That Aerus Name...

[djub85]

Does anyone else still hate the fact that Electrolux sold their name and became Aerus? I know that this thread is like 10 years too late, and there may be others like it, but it continues to irk me.


 


Tonight, my girlfriend and I were helping my parents shop for a new refrigerator. We came upon an "Electrolux" model that my mom liked, and she said, "if it's as reliable as the old vacuums, it should last forever." My father, who worked for a trucking company that had to return dozens of faulty "Electrolux" refrigerators to the manufacturer for Lowe's, replied, "Electrolux only makes junk these days; I wouldn't buy a fridge or a vacuum from them anymore!"


 


How frustrating is this????


 


Not only are my parents oblivious to the fact that their once-coveted Electrolux is now called Aerus, but they're also associating the new "Electrolux" quality problems with their old brand. I've told them about the name change dozens of times, but they just either don't believe me or don't care enough to remember. It's so frustrating. And they aren't that old...


 


Outside of the VacuumLand community and others like it, EVERYONE thinks that the fridges, stoves, and crappy canisters sold today in department stores under the "Electrolux" name are the same as the old vacuums made by the original company. It's so incredibly terrible and unfortunate. People think they're staying true to the company they love when they buy this garbage, and they have know idea that Aerus is even a thing or related to the company they used to support. What can be done about this???


 


I wish there was some way that Aerus could get their name back as part of the brand. They probably can't, and just badging the models as "Lux" this and "Lux" that doesn't exactly cut it. There's probably no way that they can get "Electrolux" to stop using that badge since Aerus sold them the rights, but couldn't Aerus change their name? Couldn't they be "Electrolux by Aerus" (with the "by Aerus" in a really small font), or "Electrolux USA"? Or even "Aerus's Electrolux."


 


There has to be some name change that can be made. Otherwise, I see the company continuing to falter... they have zero advertising, and their prior customers think their products exist is big box stores, because they appear to be there. Arg! Does anyone else feel the struggle?

 

[GM1982]

I haven't really been on here in a while, but Electrolux is a conglomerate of a bunch of other companies stemming from Europe. You can google this information. To answer your question, Aerus has fairly good products and very reliable contrary to the Eurekaluxes you'll see in the department stores. The designs are a bit dated on some models, clunky and dollar for dollar Riccar/Simplicity is a better deal with better construction and dealer network. Aerus unfortunately has not been successful with re-positioning itself and branding. They continue to rely on direct sales and shoddy franchise model of yesterday. They have introduced a new top of the line model called the Platinum which is sourced from Europe and US. The air purifiers are re-bagged Blue Air's and are extremely overpriced.

I had the Aerus Upright, it has been sold for a Simplicity (U.S. made)...much more convenient with long hose that you do not need to connect separately.

 

[djub85]

That's my complaint. I know the history of the two companies, how they started out as one, separated, and then how US Electrolux sold its name and became Aerus.


 


I just wish that something could be done about the name change. I don't think "Aerus" is working... they need to build "Electrolux" back into their brand name somehow. My votes are "Elextrolux USA" or "Elextrolux by Aerus"

 

[GM1982]

They can't, I am surprised they can still use the Electrolux name along with Aerus. What they need to do is to promote Aerus and establish a better dealer/rep network. Its a niche brand, and for it to grow they need to break the old school direct sales model or figure out different and more effective channels for consumers to purchase. Their physical locations are dwindling. Hopefully there will be change, Beyond by Aerus may be their answer, who knows.

 

[vacman1961]

I agree, it is very frustrating, I service major appliances and we used to be an Authorized Electrolux/Frigidaire service company, they made the worst appliances out there, right next to the 2 Korean crap companies, LG and Samsung. I used to ask the customer why did you buy and Electrolux refrigerator, the most common answer was, " I had an Electrolux vacuum for over 25 years". I explained to them the vacuum they have is built by Electrolux of America, now Aerus, the new Electrolux appliances that they bought is built by Electrolux A B of Sweden, which here in America is Frigidaire Appliances and yes, Eureka vacuum cleaners, the two Electrolux companies have nothing to do with one another.

 

[ronni]

Actually, the Electrolux cleaners currently sold in big box stores ARE FROM the ORIGINAL company--AB Electrolux of Sweden, which formed as a result of a merger of AB Lux and Svenska Elektron AB in 1919. The first vaccuum cleaner that would eventually become known as the "Electrolux" brand had been manufactured by AB Lux in 1912 (mass produced in 1913). It was called Lux I.

