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As a distributor of premium kitchen appliances, including General Electric Appliances, American Appliances knows the market like no other. Every day, CEO Wouter van den Boogaard speaks with distributors, dealers, and suppliers and hears about their current concerns. It is precisely this insight that forms the basis for Kitchora, American Appliances’ new in-house brand. The company will continue to distribute premium brands, but is now also applying that practical experience to its own product development.
“Actually, Kitchora grew out of market demand,” Van den Boogaard continues. “We’d been hearing about the same need for years. There were products that distributors and dealers kept asking for, but no one was making them to the standard they wanted. At some point, I thought: why don’t we just develop them ourselves?”
What began as an idea that Van den Boogaard took on ‘kind of like a garage project’ gained traction unexpectedly quickly. The first collection was launched this summer. Within a month, the first container had been sold, and several distributors had already come forward wanting to include Kitchora in their product lines.
According to Van den Boogaard, more and more smaller brands are disappearing from the market or becoming part of larger companies. He believes this actually creates new opportunities. He therefore describes Kitchora as ‘a brand by a distributor, for distributors.’ It’s not intended to replace existing brands, but to complement them. “We look for opportunities within a niche: segments of the market that aren’t being served by major brands or where we still see room for improvement.”
The first example of this is the new line of laminated side-by-side refrigerators. “That product group already exists, of course, but not at the level we believe it could be. We saw room for improvement.” Among other things, we looked at the installation height. Many American refrigerators are simply too tall for built-in installation. “That’s exactly the kind of practical problem you keep running into in the market. You can either keep acknowledging that it’s a problem, or you can develop a solution for it.”
According to Van den Boogaard, the side-by-side refrigerator is therefore just the beginning. The next product is already in the works: a champagne cooler. “Virtually every wine cooler is designed for standard wine bottles. Champagne bottles are larger. We see this as another opportunity to develop a product that better meets actual needs. We don’t develop what already exists, but rather what’s still missing, so that we can meet consumers” needs.”
Kitchora is being developed under the guidance of American Appliances. For distribution in the Netherlands, the brand is partnering with Falmec Benelux. “We’ve had a very pleasant working relationship with Eddy van Tongeren and his team for quite some time. The fact that Falmec Benelux is now also handling the distribution of Kitchora is a great next step in that partnership.”
With the side-by-side refrigerator and champagne cooler, Kitchora has set its course. For its upcoming product developments as well, the brand continues to seek opportunities within niches and to identify market needs that are not yet—or not sufficiently—being met. With several new product launches planned for the coming year, a broader Kitchora range will gradually take shape, always based on the same principle: listening to real-world needs, developing solutions, and expanding the lineup.
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Kitchora—short for Kitchen Oracle—is the wonder of the kitchen. Kitchora is a Dutch brand that focuses on high-quality kitchen appliances with an eye for detail. Our products are designed to blend seamlessly into the living environment, striking a balance between aesthetics and ease of use. We believe in thoughtful design: clear, functional, and free of unnecessary elements. […]
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