Fans of German luxury TV maker Loewe will be pleased to know the company is on the verge of making its U.K. comeback after announcing an expanded base of operations in the country, a new service partner with a five-year warranty on all products.
The announcement offers hope Loewe will finally complete its longstanding resurrection plans that went suspiciously quiet following a series of ambitious announcements last year.
Loewe famously went bust in June 2019 following years of financial struggles, only to be quickly reborn after the ashes of the company were bought out by the Chinese investment firm Skytec Group Ltd. later that year.
The company announced in January 2020 it would be relaunching the Loewe brand later that year, intended to restore it to its former glory as a supplier of luxurious, high-end TV and audio products. As well as focusing on premium products as before, it also revealed a new sub-brand called “We. By Loewe” it said would sell mid-range and entry level LCD sets and audio gear.
In September 2020 the company published a press release in German promising the imminent launch of a new range of OLED TVs and Dolby Atmos soundbars, with a tentative launch date of “early 2021”.
For whatever reason, the OLED TVs never arrived, though the company does have a range of lower-end LCD TVs currently listed for sale on its website. Now, the company is promising to learn from its previous “shortcomings”. Skytec said it plans to transform Loewe into a “global TV brand” in the next decade with a combination of modern technologies and savvy strategic partnerships.
Skytec pointed to its relationship with Hisense as an example. The Chinese electronics firm has taken up residence alongside Loewe at the German firm’s traditional headquarters in Kronach, and will provide a steady component supply chain for the TV brand. Hisense has also helped Loewe to develop a new operating system for its TVs called “Lux” that it has previously said will integrate essential apps like Netflix and Amazon Prime to help it compete against rival platforms.
Loewe’s Kronach HQ is now home to around 150 employees, up from just 50 in January 2020, which is another promising sign. The company said it’s U.K. base is also expanding its headcount and will serve as its only European subsidiary. The U.K. arm of Loewe is said to be ran by the former management team of the now-bankrupt incarnation of Loewe, and has already re-established its connections with retailers such as Harrods and Selfridges.
Skytec said Loewe has now reached a five-year deal with the Glasgow-based, global service partner Let Me Repair to ensure it can operate a speedy repair service for its customers.
“We are delighted to bring Loewe back to the market with the help of Skytec Group Ltd,” said Loewe’s U.K. management team head Alan Whyte. “Already, we are witnessing positive changes in the company’s approach, and we look forward to a bright and prosperous future for this renowned global brand.”
It all bodes well, and while there’s still no word on what kind of products Loewe is planning, or whether those elusive OLED TVs will ever launch, reports say it’s only a matter of time until the brand relaunches in the independent retail and custom install markets.
