Fisher & Paykel have been recognised for outstanding design and functionality at this years Red dot awards. Built-in refrigeration and touchscreen ovens
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Hisense Gorenje extends production shutdown
Hisense Gorenje extends production shutdown
Hisense Gorenje says that it is extending its production shutdown at all its factories in Europe for another week.
The management of Hisense Gorenje has decided, in the light of the current situation due to the coronavirus epidemic across Europe, to extend the shutdown of all its European factories for another week, from 6 April to 10 April 2020.
Production at the Velenje factories will resume on Tuesday, 14 April 2020, except for the Laundry production, which will start again on Friday, 10 April. The Mora plant in the Czech Republic will also start work on Tuesday, April 14. The factory in Valjevo, Serbia, will start operating on Monday, April 13, 2020.
Haier 🇬🇧 appointment
Haier Uk has appointed Jim McEwan as chief commercial officer for the UK and Ireland.
Jim has the remit is to expand Haier sales within the UK and Ireland
Electrolux adapts manufacturing to offset difficulties with supply
Electrolux believes there is a considerable risk of a material financial impact during the first half of 2020.
In the fourth quarter interim report 2019, published on January 31, 2020, the company said that an extended period of supply chain disruptions in China related to the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) could potentially have a material financial impact on Electrolux.
Now, given the rapid spread of the virus, impacting markets where Electrolux has a significant presence in terms of production and sales, the company believes the risks related to this have increased materially. These risks include supply chain disruptions, government countermeasures and changing consumer behavior. It is currently not possible to predict the duration or scope of the crisis, and therefore the full potential impact.
“We’re stepping up our efforts to encourage more employees to work remotely and we’re reshaping the way we work at manufacturing sites in highly impacted areas to ensure the health and safety of our people. At the same time, we of course want to safeguard the needs of our consumers and trade partners,” says Jonas Samuelson, President and CEO of Electrolux, in a press release.
The initial outbreak in China, where Electrolux sources significant volumes of finished products and components for all its business areas, has caused delays in deliveries, higher logistics costs and somewhat lower demand in East Asia in the first quarter 2020. However, the company says that it has worked to mitigate the impact and the situation among Chinese suppliers is now steadily improving. Based on these developments, Electrolux does not currently expect material effects from this alone going forward.
The coronavirus outbreak in northern Italy is also impacting the Electrolux Group. Electrolux consumer business has five manufacturing sites in Italy, accounting for around one quarter of its European production volume and approximately 10% of global volumes. Furthermore, Electrolux purchases components for sites across Europe, but also other parts of the world from suppliers in northern Italy. This of course translates to that there may be supply chain disturbances because of temporarily reduced industrial activity in the region.
Electrolux says that it from the very beginning took extensive measures in Italy to ensure the health and safety of its employees, and the spread of the coronavirus has not yet caused major disruptions to its operations in the country. The situation is however developing rapidly, and the company has now implemented additional measures to adapt manufacturing in Italy to a reduced production pace.
The reduced pace will also adapt the output of products to be more in line with expected sales volumes in the near future.
Electrolux operations in France has also been hit heavily by the pandemic. Since March 15, 2020, for example, French authorities have increased their countermeasures, and Electrolux Professional has started to experience difficulties in receiving components to, as well as in the outbound flow of products, its manufacturing units in France. As a response to this the company is implementing additional measures to adapt manufacturing at the affected sites to reduce production, including temporary closures.
Liebherr launches first Flagship Store in Asia Pacific | SGD35,000 Bespoke Luxe Refrigerator Showcasing in Singapore Launch Party
German Cooling Appliances Specialist launches its luxury products in Asia The store is a showcase of heritage and excellence that is reflected not only in the engineering but also in the design of the appliances for over 60 years. Headquartered in Singapore, Liebherr will be bringing to Asia its commercially popular high-end refrigerators, freezers and wine cabinets.
On top of its forte and niche in state of the art cooling systems, its bespoke service enables consumers to customize their appliances with sizing options, functionality options, luxury accessories and more.
Asia is home to the largest pool of growing wealth in the world where luxe living serves as a norm in rising economy powerhouse like China and India. In 2018, Asia’s ultra-wealthy population grew by 18.5 percent and their total wealth shot up by 26.7 percent, twice the rate seen in the U.S., the World Ultra Wealth Report 2018 found. The combined riches of Asia’s ultra-wealthy now total a staggering $8.365 trillion, based on analysis of Wealth-X’s database of wealthy individuals.
For more than 70 years, the Liebherr Group stands for a large evolving range of sophisticated products and services. The Domestic Appliances division was founded in 1954 and the family business has operated under the outstanding stewardship of the Liebherr family. Every part within a Liebherr appliance is produced and assembled in their European factories till date. Please see Appendix A for history of Liebherr.
