November 22, 2024

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[THE INVESTOR] The market for clothing care systems is a relatively untapped field, with only a few home appliance makers in Korea competing, including LG Electronics.

But with Samsung Electronics poised to enter, the market is expected to become more crowded and competitive than before starting this year. Samsung is scheduled to unveil its first garment care system in Cheongdam-dong, a posh district of Seoul on August 21.

Kim Hyun-seok, CEO of Samsung’s home appliance division

Reflecting the importance of the unveiling event, Samsung’s top executives, including Kim Hyun-seok, CEO of the home appliance division, and Kang Bong-koo, head of the strategy marketing unit, will be present at the event.

Although details of the new product have not been revealed yet, “AirDrawer,” or “AirDresser,” are some of the names expected to be given to Samsung’s new electronic closet, according to sources.

“The garment management solution will boast an advanced feature to refresh clothes,” said an official from Samsung, adding, “The product will hit the store shelves in September.”

The upcoming garment care system will also likely come fitted with artificial intelligence assistant Bixby, which will enable users to control the appliance via voice commands. Samsung has previously said it would have all of its home appliances installed with the AI solution by 2020. CEO Kim also serves as the chief of Samsung Research, which oversees the company’s AI research and development projects.

High-end electronic wardrobe appliances currently available in the market often come with a price tag of around 2 million won (US$1,785) and offer a range of functions, including refreshing and sanitizing clothes with steam, and removing odors and wrinkles without detergents or water.

Not to be outdone, LG recently announced it would showcase two upgraded versions of the Styler clothing management system, Styler ThinQ and Styler Mirrored Glass Door, at the IFA electronics trade show, which will kick off on Aug. 31 in Berlin.

Featuring an AI solution, the Styler ThinQ can be activated with voice commands to start cleaning cycles while offering users recommendations on the best cycle.

Since the launch of its first clothing care system, called Tromm Styler, in 2011, LG has been leading the local market. Of the 120,000 clothing care systems sold last year, those made by LG accounted for more than 80 percent. The overall sales volume of clothing care systems this year is anticipated to reach 300,000.

By Kim Young-won (wone0102@heraldcorp.com)