Category Archives: Brand’s

Electrolux rumours

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There have been rumors about the sale of the Swedish company for some time now

“we don’t comment on rumors,” Electrolux PR manager Paul Palmstedt told the Swedish financial publication Privata Affaerer .

Chinese company Midea had been rumoured to be interested

Electrolux is not sailing in good waters at the moment. It loses on the North American market and does not gain on the European one which is suffering from weak demand. Things are going better in the professional segment and partly in the built-in segment, sure, but the cost base is high and making margins isn’t easy.Midea has repeatedly stated that it sees its future in high value-added productions such as advanced robotics and automotive. It is said that you intend to invest money and intellectual resources in a business like ‘white’ which will be stagnant in the next few years at best.Electrolux collaborates with Midea in China to promote AEG without the need to exchange shares. One can think of a partial entry of Midea into the shareholding structure of Electrolux, or of joint ventures for the marketing in Europe (and in the USA) of products made by Midea but conceived and sold by Electrolux.

Italian Smart Home market is growing

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The Internet of Things market in 2022 in Italy will reach 770 million euros, +18% on the previous year, the best growth in Europe. The boost comes from energy costs: the best-selling connected devices were connected boilers, thermostats and air conditioners, with a total cost of 155 million. This is followed by security solutions (150 million), large connected appliances (140 million) and finally smart speakers (137 million).

Philips Domestic Appliances becomes Versuni

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Philips Domestic Appliances becomes Versuni release.
The new company name is an important step following the agreement to divest the Domestic Appliances business by Royal Philips in September 2021 and the subsequent sale to Hillhouse Capital, a global investment firm

New company name inspired by the company’s mission to turn houses into homes
Amsterdam, the Netherlands – Today, Philips Domestic Appliances has announced the change of its company name to Versuni. The new name is the next step after the Domestic Appliances business became independent in September 2021. Although the visual identity of the company is changing, its mission to turn houses into homes remains constant. As a licensee of Royal Philips, the company will continue to use the Philips consumer brand, as well as Saeco, Gaggia and Philips Walita, on its products and services. Consumers can also continue to use products of its other brands: Preethi, L’OR Barista and Senseo.

“Versuni begins a new chapter after we moved forward as a standalone company”, said Henk S. de Jong, CEO of Versuni. “We are committed to delivering the best possible solutions for our consumers and customers and will continue to excite with innovations that make life at home better, easier and healthier. And as we continue our journey as Versuni, expanding on our market leadership and exploring new opportunities, we are privileged to help consumers turn houses into homes.”

About the new company name
Philips Domestic Appliances has a simple, powerful and consistent mission: turning houses into homes. This will continue to be the mission of Versuni. It is this mission that has been the inspiration for the new company name, a name based on two words that reflect the meaning of home to many people. Versuni puts a new spin on the powerful word – UNIVERSE. The company believes that home is about having a place that you can truly call your own. Versuni also speaks to the word UNIVERSAL. Because no matter where you live, we all have a need for home.Versuni, which is headquartered in the Netherlands, is active in more than 100 countries, and has a global innovation, manufacturing, and commercial footprint. With more than 900 patents on its name, the company’s portfolio spans kitchen appliances, coffee, climate care, garment and floor care.

The company has launched a wealth of successful household products that meet the changing needs of the consumer and deliver best in class innovation. These include the Philips PerfectCare Elite Steam Generator which has enabled consumers to iron at twice the speed, the Philips Air Purifier to breath cleaner air at home, the Philips SpeedPro Max Vacuum Cleaner which incorporates revolutionary wet and dry cleaning, and the Philips Fully Automatic Espresso Machine with LatteGo, the Saeco Xelsis Suprema and L’Or Barista and Senseo® to enjoy different types of coffee every day.

As Philips Domestic Appliances, the company also brought the Airfryer category to market and successfully rolled-out innovations such as the Philips Air Cooker 7000 Series, delivering great taste and nutrition via a connected app, and the Philips AquaTrio Cordless Wet & Dry Vacuum 9000 Series that cleans any floor type and mops your hard floors as it vacuums.

Japan’s Panasonic, Daikin Invest in Post-Covid China

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Japanese companies, including Panasonic Holdings and Daikin Industries, are increasing their investments in China amid the post-Covid shake-up of global supply chains.

From 2022 to 2024, Panasonic’s investment in China will exceed JPY50 billion (USD385 million), including transferring its production line of electric rice cookers to Hangzhou, the Osaka-headquartered firm told Yicai Global recently.

Panasonic will also build or upgrade more than 10 plants to produce home appliances and air conditioning supplies in China, an insider said. The Hangzhou plant will become Panasonic’s first newly-built home appliance plant in China over the past 18 years. The facility will go into operation next year to make CNY2 billion (USD296.2 million) worth of microwaves, electric rice cookers, and other cooking appliances per year.

Strategic Decisions

Transferring the production line of electric rice cookers to Hangzhou is not a recent decision as it was made after long and thorough deliberation since the Covid-19 pandemic, Tetsuro Homma, regional head of China & Northeast Asia at Panasonic Holdings, told Yicai Global.

