Costco shoppers may have noticed conspicuous kitchen showroom displays focusing on major appliance brands like Whirlpool and Samsung.

Whirlpool collaborated with Costco for a display program in 2019 with showroom-type displays at 75 store locations. Now that supply chains and inventory have stabilized post-COVID, Whirlpool expanded the displays to include its KitchenAid brand in at least 30 stores this spring.

Whirlpool is focusing on Costco locations where shopper demos align well with the KitchenAid brand, says Michelle Domet, national account manager of Costco at Whirlpool Corporation.

“The goal…is to drive awareness among Costco members that are shopping in-store, that Costco actually sells a full lineup of major appliances, because you wouldn’t necessarily know that from walking the floor,” Domet says. “And then, secondarily, we want to drive members online to shop that selection.”

These displays will be up for Costco shoppers to see for at least “a few years,” Domet says, with the aim ultimately being to show the full breadth of KitchenAid offerings. Whirlpool uses aspirational displays to draw members in and envision the product in their homes. For the KitchenAid brand, it focuses more on the love of cooking and creating, so marketing communiques focus on the benefits products have to offer that set.

Domet tells strategy it wanted to “make displays work harder” for Whirlpool’s point-of-purchase, recently adding things like QR codes so buyers can learn more online as they shop instore, a reflection of how Costco is becoming more known as an omnichannel player.

Consumers are coming to the category “from all angles,” both in-store and online and need interactivity to do research quicker.

This is because the appliance category, Domet admits, is confusing and complex with so many brands, features and sub-categories to pick from. “A lot of consumers have never shopped the category before, or are coming to it fifteen years after their last purchase when appliances are broken,” Domet says. “Anything we can do in-store or online to make things easy as possible, we want to do that.”

The showrooms also communicate a range of Costco benefits and what sets it apart, like two-year extended warranties, free tech support and home delivery.

Despite their large footprints, Costco locations actually do not have the large appliance floorspace available that Home Depot and Lowe’s do, and typically focuses on a small selection of cash-and-carry SKU items on the floor. However, for major appliances, some Costco locations are making an exception to showcase the retailer’s broad selection, which includes Whirlpool, as well as competing brands like Samsung.