Mr Steffen Nagel, Managing Director Sales & Marketing of Liebherr-Hausgeräte GmbH says “We’re excited to enter the Asian market through Singapore and bring to the world top German products
Miele increases turnover by 3.2%
After realignment of its business year, Miele reports sales of € 2.24 bn for July to December 2019 stub business year
New subsidiaries launch with smart business models
In the second half of 2019, the Miele Group achieved a turnover of € 2.24 bn – 3.2% more than in the previous year. ‘This is once again evidence that we are well positioned with our products and services to increase turnover and gain market shares under challenging conditions and intense competition in the marketplace’, according to the Executive Board of the world’s leading manufacturer of premium domestic appliances. During the current year, this course for growth will be further consolidated – for example with kitchen appliances from the new Generation 7000 series, which will set standards in the market with numerous exclusive innovations. On December 31, 2019, Miele employed a workforce worldwide of 20,478 – more than ever before.
This publication of half-time figures is due to the fact that the Miele Group has changed its business year to coincide with the calendar year (instead of running from July 1 to June 30). This results in a one-off stub year. In particular, large European markets such as Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Italy and, after a long Brexit-related dry spell, Great Britain, contributed to this positive development. In the highly contested German market, Miele achieved turnover growth of 2.7%. In contrast, business in Hong Kong is suffering from political unrest. In China, state intervention has resulted in a subdued real estate market – also impacting business with high-quality kitchen equipment.
Amongst the product groups, above all washing machines, tumble dryers and vacuum cleaners contributed most to sales growth. In laundry care, numerous detail improvements ensure increased user convenience: These include shorter programme cycles, the ability to add forgotten items of laundry at any time throughout the cycle and even the energy-efficient washing of individual garments. In the booming sector of rechargeable handsticks, the Triflex HX1 has got off to a very successful market start. Across all product groups, campaign models marking 120 years of Miele (Series 120) resulted in significant additional impetus. With its built-in appliances from the new Generation 7000, Miele is reasserting its leading role in the fields of innovation, design and lifestyle pleasures in the kitchen. With 3,000 model versions spanning 15 product groups worldwide, now off to a very promising start in almost all countries, this amounts to the biggest product launch in the history of the company.
Above-average growth during the reporting period was recorded by Miele Professional with machines and services for commercial operations, medical facilities and laboratories, and its Italian medical technology subsidiary Steelco. Steelco is in charge of the aspiring hospital project business within the Miele Group. Compact commercial washing machines and dryers for small businesses (Little Giants), which have been on the market since last year with a completely new model series, represent a further growth driver. In total, Professional turnover grew by more than 4%.
New impetus for growth and innovation
In order to exploit further sustainable growth potential, Miele has, as reported last October, undergone reorganisation – for example with 8 independent business units, remapped sales territories and a new location devoted to digital marketing which is currently being set up in Amsterdam (Digital Hub). The new production plant for washing machines, built by Miele in the Polish town of Ksawerów, has commenced operations on schedule. Miele Venture Capital GmbH, which brings together Miele’s stakes in promising start-ups, has further expanded its activities.
During the period under review alone, two new 100% subsidiaries were added to the portfolio: With the takeover of the business operations of Agrilution GmbH, Miele entered the future field of vertical farming – with stacked and digitally connected Plantcubes sporting an elegant design for private homes. With a minimum of effort, these offer the ideal growing conditions for, say, greens and herbs. Miele Operations & Payment Solutions GmbH offers a unique, app-based solution covering the furbishing, organisation, servicing and billing in shared laundry facilities (appWash). This can even go as far as assuming responsibility for the entire operation. This is aimed for example at student hostels, housing associations, multi-unit dwellings, campsites and launderettes. With these and other activities, Miele is pursuing its strategic goal of continuing to expand its portfolio and grow with innovative products and digital services which meaningfully complement its core business.
As per December 31, the Miele Group had 20,478 employees on its payroll. This amounted to 163 employees, or 0.8%, more than in the previous year. In Germany, Miele employs a workforce of 11,061, down 209 on the previous year.