The basic idea is to sell products where they are produced, Homma said. “We see that supply chains in China are resilient and we are willing to bring the advantages of Chinese supply chains into full play.”

Besides Hangzhou, Panasonic also produces electric rice cookers in India’s Chennai, Homma said, adding that the eastern Chinese city has advantages in policies on bonded areas, technologies, and supply chains while India has lower labor costs.

Another Japanese firm Daikin will start building its third production base in China in Huizhou, Guangdong province, next month. The new plant is scheduled to start production in August 2024 and achieve CNY7 billion in revenue per year.

Daikin’s rising capacity indicates that the air conditioning giant is confident about the potential of the Chinese market and its after-market demand, said Fei Teng, analyst at research platform ChinaIOL. “Users in the central A/C market, in particular, speak highly of Japanese products

LG Showcases Portfolio of Advanced Home Appliances With “Life on the UP” at KBIS 2023

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LG Electronics (LG) is presenting its state-of-the-art kitchen and living appliance lineups at the 2023 Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS), taking place at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, from January 31 to February 2.

Under the theme of ‘Life on the UP,’ LG’s exhibit showcases the modern design and advanced technology of the company’s latest appliances while highlighting the personalized convenience they provide through the addition of ThinQ UP and ThinQ Care features – now available on LG’s premium built-in lineups for the very first time. Featuring eight unique zones, LG’s booth explores diverse consumer lifestyles and aesthetics with each zone representing a different, well-known American city, location or landmark, and each displaying a selection of new, cutting-edge LG appliances.

Visitors to KBIS 2023 can discover the latest premium kitchen solutions from luxury built-in brands, Signature Kitchen Suite and LG STUDIO, both of which offer the refined design and personalization options that today’s consumers want for their homes. The new Signature Kitchen Suite 48-inch built-in refrigerator comes in stainless steel or panel-ready option and boasts Signature Fit™ Integrated Design; enabling a seamless match with any interior décor and giving customers the choice of proud or flush installation.

Also on show at KBIS is LG’s new Signature Kitchen Suite 36-inch gas cooktop. The impressive appliance features five, powerful brass burners totaling 67,500 BTUs – including a 24,000-BTU* Ultra-High™ dual burner with a convertible wok grate – which is the most of any cooktop in the luxury kitchen category. Additionally, the new cooktop is available with an easy-to-clean porcelain-coated cooking surface, while the LG STUDIO kitchen package now offers customers an elegant, new handle color – rose gold – to choose from.

For hassle-free cleanup, the Signature Kitchen Suite’s PowerSteam® dishwasher can complete a full cycle in less than one hour thanks to LG’s QuadWash™ Pro and Dynamic Heat Dry™ technologies, the latter of which circulates hot air throughout the appliance’s interior. The sleek, stainless steel dishwasher, which has ‘hidden’ controls located on top of its door, uses TrueSteam® to help remove caked-on food and reduce water spots, while QuadWash Pro uses high-pressure jets of water to clean dishware from multiple angles.

LG is also exhibiting its personalized living solutions at this year’s show, with ThinQ UP appliances such as the latest washer and dryer pair, a new minimalism concept kitchen appliances lineup, and lastly, the new MoodUP™ by LG STUDIO – a fridge with color-changing door panels (23 colors available for the upper panel and 19 for the lower) that can be easily controlled via the LG ThinQ app. ThinQ UP, which enables users to continuously upgrade their appliances with additional features, will soon be coming to LG’s built-in appliances – including the Signature Kitchen Suite and LG STUDIO lineup – as will ThinQ Care features designed to help users protect and get the most out of their LG solutions.

What’s more, LG is presenting entertaining events at the show to allow visitors to experience its products and brand values first-hand. In the Las Vegas-themed zone of the company’s booth, Signature Kitchen Suite chefs, Nick Ritchie from Napa Valley and Austin Kang from Seoul, are giving cooking demonstrations using Signature Kitchen Suite appliances to prepare delectable treats for attendees. LG is also hosting an exclusive party in its booth’s New York-themed zone on the evening before KBIS 2023 opens. Along with music and a colorful LED lighting display provided by the customizable MoodUP™ by LG STUDIO, guests will be able to enjoy delicious desserts made using the ultra-convenient Scan to Cook feature on LG STUDIO cooking appliances.

“At KBIS 2023, we will introduce the exceptional, personalized experience offered by our ultra-premium built-in appliances and ThinQ UP,” said Lyu Jae-cheol, president of LG Electronics Home Appliance & Air Solution Company. “LG will continue to deliver smart, stylish kitchen and living solutions designed to enhance consumers’ homes and daily lives.”

Visitors to LG’s booth (West Hall #3045, Las Vegas Convention Center) at KBIS 2023 will have the opportunity to experience the full portfolio of LG kitchen and living appliances.

