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Samsung to launch B2B washers and dryers

Posted November. 07, 2018 07:25,   

Updated November. 07, 2018 07:25

한국어

Samsung Electronics launched washing machines and dryers for businesses and announced that it is making a foray into the B2B washing machine market on Tuesday.

Washers and tumble dryers for businesses will be used in hotels, resorts, dormitories, hospitals, and military camps as well as coin laundry shops. The biggest markets for Samsung Electronics are the U.S. and Europe, where many people find it hard to put washers inside the house that are old or not big enough. But as the number of single-person households is increasing sharply in Korea, the company expects an annual average growth rate of over 50 percent.

Samsung’s “B2B washing machine” with a 17-kilogram capacity is equipped with a stronger motor, finishing washing laundries in just 38 minutes. Its “B2B tumble dryer” with an 11-kilogram capacity is capable of drying laundries in just 45 minutes. The dryer can be installed vertically or horizontally with the washer depending on the environment. The door of the dryer is reversible, giving consumers the option to choose the direction of the door.

Samsung Electronics will first produce washers and dryers for general businesses, such as hotels, dormitories, and hospitals, and study the feasibility of entering the coin laundry business market. The ratio of coin laundry businesses to general businesses in Korea stands at 4:6. In the U.S., the laundromats account for 54 percent of the entire market.

Samsung's new business can add a coin machine to the washers and dryers newly launched by Samsung Electronics and also add additional payment systems, such as credit card or Samsung Pay. Samsung Electronics is planning to collaborate with professionals to provide its merchants with a systematic management service, ranging from purchase, installment, to maintenance in order to support effective operation and stable product management.

“We will leverage our expertise and know-how accumulated in the home appliance market in the B2B market,” said Kim Hyun-sook, vice president of Home Appliance Division at Samsung Electronics. “We will create new demands by collaborating with new business fields, such as coffee shops and convenient stores.”


Ji-Hyun Kim jhk85@donga.com