The future of Whirlpool appliances in Australia is under a cloud after the struggling US manufacturer revealed it is set to wind back global sales to concentrate on defending its home market, where it is under siege from Chinese brands.

The move raises immediate questions for Arisit, the Harvey Norman owned company that is the exclusive distributor of Whirlpool home appliances in Australia, where the brand is a second-tier player with market share of under 5%.

Whirlpool has abandoned its global ambitions to focus on the more profitable US market after years of failing to compete internationally with Electrolux, LG Electronics and Samsung Electronics, with Chinese brands including Haier, Hisense and Haier-owned Fisher & Paykel now creating fresh problems for its core US business.

Revenue Slide Continues

Whirlpool’s revenue and profits have slid since the pandemic, a trend that continued in the second quarter of 2026, with net sales dropping 7% year-over-year.

Despite the fall, Chief Executive Marc Bitzer claimed the result showed the Company’s comeback strategy, centred on new products, higher prices and lower costs, is starting to bear fruit after major revenue falls in prior years.

“I would take Q2 as a very early but very encouraging sign that we’re on track in that recovery,” he said.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Whirlpool’s market share among major US retailers has slipped in recent years, based on data from research firm OpenBrand, with rivals LG and Samsung redoubling their US efforts and Electrolux cutting a deal with Midea to build factories in a move aimed at reducing costs.

Global Sell-Off

Bitzer, who became Whirlpool CEO in 2017, has systematically dismantled the Company’s international operations with board backing.

In 2021 Whirlpool sold a majority stake in its Chinese subsidiary. It later handed its European business to an entity controlled by Turkish manufacturer Arcelik, the owner of Beko. ChannelNews was present when Beko management met with Arcelik management at CES in 2020.

In 2023 the Company moved to pay down debt by selling off a chunk of its Indian subsidiary, a business Bitzer had once hailed as a vital growth engine.

Debt Blowout

The retreat follows a disastrous acquisition spree. In 2022, after the most profitable year in its history, Whirlpool acquired garbage-disposal company InSinkErator for US$3 billion in cash, US$2.5 billion of it borrowed.

The deal ballooned Whirlpool’s net debt to more than US$6 billion just as the US housing market nosedived amid spiking interest rates. Bitzer has since acknowledged Whirlpool bought InSinkErator at the peak of its value.

After major credit-ratings firms downgraded Whirlpool’s debt to junk status, the Company raised money by selling new shares and suspended the dividend it had paid for 70 years, with both moves causing its stock to plunge. It has also slashed its global workforce nearly in half over the past five years.

Prices Rising In Australia

Around the world and in Australia, Whirlpool is raising prices to catch up with inflation and rising memory chip costs, a move that should boost profit margins.

The Company had been counting on a 25% tariff on imported appliances to force foreign competitors to lift prices in the US, however that strategy is now up in the air amid questions over the legitimacy of the Trump administration’s tariffs.

Neither Whirlpool nor Arisit has commented on the long-term future of the brand in the Australian market.