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Miele presents Pioneering GmbH

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Miele has founded its own incubator in order to further promote the development of innovative solutions from within the ranks of the workforce and implement them faster. With Pioneering GmbH, Miele is ensuring a creative environment in which internal start-ups can bring their ideas to fruition faster, well away from established structures. Management of Pioneering GmbH is to be shared by Ina Nordsiek, Director Intrapreneurship within the business unit, and Hendrik Stegelmann, Director Digital Innovation and Products with Smart Home. Both will assume their new responsibilities alongside their existing tasks.

Particular attention will be paid to promoting business ideas which represent a strategic fit but are outside Miele’s previous core business field. «With Pioneering GmbH – Nordsiek explains – we are offering administrative freedom and elbow room and a professional and inspiring environment in which we bring together the best of the start-up and the Miele world». As Stegelmann added, «on the one hand, teams have the liberties and autonomy of a start-up whilst on the other being able to fall back on the support of a globally active family company».

In more concrete terms, ideas for innovative business models, product or process solutions from the New Growth Factory or Smart Home are transferred to the new company which, after careful evaluation by Miele, are considered promising. Once there, development of the so-called Minimum Viable Product continues through to market maturity, initial discussions with potential customers and market trials under real-life conditions. If the business case overcomes this hurdle, it is either integrated at Miele or pursued further as a separate start-up founded at that point

Whirlpool not to vanish from Europe

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The future of Whirlpool EMEA has been in doubt for months, and there was long speculation that the US home appliance maker would exit Europe, Middle East and Africa entirely, but the company has finally opted for a less radical solution in the form of a joint venture with arch-rival Arçelik, which is present in Europe primarily through its Beko brand.
The two firms have announced that they will transfer their European subsidiaries to a new entity to be called Beko Europe BV. Upon completion of this transaction, it is expected that 75% of the new company will be owned by Arçelik and 25% by Whirlpool. The business still needs to be approved by the responsible institutions, and the entire process of creating a new joint venture will take up to a year. Until then, the two companies will operate completely independently and without changes.
Market fears that the established and well-known Whirlpool brand could completely disappear from European stores in the event of the sale of Whirlpool EMEA will ultimately not come true. The newly formed company will have regional rights to both the Beko and Blomberg brands as well as the Whirlpool brand. And for 40 years. But he will also work with others such as Grundig, Hotpoint, Indesit and Bauknecht. The KitchenAid division is being spun off and will remain fully owned by Whirlpool.
Personnel issues and other specific steps regarding the structure and functioning of local offices are not yet known. However, the optimization and merger of branches in individual countries appear to be inevitable parts of the whole process. Both companies have so far refused to discuss the future structure in any way.

We are preparing a detailed analysis of what this change will mean for the home appliance market in Europe and here.

Smeg announces a new partnership with Emmanuelle Jar

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Smeg announces a new partnership with Emmanuelle Jary
[ brands ] Smeg announces a new partnership with Emmanuelle Jary
Shortly after presenting its latest innovations at the EspritCuisine trade show , Smeg announces and formalizes a major new partnership in the kitchen world . It is with the culinary journalist Emmanuelle Jary , known in particular for her program “It’s better when it’s good”, that the brand is allied. Through a short format, this program offers videos, filmed with humor, on the best restaurants in France as well as easy-to-make recipes. It is therefore no coincidence that the Italian manufacturer of household appliances has teamed up with this expert in French gastronomy.

Haier Named No.1 Global Major Appliances Brand by Euromonitor International for 14th Consecutive Year

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Haier Smart Home the world’s leading home appliance brand and smart home ecosystem builder, has announced that the company has once again topped the rankings of global major appliances brands, according to the 2022 annual report released by Euromonitor International, the world’s leading independent provider of strategic market research. It is the 14th consecutive year that Haier has won this accolade, with the sales of Haier’s refrigerators, washing machines, freezers, and electric wine coolers also securing the number one spot.The remarkable sales performance in these four categories marks a new milestone for the company in the global major appliances market, as it marks the 15th consecutive year Haier has ranked first for refrigeration appliances, for home laundry appliances in 14 years, for wine coolers in 13 years, and for freezers in 12 years respectively
For over thirty years, Haier has been a leading brand in home appliances, driving forward industry development with technological innovation. In the era of the Internet of Things (IoT), Haier will continue its mission to establish itself as a world-leading ecosystem brand, bringing high quality smart home technology to households around the world.

Amidst the global economic slowdown that has stunted customer spending, Haier has put customer needs at the center of its strategy by adapting a user-first approach and upgrading its brand ecosystem, bucking the trend to achieve steady growth through the year.2022, Haier’s CASARTE retained its title as the number one high-end home appliance brand in China
In Europe where the sales of the home appliance market fell by 8.8%, Haier saw an overall increase of 4.2%.
The growth rate of Haier Smart Home has outperformed that of the industry in Australia for three years in a row, with sales seeing a 30% surge.
The stellar performance of Haier Smart Home in Japan went against the industry’s slump, growing at a rate eight times faster than that of the entire market.
Haier secured its position as one of Thailand’s top 3 home appliance brands, with a growth of 15%, despite the socioeconomic factors that held back the industry’s performance as a whole.