Electrolux Corporation became a United States subsidiary of AB Electrolux under the leadership of Gustaf Sahlin in 1924. The first cleaner exported to the U. S. was the Lux V. The arrangement worked well until 1929 when a shipment of Model XI cleaners sank; so in 1931 The White Sewing Machine Company was contracted to build the next model, the Model XII. In 1932 another subsidiary was launched after a successful market had been established, namely Electrolux (Canada) Limited. Even in the days of The Great Depression factories were soon developed for each: in 1933 Electrolux Corporation's in Old Greenwich, CT and in 1934 Electrolux (Canada) Ltd's in Montreal, Quebec. Around this time AB Electrolux divested its stock in the subsidiaries in order to focus on its refrigeration line and made itself a minority shareholder of the two companies.

Sales continued to grow resulting in more factories being built: c. 1965--Point Claire, Quebec; c. 1970--Bristol, VA (USA); and c. 1975--Brockville, Ontario.

In 1968 the Swedish company chose to sell its minority shares to Consolidated Foods which in turn acquired enough shares to become the majority shareholder of Electrolux Corporation and Electrolux (Canada) Ltd.

From that time until 1974 AB Electrolux did not have a market in North America until it bought out the Eureka Williams Company (later renaming it The Eureka Company).

In 1985 Electrolux Corporation closed its original plant in Old Greenwich, CT. Around 1990 Electrolux (Canada) Ltd. closed its plants and merged with Electrolux Corporation as a result of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

30 years after it had acquired Electrolux Corporation, Sara Lee (formerly Consolidated Foods) sold its shares to a firm owned by Joe Urso, and the company became Electrolux LLC. Urso continues to lead the firm--since June 1999 called Aerus Holdings, LLC of Dallas, TX--as its chairman and CEO. Corporate entities include: Grr, Inc.; Tx-Ouaf Investments, LLC; Ars Home Solutions, LLC; Tristar Enterprises, LLC; and Lux Enterprises, Inc.

In 2000 Aerus Holdings, LLC sold certain name rights back to AB Electrolux (the ORIGINAL owner) which went into effect in 2004. The transition to the Aerus name actually began in 2001. The last year that "Electrolux" was used on the U. S. line of floor care products was 2003. However, Aerus LLC still had certain rights to the Electrolux trademark--including being allowed to use the name in conjunction with the Aerus through 2007. AB Electrolux began selling appliances with the "Electrolux" trademark in 2004 but made agreed to make a limited number of vacuum cleaners in an orange color to distinguish them from the neutral colors of the Aerus brand through 2007. Aerus has also retained rights to use the Lux name. Indeed, it has a working relationship with Lux International (formerly AB Lux that manufactured the Lux I in 1912)--a by-product of which is the Model C177A/Lux Guardian Platinum.

__________

While I agree that it is lamentable that Electrolux LLC sold back its name to AB Electrolux, I think it is even more regrettable that it didn't do so around 1933 when AB Electrolux became a minority shareholder. Had the name been changed at that time "Electrolux" would have retained its rightful heritage all along, and the U. S. A could have had its own brand.

Well, that didn't happen, and now that 10 years has lapsed "Electrolux" has taken on a different image. There's no use crying over spilt milk. Instead, Aerus needs to move forward and promote its name in more markets--not just mainly the south and east. I've heard that it has begun establishing company-owned branches again; which would help to create a uniform and larger presence than the current independently-owned franchises. I also think the Lux Guardian Platinum has the potential of putting them back on the map just as the Model XXX did for Electrolux Corporation a generation ago.

Increasing its identity could also include such ideas as putting photos of its factories and listing the franchises or branch offices and their contact information by state in its manuals--or on manual inserts--like both Electrolux Corporation and Electrolux (Canada) Ltd. did. In addition, including a brief corporate history would help build Aerus's familiarity with customers and potential customers. Presence at street parades with floats is another thought.


Sources:

http://group.electrolux.com/en/founding-an-international-company-666/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerus

http://www.vacuumland.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?18936

http://www.vacuumland.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?2010

http://www.vacuumland.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?18350

http://www.corporationwiki.com/Texas/Dallas/aerus-holdings-llc-7633443.aspx

 

[funeraldirector]

Electrolux and Lux and Aerus

Hi,

The mess Aerus is in has most certainly been a long time in the making. If we look back at the model 1205 and even earlier models, we see a period when Electrolux was very much a leader in the floor care segment. Examples including self-sealing bags, automatic control, cord winders, telescoping wands, direct connect etc. Unfortunately as we progress in time through the DJ and the plastic machines, the innovation factor gave way to color changes and new names with smaller and smaller motors and lessening quality. While Miele was quietly building what would become the basis for America's most popular high-end canister vacuum, Consolidated Foods was busy building Sara Lee with Electrolux's money. When all was said and done, little of the former Electrolux glory remained. At the same time, Electrolux USA was landlocked with their brand name in North America and little growth in the rest of the world with the Global Tek brand.

