Today's "off-brands" and lesser-seen appliance names

[fan-of-fans]

Was wondering about this today. Years ago, there were so many independent manufacturers and names seen, including "off-brands," meaning brands not seen often or maybe only regionally.

I was thinking about how that looks in the industry today, and thought up a few.

-Home Depot used to around the early-mid 2000s, sell GE/Hotpoint BOL appliances under the Americana brand. I think it was exclusive to HD, and at the time I didn't know that Americana was once a GE high end series, such as Profile or Monogram. Now I wonder how they decided to use that name.

-A few years ago I saw in an appliance store, Crosley ranges and Roper refrigerators. Of course, in the past those names were certainly not off-brand, but they are definitely lesser seen today.

-Lowes sells "Holiday" branded 20" ranges in gas and electric. They are rebadged Premier ranges. But I think Lowes is the only store with that label.

-I still see the Magic Chef name used on microwaves and mini fridges, I think I've seen these at Home Depot and Walmart, maybe elsewhere too.

That's about all I can come up with for now. Anyone got others?

 

[cfz2882]

Hampton bay-

-1996 WP AC-still genuine made in USA at this point...

 

[petek]

RCA, Westinghouse, Bell and Howell, and Polaroid all defunct companies where the names were purchased and are licensed out to lord knows who. Thing to is that the name may be licensed to a particular manufacturer in one country and another in another.. hence you have totally unrelated products bearing the same name being sold around the world.

 

[goatfarmer]

I picked up a McNaughton refrigerator one time. I believe it was GE built. Late 60's looking.

 

[whatsername]

Frigidaire was using the Tappan name for cheap ranges and OTR microwaves until recently, might still be

 

[volvoguy87]

It's an old trick.

Resurrect a defunct brand name, people will recognize it & think it's the same good quality brand they had years ago. In reality, it's just a name slapped on whatever's cheap to make.

WCI did it for years. They would buy out a company, build the cheapest design in the portfolio, and slap the latest brand on it. Once customers realized their "Frigidaire" doesn't have the same guts as the good Frigidaire they had before, they would switch brands. If the company switches the name, but keeps the same cheap guts, they can get the same customer to buy the same junk again, not realizing it's all a shell game.
WCI did this for years. Buy a failing company with a respectable brand name, build cheap junk but apply the respectable brand until customers get wise, then mostly retire the brand and move on to the next one, but keep using the same cheap guts. The reason why the Frigidaire brand never disappeared, like Kelvinator, Philco, or Westinghouse, is likely because it was the last brand to be acquired by WCI.

Dave

 

[de409]

Badge engineering. GM did it with cars. Think your Buick Century was any different inside than a Chevy Citation?

 

[vacerator]

Not much different

While the Citation was of the first GM front drive X car series with the Phoenix, Omega, and Skylark as of 1980, the Century was the second, in the fwd A body series. The only X car to get a 3.1 litre V6, or a Buick 3, or 3.3 litre was the Buick, Grand Am, and Olds Ciera. The others got a 2.8 litre 60 degree Chevy block.
The A bodies were also larger than the X in wheelbase, and width. The first to market was the Celebrity, with a 2.5 litre Iron Duke 4 by Pontiac. It only needed 12 h.p. to cruise at 55 mph.

 

[fan-of-fans]

That's true. Like Westinghouse light fixtures aren't the same as Westinghouse electronics and small appliances. None are from the original company anymore.

I've even seen large appliances with the Sunbeam name, that's separate from the small appliance Sunbeam, and the lighting and battery "Sunbeam."

Plus, I think the Toastmaster name must have been sold off at some point in the 2000s. Because I didn't see it around for a long time, but then it popped up at Walmart. I think maybe the Toastmaster commercial cooking equipment is what is the original Toastmaster these days, now a part of the Middleby Group. Middleby even owns Viking, AGA, Mercury, Wells, Star, Blodgett, APW, Varimixer and many others. What a conglomeration. lol