Celebrating a century of better living

Well-established brands with a strong innovation heritage

High brand awareness founded on a 100-year track record of relevant innovations is a competitive advantage in an industry where brand is increasingly important. The three main brands Electrolux, AEG and Frigidaire represent ~80% of total Group gross profit and receive the vast majority of investments in marketing, design and R&D.

A century of better living through groundbreaking innovations

By creating great taste, care and wellbeing experiences, and better living for hundreds of millions of people around the world over the past century, Electrolux has not only enhanced the quality of life of its consumers, but also the societies in which they live. Electrolux is part of an industry that has revolutionized the life of women, as well as general hygiene and eating habits within less than half a century.

Electrolux launched its first vacuum cleaner in 1912, followed by the world’s first absorption refrigerator in 1925. Another appliance that had a huge social impact is the washing machine, which is argued to have been the single most revolutionary consumer appliance ever made. The Electrolux W20 was the company’s first washing machine in 1951, and in 1959, Electrolux launched the world’s first countertop dishwasher – the D10, which was easy to install in any kitchen and proved very popular.

More recent Electrolux innovations included the very first robot vacuum cleaner in 1996, as well as the first battery-driven vacuum cleaner that consumers found so elegant and user-friendly that they used it as a decorative feature in their homes – the Ergorapido in 2004.

Sales and marketing focus from day one

Unlike other well-known Swedish entrepreneurs, the founder of Electrolux – Axel Wenner-Gren – was neither an inventor nor an engineer. His great strength was his energetic, imaginative and unconventional approach to sales and marketing, which continues to influence how Electrolux products are marketed to this day. This entrepreneurial culture is evident in the company’s agility to respond to changing markets to ensure consumer relevance and value creation for shareholders.

Sustainability leadership – a key differentiator

In the 1990s, Electrolux was the first appliance company to focus on sustainability, which has been at the heart of the Electrolux strategy ever since. Today, the Electrolux brand is associated with sustainability, which is a differentiator that results in additional growth opportunities.

Electrolux celebrated its anniversary year by launching the Better Living Program – a bold initiative to enable it to continue to be at the forefront of sustainability. The program includes a broad range of actions and targets until 2030. 
Read more about the Better Living Program