Appliances Online is an Australian online retailer of white goods and home appliances based in Sydney, Australia. The company is a subsidiary of the family-run Winning Group, encompassing Big Brown Box and Winning Appliances. The company claims to have more than 300,000 customers nationwide.
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History
Appliances Online was established in 2005 by John Winning who had worked in retail appliance industry for eight years. Through daily interaction with customers, he spotted an opportunity in the market for a specialist online retailer of appliances and white goods.
John Winning started the business with just a laptop, an 1800 number converted to his mobile, and a rented delivery truck. The company was founded as an online competitor to other electrical and white goods retailers. The business model is based on targeting customers who are limited on time and, in most cases, have a replacement need.
Appliances Online has gone on to set up its own shipping service to the greater Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Perth, and Hunter regions. The company employs around 500 people in its head office in Sydney and in the warehouses across Australia. It has grown in profit and revenue by 100 percent every year since 2005. In 2011, the average sale item on Appliances Online was $1000.
In December 2010, Appliances Online purchased the domain and website for Big Brown Box to act as a retail arm in the audio visual market.
The Appliances Online warehouse in Brisbane allowed Winning Appliances to launch its first showroom in Queensland in August 2011.
In April 2015, it was announced that Appliances Online's parent company, Winning Group, had purchased Electro Seconds. The acquisition was said to be a strategic opportunity to improve Appliances Online's position in the clearance market.
Awards
Sponsorships
Appliances Online set up the Extend Your Hand programme which gives financial support to a variety of charity organisations whose common goal is to better the quality of life in Australia and abroad. These charity organisations that receive donations include Children's Hospitals Foundation Australia and Victor Chang Institute.
Appliances Online also has a sailing team which includes an 18ft Skiff, 2 International Moth (dinghy)s, a 29er (boat) skiff and a Farr 30 (yacht). The team competes in world championship events and local races.
The company was a main sponsor of the MJ Nationals sailing competition, "contributing significantly to meeting the costs of racing and especially towards the magnificent prizes".
Appliances Online also donates their boat, the MV JBW, to the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, which is used as the Radio Relay Vessel for the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.