A number of brand-extension licenses in the consumer appliance sector have been forged or changed hands in the last year and a half, in different parts of the world:
- This month, Kenmore & Brands licensed Curtis International to manufacture, distribute, and market Kenmore-branded refrigerators, small kitchen appliances, commercial appliances, and other appliance categories in North America. The first products are planned for a fourth-quarter release, with additional categories rolling out thereafter. Curtis is based in Canada, while Kenmore is headquartered in the U.S.
- South Korea’s POSCO International signed a licensing deal with India’s EBG Group in June of this year, giving EBG retail, distribution, and marketing rights for its Daewoo brand in the home and kitchen appliance category in India. Initial products include refrigerators, washing machines, air conditioners, and dishwashers, with other categories to be rolled out over time. The brand will be distributed widely. The licensee also plans to open 100 Daewoo Experience stores across the country by the end of 2027.
- The Koç Group’s home appliances manufacturer Arçelik, of Türkiye, took full ownership of Netherlands-based Beko Europe in June 2026, purchasing Whirlpool’s 25% stake in the company. The two had formed Beko International, a joint venture, in 2024, with Arçelik owning 75% and Whirlpool 25%. In separate transactions over recent years, Arçelik had purchased Whirlpool’s Russian, Middle East, and African operations, and this move further consolidates its oversight of the brand. Its licensing agreement with U.S.-based Whirlpool Corporation stays in place, making it the sole licensee for Whirlpool-branded major and small appliances, consumer electronics, and air conditioning across EMEA.
- Separately, Arçelik, which owns the Grundig brand, signed a three-year agreement (with a two-year renewal option) in December 2025 with Chinese licensee Changhong International Holding, a unit of Sichuan Changhong. The deal gives Changhong the rights to manufacture, sell, and service Grundig-branded white goods, air conditioning, and consumer electronics (excluding small home appliances) in territories outside of Arçelik’s home market, including across Europe, Central Asia, and Asia-Pacific. The licensee secured the same rights, plus small home appliances, for China and Russia. Arçelik continues to operate the Grundig brand in Türkiye.
- In July 2025, India-based Reliance Industries’ Reliance Retail arm purchased the Kelvinator brand from Sweden’s Electrolux, another step in its strategy to grow its presence in home electronics and appliances. The company has been selling Kelvinator-branded washing machines, air conditioners, and refrigerators under license from Electrolux since 2019, mostly through small appliance retailers. Reliance Retail is expanding its Reliance Digital stores, where it sells its home electronics and appliances, alongside other retail channels.
The rational for and structure of these deals and others like them varies, of course, depending on the specific situations and objectives of the partners involved.
Raugust Communications’ monthly e-newsletter comes out tomorrow, Tuesday, September 15, 2026. The Licensing Topic of the Month takes a look at the impact on the licensing business of the intensifying geo-political issues between the U.S. (and other western countries) and China. The Datapoint research spotlight examines licensing in the Halloween costume sector. If you have not yet signed up for this free e-newsletter, which complements the news and insights in RaugustReports, you can subscribe here.
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