Whirlpool Corporation - Case Study

I Situation Analysis

Industry

Whirlpool Corporation is a worldwide manufacturer and marketer of home appliances. It manufactures and markets mainly appliances and appliance-related products, primarily for home use. The Company has manufacturing plants in 13 countries, and is also an owner of eleven brand names. Whirlpool sends its products to distributors and retailers in more than 170 countries. Its principal products are laundry appliances, refrigerators and freezers, cooking appliances, dishwashers, and other small household appliances. Approximately 10% of its unit sales volume is purchased from other manufacturers for resale by the company. Whirlpool also produces hermetic compressors and plastic components, primarily for the home appliance and electronics industries. Market in the US is mature, and corporation is trying to expand and gain larger market share in regions such as Europe, Latin America, and Asia. Here are the short summaries for the industry of those regions:

European Industry:

In the early 1980s, there were approximately 350 producers of household appliances in Europe.

Aqueduct City of Mexico

English: A gas range manufactured by the Whirlpool...

Showroom in Hong Kong

With consolidation in the industry, by the late 1980s the number had shrunk to about one hundred. By early 1995, it was estimated that five of the companies, including Electrolux (with a 25% market share), Philips Bauknecht, and Bosch-Siemens, controlled over 70% of the market.

Latin American Industry:

The economic stability in Latin America in the 1990s made the region an attractive growth proposition. The appliance makers hoped that the days of hyperinflation and economic mismanagement were over, and they were pleased to see that governments were reducing tariffs.

Asian Industry:

Asia, the world's second-largest home appliance market, was also the fastest growing market of the 1980s. By the mid-1990s, it was growing at a rate of between 8% and 12% annually, a rate that was expected to continue well past the year 2000.

Competitors

In Europe its main...