Forget about Samsung LG or Panasonic the #1 plasma TV brand in Australia last week was a 42″ HD Telefunken TV that sold for $799 in K Mart according to the latest GFK sales data.
A brand name from the past Telefunken made its name in Australia during the era of CRT TV’s when it was seen as a premium brand that sold alongside other German brands such as Loewe and Grundig.
Now distributed by Yale Prima the brand is set to make a major reappearance in Australia across both LCD and Plasma TV’s and a range of audio products.
In Europe the brand has had a rocky ride but it is now in safe hands after investors linked with Daimler Mercedes took over the Company late last year.
In Australia Yale Prima carry no stock instead they work with mass market retailers like K Mart, Target and Aldi in the development of “ideal products” that have appeal and can be shifted quickly said Leonard Kirsch the Sales Director at Yale Prima a Sydney based distributor.
“We believe that the consumer is moving away from some of the big brands like a Sony, Samsung or LG to brands like Telefunken which is a known brand, a European brand and one that we can deliver into the Australian market at a reasonable price”. He said.
“Currently we are working with K Mart to deliver a range of 15 new Telefunken audio products. This will be exclusive to Kart, however we are open to working with the likes of Harvey Norman or JB Hi Fi with other products that we have access to if the price and margin is right. We know that we can grow the Telefunken brand in Australia across both audio and display products”. He added.
“We believe that a big change is taking place in the market. The big brands like Sony or Samsung are not buying market share anymore instead they are looking for profitability and as such we have seen significant price rises from the likes of Sony during the past few months.
This plays into our hands as consumers are looking at the specs that we can deliver with a Telefunken product and what the likes of Sony and Samsung can deliver and after discovering that they are similar they are opting for the Telefunken product because it is a brand that they know from the past is a reliable brand”.
