All in on Appliances

Friedmans Appliance features 15 live and fully appointed kitchen vignettes.

Luxury seller Friedmans Appliance has the secret to success

By Janet Weyandt, YSN 

Friedmans Appliance in California’s Bay Area is a textbook illustration of the adage “Do one thing and do it well.”  

The BrandSource dealer — which boasts a 30,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art showroom (more on that in a minute), two warehouses totaling 60,000 square feet, 80 employees and an equal number of brands — only sells appliances. No mattresses, no furniture, no case goods or rugs.  

“I greatly respect anyone doing multiple categories,” said president/CEO Matthew Leachman. “We don’t want to be good at a few things, we want to be great at one thing. That allows us the chance to be great.”  

Humble Start 

The company was founded in 1922 by Charles Friedman as a small appliance shop. Leachman, who has been in the industry since 1980, joined Friedmans as a salesperson in 1995. He worked his way up — assistant manager, store manager, principal and general manager — and took the helm in 2017.  

In the last four years, Friedmans has seen its volume increase from $50 million to $70 million, Leachman said, all while maintaining its 50/50 mix of luxury appliances and everyday lines.  

That breakdown is a key part of why the business has thrived.  

“A big part of our high-end success comes from simple retail,” Leachman said. “If a high-end customer came in for just laundry and we didn’t have expertise, selection and immediate availability, I’d fear they would never return when it was their time for their dream indoor and/or outdoor kitchen. If we were just high end, that wouldn’t be healthy for the business.” 

Plugged In 

Now, about that showroom. Located in Pleasant Hill, about a half hour outside San Francisco, the interior is a gleaming collection of 15 live vignettes, where customers can see model kitchen and laundry appliances in action.  

“We have more live product, probably, than anyone in the country,” Leachman said. “We spent a lot of money on the infrastructure of the store related to electricity and gas, so we have live product all over the showroom. There are eight sets of live laundry, so customers could come in and do their laundry if they wanted to.” 

The vignettes include such notable names (and BrandSource vendor partners) as Fisher & Paykel, Monogram, Dacor, JennAir, Sub-Zero, Wolf, SKS, Miele and more.  

Between the product vignettes and the expertise of the staff, Friedmans has a following that extends far and wide. 

“We have many customers that are willing to drive 100 miles or more to visit our showroom and speak with one our expert staff members,” Leachman said. “On an average day we sell to 30 different cities. We have 10 trucks and deliver all over northern California, even next day.” 

Friedmans has been a member of BrandSource for six years, and Leachman said the MTEQ platforms have made a big difference for the business.  

“We use almost all (the platforms),” he said. “I give much credit to AVB Marketing for our growth during these past six years. Our website is terrific, and I give AVB Marketing lots of credit.” 

High Praise 

BrandSource Vice President Jarred Roy said Leachman has also been a leader and mentor for group members.  

“Knowing Matthew for quite some time, there are few that have the business acumen, the visionary leadership and the accountability to the business that he does,” Roy said. “We’re blessed to have him as a member, an active board member and a leader within his peer group. He’s always the first to participate, encourage and engage.” 

And his store is second to none, Roy said.  

“Friedmans is one of the finest showrooms in the industry, embracing luxury products, display vignettes and professional selling strategies,” he said. “They’ve proven what can be done owning the high-end niche in their market.” 

Friedmans Appliance has also been key to BrandSource’s growing LUXE program, said Executive VP of Merchandising Chad Evans.  

“Matthew Leachman, as a leader at Friedmans, is a great asset to the group,” Evans said. “He is a great support for the most important group initiatives. As AVB continues to grow the LUXE initiative, Matthew has been instrumental in moving these programs forward.” 

YSN publisher AVB BrandSource is the nation’s largest merchandising and marketing co-op for independent appliance, mattress, furniture and CE dealers.  

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