Affordable Beauty in the Kitchen

Kucht principals Luciana Porta, COO, and her husband, CEO and founder Nicolas Ruiz

Kucht offers independents protected, pro-style products

By Janet Weyandt, YSN

When Kucht started selling its ultra-premium kitchen appliances in 2012, it was a startup company searching for a way into the industry. Like many vendors, it found that path through big-box chain stores. 

Once it was established, company leaders tried to expand into the independent channel and ran into some roadblocks. Until, that is, Kucht COO Luciana Porta reached out to Paul Roth, BrandSource’s director of merchandising. 

“Everything happens in the correct and perfect moment,” Porta said. “We wanted to start with independents probably three or four years ago. We tried, but I think things happen for a reason. Probably we weren’t ready. For BrandSource, I sent an email to Paul Roth, and he was very fast and reacting.” 

Kucht was founded in Clifton, N.J., by Nicolas Ruiz, Porta’s husband and CEO, to serve an untapped market — consumers who wanted customizable, professional-quality kitchen appliances at affordable prices. Kucht was a first-time exhibitor at Summit in March, and it was an eye-opening experience. 

“It almost left us in tears — we never expected such a good vibe, such good people,” she said. “Everyone had such good communication, everyone came to welcome us. It was very good. We felt very, very welcome,”— which led to the company’s return engagement at last month’s Convention. 

Kucht is a natural fit for independent retailers, Porta said, because of its unique, customizable look. Customers can choose from color options like blue, red, green, light blue, olive green and cement gray in addition to black and white. To dress it up even more, handles and knobs come in black, gold, rose gold, stainless and white. 

For an extra helping of luxury, it only takes a few minutes to remove and replace the oven doors, making it easy to swap in a red door for Christmas or light blue for spring, Porta said.

These options are only available to independent dealers, Porta said. 

“If they’re going to invest, make a showroom, believe in our brand, we want to divide big box from independents,” she said. “Big box will be stainless steel only. I don’t want someone spending time at your store, asking questions, they love it, then they go online to purchase and you have no sale. It should be fair for both channels.”

Roth, who received that initial outreach, said Kucht fits in perfectly with the group’s LUXE initiative. 

“The affordable luxury category continues to grow in popularity,” he said. “Not all members have access to ultra-premium goods within their market. Even if the member has access to ultra-premium, Kucht appliances can help close more sales. I think our independent membership will appreciate the way Kucht conducts its business.”

That means considering what’s best for its dealers and their customers, Porta said, including managing warranties with a sister company, Kucht Care, instead of contracting with a third-party vendor. 

“When we started, we outsourced warranty; it didn’t work for us,” she said. “You don’t know what’s going on. We have a four-year warranty for parts and labor. Everything is under Kucht; we hire the technicians. We know exactly what happens to each person when someone has a problem.”

A close partnership with independent dealers and hands-on support for end users is how Kucht sets itself apart, Porta said. 

“Our product is much better sold in the independent channel,” she said. “If we put our effort into the independent channel, we have marketing, we have a very good product, people love it. It’s an easy sell. We’ve got a good price, a good product and a four-year warranty for parts and labor. It’s a good fit.”

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