Overtaking Whirlpool

Consumers check LG Electronics’ TwinWash washing machines at a home appliance retail store in New Jersey.

LG Electronics Inc. has earned the No. 1 rating in customer satisfaction in home appliances in the United States. The company also ranked first in sales in the sector, overtaking Whirlpool which has been regarded as the top player in the U.S. washing machine market.

The Korean home appliance maker received a score of 82 out of 100 in the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) ratings for 2019, reclaiming first place in overall customer satisfaction across its home appliance portfolio, according to a report released by the ACSI association on Sept. 26. LG had ranked top in the poll for three straight years until 2017 but it yielded its lead to the German brand by a single point last year.

The report said, “LG Electronics showed stability in overall categories with top scores in refrigerators.”

Samsung Electronics Co. also tied for second place. The latest survey results reaffirmed the outstanding quality of South Korean electronics makers’ products.

In July, LG Electronics came out on top in the customer satisfaction rankings of J.D. Power, a U.S. market research firm, after sweeping the most awards in four out of nine among major home appliances manufacturers.

The latest favorable results for LG Electronics also led to its sales. LG Electronics’ Home Appliance & Air Solution (H&A) division which is in charge of home appliance business posted 11.57 trillion won (US$9.63 billion) in sales in the first half of this year, overtaking Whirlpool with sales of 11.40 trillion won (US$9.49 billion). It was the first time for a South Korean home appliance producer to take first place in the global market.


In particular, LG Electronics’ operating profit came to 1.45 trillion won (US$1.20 billion) in the first half, which was three times higher than 520.30 billion won (US$433.08 million) of Whirlpool. The industry attributes the result to the company’s competitive edge in core components such as motor and compressor.

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