Fresh on the table with Agrilution: Miele entry into future field of vertical farming
Miele continues with its commitment to acquire or participate in new projects to diversify its business and redefine the experience in the field of cooking, with the purchase of Agrilution assets . This young company of German origin has opted to offer vertical agriculture solutions, which many experts have defined as the future of greenhouses, in the home itself.This type of agriculture, which is based on aeroponics (a technology that does not require land, sun, or water) makes plants grow based on the humidity and heat of artificial light. Its domestic use means having a kind of standard refrigerator, which offers the perfect growing conditions, with minimal care and an extra design contribution both in the kitchen and in the living room.In the words of Maximilian Lössl, founder of Agrilution together with Philipp Wagner, “our domestic greenhouse provides fresher lettuce, herbs and microvegetals directly on the table.”Agrilution’s home greenhouses allow fresh, aromatic and nutrient-rich sprouts, herbs and microvegetals to be enjoyed at home throughout the year, through a self-contained ecosystem with simple seed coatings, regulated lighting and a controlled microclimate, as well as automatic irrigation.The first crop can be harvested one to three weeks after commissioning.To establish a comparison that clearly illustrates its effectiveness, a lettuce grown in the field requires up to 120 liters of water to grow and that volume is sufficient to supply an entire Plantcube throughout the year.
Vertical Farming is a term used by futurologists to denote multi-level greenhouses providing a local and space-saving supply of fresh produce, for example in urban conurbations. With the Plantcube from Agrilution, this revolutionary concept is now finding its way into private households. Fully automatic, small-scale vertical farms are no larger than a standard refrigerator, offer perfect growing conditions combined with minimal effort – and are a design highlight in any kitchen or living room. With Agrilution’s concept, Miele is further expanding its expertise in the field of the diversity of pleasures and healthy living.
With spring in the kitchen the whole year round, growing baby salads and herbs are showcased aesthetically, producing untold aromatic and nutritious ingredients: This makes Plantcubes from Agrilution a ground breaker in the market. In principle, they offer a self-contained eco system with simple seedmat liners, regulated lighting and a controlled micro-climate as well as automatic watering. This results in Plantcubes virtually controlling themselves. Harvested produce is free from pesticides and other contamination. The system is controlled via the Agrilution Cloud. A user-friendly app provides an insight into the growth process and instructions on maintenance and harvesting.
How not to mix colours during laundry
Doing the laundry is a simple process. Doing it perfectly – without ruining the colours of your clothing and ensuring that they last for a long time – is a little more complicated. Do you dream of dazzling whites? Reds that are as vivid and bright as when the garment was bought? Simply follow the advice on our blog and your wishes will come true, wash after wash.
Firstly, whites should always be treated separately, since they are the most likely to give you a nasty surprise when you open the machine’s door at the end of a wash. However, bear in mind that not all whites are the same: depending on the material, you will have to set a different temperature in order to preserve their whiteness and lustre. For cotton sheets, a high temperature of 60°C is perfect, while silk bed linen (for example) requires a cold wash.
To prevent discolouring and dyeing other items in the washing machineblacks should also be washed separately. What temperature should they be washed at? As with whites, the answer varies according to the type of fabric. Your favourite wool turtleneck, for example, should never be washed at a high temperature… otherwise it will drastically shrink.
When it comes to coloured garments, in addition to the usual tips about the temperature at which you should wash one fabric rather than another (this is always indicated on the label), pay attention to how they should be separated. Below we list some colours, divided into light and dark, which can be washed together in the machine.
Light colours: pink, yellow, salmon, light blue, beige and lilac
Dark colours: blue, charcoal, brown, burgundy, red and orange
Samsung’s New Product Promises Garden In Your Fridge
At the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS) going on now in Las Vegas, Samsung is showing off its new Chef Garden. It’s a refrigerator that lets homemakers minimize the distance of farm-to-table to whatever it takes to get from the kitchen to the dining room.
The new Chef Garden fridge features a windowed section with its own door and place to plant a “wide variety of seed capsules” in the Growing Zone area. There, as Samsung explains, the capsules will be treated to “fogponics technology to create a nutrient fog that delivers water and nutrients to the plants.”
Chef Garden then controls conditions so they’re just right for plant growth. It predicts growth and controls harvest. And at that point, the refrigerator, part of the Samsung Family Hub line, will recommend recipes based on the fruits and vegetables you just grew.
Unlike auto shows where manufacturers sometimes show off concept cars that will never be offered to the public, the Samsung stuff is for sale. But The Chef Garden should take a fair amount of green — as in cash — to purchase, so it’s probably not for the budget-minded. Samsung has not yet released a suggested retail price.
Maybe these devices can catch the public’s imagination because they position household appliances now taken for granted differently, giving them brand-new uses.
Samsung makes it clear it’s now courting millennials, who have largely stayed away from the housing market so far, burdened by student debt, slow-rising salaries and long memories of the recession.
According to a survey from RTi Research, more than a quarter of millennials are interested in buying a home in the next year. They’re right at home with new technology that helps them save time and eliminate tasks.
Samsung claims it is now the nation’s number one appliance manufacturer, though it’s probably still best known for smartphones, TVs and laptops.
