are up to 60% more energy-efficient than the highest four-tick rating by Singapore’s National Environment Agency, she adds.
Developers would be able to command a premium for units equipped with V-ZUG’s products, reckons Yap
V-ZUG products are handmade, according to Yap. Every year, the company produces just 200 units of its revolutionary clothing-care appliance Refresh-Butler. The device, which won the iF Design Award 2014, uses a combination of photocatalysis, steam and hot air circulation to refresh clothes. Energy-efficient and gentle on textiles, it offers functions to remove odours, reduce creases, eliminate germs and bacteria, and dry clothes, explains Yap.
Beyond its appliances, V-ZUG will also deliver a luxury service, says Yap. An on-site inspection is carried out to test all the products before they are handed over to customers, she explains.
In addition to books containing recipes that are tailored to help users get the most out of their kitchen appliances, there is also the V-ZUG Gourmet Academy — a group of chefs who create recipes and demonstrate how best to use the kitchen appliances, says Yap. V-ZUG’s chef-ambassadors include Ryan Clift, who is chef-owner of The Tippling Club, an award-winning restaurant in Singapore that has been ranked among Asia’s 50 best restaurants. A recipe book that focuses on Singapore cuisine is being developed and the culinary experts will also provide support to users who may encounter problems following the recipes.
V-ZUG Singapore’s sales gallery is slated to open in July and will showcase different kitchen concepts and feature live cooking demonstrations from renowned chefs, says Yap. In the meantime, she is working with several developers who are keen to provide V-ZUG appliances in their upcoming luxury residential projects.
They would be able to command a premium for units equipped with V-ZUG’s products, reckons Yap, owing to its brand history of top-quality products and service. “We are the Hermès of appliances,” she says.
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