Selling the Electrolux brand was the only way to grow and build market share in a global economy. Like their sister organization Lux International, both needed to shed the Electrolux name in order to survive. Unlike the Swiss who use only Lux, the Aerus name needs to be removed from the branding and used only as a holding company with Lux taking a more prominent role. This foray into every other appliance under the sun including water etc. should have come AFTER the floor care product line was completely revamped. Read this to mean the demise of Legacy, Classic, upright line and replaced with products on-par with the Guardian Platinum.
You concentrate on re-building your core business before allocating resources to new product lines in different segments of the healthy home space when your competition is ten years ahead of you from an innovation standpoint.

If done right, this partnership with Lux International is a win-win. First, it opens up a global market. Second, Aerus makes great air purifiers and a super Floor Pro that can be re-labeled along with the best attachments (combo/dust, combo floor brush) and has huge manufacturing capacity its partner does not have. All of this is really positive and has the potential for growth they never had as Electrolux USA.

I am impressed with the new bags I just received for my Platinum. Very high quality product made in-house at Bristol. I never thought I would see this, or what would eventually become the Platinum vacuum that their head engineer and I had been discussing since the NYC convention in 2003. Unfortunately or maybe fortunately, the former reliance on the Electrolux name is over. Miele and Sebo have most of the high-end market that was once theirs. No more selling 1985 Cadillac's at Audi prices. In the internet era, consumers are smarter than that. If the Platinum and HEPA bags are any indication of what else is coming down the road for Lux, maybe they are on their way back. I certainly hope so.

Aerus has also opened some company-owned branches again also.

Brian

 

[GM1982]

Brian, could not have described it any better! Looks like Aerus is trying to reinvent itself by entering the hotel and hospitality market. See link.

http://https//www.beyondbyaerus.com/

 

[turbo500]

The Electrolux cleaners we had in the UK were completely different to the US cleaners, obviously being made under 2 different companies. Despite that, historically, the name was always associated with quality vacuums - especially cylinders.

Even through the 90's, they still had a strong reputation and were making very good vacuums. It wasn't really until the bagless craze hit that they went down hill. The first bagless Electrolux vacs I remember were the same as the Eureka "The Boss" vacuums but with a really crap bagless system stuck in it. From then on, things went steadily down hill and in more recent years, Electrolux have produced some absolutely abysmal vacuums. The Electrolux Vitesse, for example, is one of the worst vacuums I've ever used.


 


There seemed to be 2 different branches of the company making vacuums. There were certain cleaners, such as the Twin Clean and a few bagged cylinders that were extremely good machines, made in Sweden. The other branch tended to be cheap, chinese made bagless rubbish (similar to Dirt Devil and Bissell in the US in terms of quality and performance - loud, excessively powerful, poorly made and with clogging filters). Unfortunately, the Swedish machines never sold well, being higher priced and not as widely available.

Since then, Electrolux became more of a budget brand and got cheaper and cheaper. The Electrolux name is no longer found on vacuums in the UK. The Electrolux Company now badge their low end cleaners as "Zanussi" and the high end cleaners as "AEG".

 

[n0oxy]

my thoughts about aerus

I just got an aerus classic, it's a great vacuum, actually, my family purchased an electrolux vacuum back in the 1980's, and the hose handle still reminds of it somewhat. On Amazon, I've seen electrolux vacuums for sale such as the ultra silencer, ultra one, etc, and in the reviews, I've read several times where people have said something like, their grandparents had an electrolux and loved it, and that's why they're buying one. Of course, the companies are completely different in that case. I do think that if aerus wants to improve sales, they need to move away from the in home demonstration way of selling. They need to sell their products on the internet or in stores. The direct sales way of doing things just doesn't work much anymore.

 

[tolivac]

Don't think Internet sales will work.The customer has to SEE&USE the machine in question-preferably in their home to get an idea how it works and if it suits them.Pictures and videos on a computer monitor or TV for that matter just don't cut it.The in store demos are better-the customer often has other machines he can try-and many vac shops allow the customer to try the machine at home.