LG, the Korean electronics company that’s branched out to the kitchen and laundry room, has also launched smart refrigerators and a SteamDryer in its Ultimate Laundry Room.
LG is also showing off its True Sommelier, which helps wine lovers manage their at-home stock. Using a patent learning app from Wine Ring, the product figures out preferences and then make wine recommendations, including food and wine pairings.
Another innovation, the Samsung Whisk food platform (with the ViewInside camera), uses AI image recognition to figure out what’s in your refrigerator and use that information to recommend recipes.
Elsewhere, Samsung also announced the AirDresser, a vertical device that fits in a good-sized closet and uses steam technology to smooth out wrinkles, deodorize and sanitize your clothes, in small quantities. It takes 48 minutes to do the trick.
Samsung Reimagines Clothing Care with AirDresser, Innovative New Appliance that Refreshes and Sanitizes Clothes without Washing
Samsung Electronics today announced the global launch of its innovative AirDresser in markets around the world, including the U.K. and Russia. Samsung’s latest home innovation uses powerful air and steam to remove dust and germs, refreshing and sanitizing clothes to provide easy and convenient garment care.
“Samsung is once again elevating modern life by transforming how we care for our clothes at home, giving consumers more freedom to spend their time doing things they want to do,” said Jennifer Song, Vice President of the Digital Appliances Business at Samsung Electronics. “AirDresser is Samsung’s response to consumer demand for more dynamic performance from even basic appliances, providing an easy and effective home solution to meet their needs for clean clothes that smell fresh, are germ free and look neat.”
Refreshes Your Clothes Thoroughly
Once a garment is hung inside the unit, the user can initiate the cycle and simply wait for the system to run its course: The Jet Air and Air Hangers release powerful air to loosen and remove engrained dust, with only minimal noise and vibration, quiet enough for anywhere inside the home, including the bedroom.
Then, the JetSteam sanitizes the garments to get rid of the bacteria, viruses, and allergens.* Infusing high temperature steam deep into the fabric, JetSteam is the perfect tool for routine sterilization of clothes and many other household items such as linen and soft toys.
AirDresser also uses its Deodorizing Filter function to freshen clothes, breaking down the odor-causing particles caused by sweat, tobacco, and food, while preventing unpleasant smells from building up inside the unit. Meanwhile, Self Clean technology dehumidifies, sanitizes, and deodorizes the interior of the AirDresser without requiring harsh or costly detergents by cleaning with a combination of heat, air, and steam. It even notifies users whenever it needs cleaning every 40 cycles.
Grooms Your Wardrobe Well
AirDresser also ensures clothes are groomed gently, increasing their lifespan by helping consumers avoid washing their favorite items too frequently, which can cause damage to the delicate fabric. Heatpump Drying gently dries clothes at a low temperature, minimizing heat damage and shrinkage. And with Wrinkle Care, the AirDresser can smooth out wrinkles without ironing by using a combination of steam and air to relax the clothes.
AirDresser can also handle delicate materials such as fur, which usually requires professional service. Fur care dehumidifies 90% of the moisture trapped in fur, which increases its volume by 78% and helps maintain its original condition, thus extending its lifespan.** As a result, it can keep a wide variety of items made of fur, including coats, wraps, or shawls, looking their best for much longer.
The unit even keeps clothes outside the unit stay in optimal conditions. The Dehumidification feature draws in air from the room, extracting moisture while pushing out dry air.
Saves You Time and Money
AirDresser can also save consumers time and money when they incorporate it into their daily routines. For example, operating a complete washer-and-dryer process with just one or two items per load or going to the dry cleaners frequently is not time or cost efficient. So, using the JetSteam to sanitize and deodorize your clothes for a quick refresh makes sense. And with Jet Air and Air Hangers able to quickly remove dust off of clothes, you can confidently re-wear outfits without worrying about bad odors or hygiene. Heatpump Drying also reduces drying time with a more effective heat transfer method.
And with the AI-powered capabilities that SmartThings provides, you can enjoy better clothing care and easier maintenance. Home Care Wizard remotely identifies problems and provides a troubleshooting service, while My Closet stores details of your clothes and suggests the best courses for them.
Enrich Your Day-to-Day
Combining the technology with modern design, AirDresser offers a sleek frame that blends flawlessly in any contemporary living space. In Quiet Mode, AirDresser can be run overnight without disturbing sleep and, for added convenience, it features portable water containers for steam at the bottom, so it doesn’t require a water supply or drainage system. This also means the unit can easily be installed anywhere most suitable for the user. AirDresser lets consumers refresh their clothes every day in the comfort of their own home.
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