Sunbeam is stepping up its investment in the air frying category, tying the launch of its new Multi Zone Steam Air Fryer to in-store education, point-of-sale materials and promotional activity aimed at supporting retail partners.
The company said the launch builds on its recent performance in air fryers and marks a shift toward closer retail engagement. Central to the push is consumer education around steam cooking, alongside a gift-with-purchase offer intended to prompt interest and encourage upgrades from existing machines.
Ahead of the retail rollout, Sunbeam staged what it described as a world-first "Fry Thru" activation in the Sydney CBD to introduce the appliance and demonstrate how steam behaves during air frying.
Steam pitched as the next step for benchtop cooking
Marie Liganaris, group marketing manager at Newell Brands, told Appliance Retailer that Sunbeam is outpacing the air fryer category. The brand already sells a Multi Zone Air Fryer, and the new model adds steam functionality, which Sunbeam is positioning as the next evolution of the format.
According to Liganaris, steam features are increasingly appearing in premium large kitchen appliances that cost thousands of dollars, and Sunbeam is bringing that cooking trend to the benchtop at a recommended retail price of $399.
The education message centres on what steam does for food: the company's aim is to explain how it helps deliver results that are crisp on the outside and juicy on the inside. Sunbeam also claims the product is the only one on the market with a removable divider that allows steaming and air frying at the same time across the whole unit.
Field training and point-of-sale support
Store-level education is a core part of the plan. Sunbeam said it is working with retail partners on point-of-sale material built around recipe booklets and the case for upgrading to steam, backed by what it described as a significant investment in store training delivered by its field team. Liganaris characterised the move as a major shift for the brand, which has concentrated heavily on digital channels over the past few years.
The launch promotion runs through online redemption. Buyers receive a set of three Sistema glass containers with a stated value of $80, intended for meal preparation, cooking in the air fryer and storing leftovers afterwards.
Liganaris said the combination of activity makes the launch one of Sunbeam's strongest from an in-store perspective.