For a unique kind of home appliance that has a retro appeal, Smeg appliances offer a vintage feel with modern technology. Smeg aims to identify and reflect the defining characteristics of Italian design, such as inventive elegance, originality and product quality.

Smeg is an Italian home appliance manufacturer based in Guastalla, near Reggio Emilia in the north of the country. The international face of the Italian company is expressed via its 16 subsidiaries in Europe and the United States, two overseas offices—in Hong Kong and in Saudi Arabia—and last but not the least an extensive sales network that enable Smeg to offer appliances designed with know-how and ‘made-in-Italy’ style all around the world, from Asia to Europe, Africa to Australia.

Know-how, creativity and style are the qualities that spring from Smeg’s Italian identity and characterize the company’s commitment to bringing everyday objects to life. Of course, aesthetic reasons aside, Smeg’s identity is an expression of its actual Italian origins and the fact that the company is passionate about what it does.

Smeg appliances are thus snapshots of Italian style—from the retro ‘50s refrigerators to steel-only cookers—and are able to shape trends and tastes and establish a relationship with the user that goes beyond more practical concerns. With this philosophy in mind, the firm has embarked on projects with leading designers and architects and internal development programs, which assess current tastes and local trends.

The Smeg Group, thanks to a corporate culture which dictates that maximum emphasis be placed on product quality, technology and design, is consequently known all over the globe as on of the key representative of made-in-Italy standards.

Smeg’s iconic FAB range welcomes a new member to its revered family—the FAB5 mini fridge, stocked with loads of features and personality in an irresistible package.

Sporting the same curvaceous retro styling as its FAB fridge relatives, the FAB5 may be small but it is big on impact. Its neat stature of 730 mm matched with a width of 404 mm is the ideal chilled-out design piece for commercial spaces. Weighing in at only 17.5 kg and with a completely silent noise level, there’s no limit to its multipurpose character and movability: be it a hotel suite, an office space, for clients or in a shop, the FAB5 can go anywhere and complement myriad of settings, thanks to its size, style and hues of cream, black, red, orange or Union Jack.
The fridge’s features include an adjustable thermostat, two shelves which can be interchanged over five heights, a bottle holder and snack compartment in the door, an ice cube tray, internal LED lighting, easy-to-clean surfaces, a right-hand or left-hand hinged door with chrome handle and a 40L-net interval capacity.

Panasonic launched two new models of washing machines on Sept. 3, in advance of the IFA trade show in Berlin. The washers leverage the company’s sensor technology.

The Inverter models NA-148XS1 and NA-148XR1 – incorporate Panasonic’s ECONAVI four sensor system, enabling easy-to-operate laundry care with a new automatic washing program that adjusts to the unique requirements of each load. It senses and adjusts washing time, temperature, water volume, and spinning time.

Both washing machine models have an A+++ plus-40% rating, meaning it exceeds the A+++ energy efficiency rating by 40%.

IFA is a global trade show for home appliances and consumer electronics, taking place in Berlin Sept. 5-10, 2014. The 2013 show included 1,500 exhibitors and had about 240,000 attendees from 100 countries.

With its new flagship model washing machine, internally identified as the W1 Prestige, Miele is promising that customers will gain a unique combination of energy efficiency, cleaning performance, and user convenience.

“This washing machine is likely to stand peerless in the marketplace,” said Executive Director and Miele Co-Proprietor Dr. Reinhard Zinkann at a Sept, 3 press conference at the IFA trade show.

The new flagship washing machine from Gütersloh tops the requirements for an A+++ energy efficiency rating by 40%, in a cycle lasting less than 3 hours. A rush cycle cleans a load in under an hour, with less energy efficiency but no compromises in cleanliness.

The wash spins at up to 1600 rpm and has a 9 kg load capacity.

The unit also has an touch display, a patented SoftCare drum for gentle fabric care and a reduced need for ironing, and an EcoFeedback consumption indicator. Its TwinDos is said to be the world’s first integrated 2-phase dispensing system for liquid detergents and fabric conditioner. It also has a conventional detergent dispenser drawer.

A matching dryer has an A+++ energy efficiency rating and 9 kg load capacity.

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Sources told Reuters yesterday that the Electrolux is near to making a deal with General Electric Company to acquire GE Appliances for $2.5 billion.

Electrolux sales make it the second-largest appliance maker in the world after Whirlpool Corp. Acquiring GE Appliances may very well make Electrolux No. 1.

The Reuters account sources “people familiar with the matter,” who told the news agency that negotiations were ongoing and could still take some time to complete. On the other hand, they also indicated that there might be an official announcement as early as next week.

Electrolux, based in Sweden, is a global appliance makers that sells under its global brand Electrolux, as well as under more regional brands such as AEG and Zanussi in Europe. In North America, its two major brands are Electrolux and Frigidaire.

GE Appliances’ market is predominantly in North America, where it sells under the GE, GE Profile, GE Café, and GE Monogram brands. Adding GEA would add significantly to Electrolux’s North American market reach.

It is unknown to what extent Electrolux would integrate GEA’s management, administration, and manufacturing operations. GEA management and administration is largely based in Louisville, KY, while Electriolux has invested heavily in its headquarters and other operations in Charlotte, NC.

GE manufactures at several locations in the United States, including at the huge, historic Appliance Park manufacturing campus. Electrolux also operates several manufacturing operations in the United States. It is, again, unknown if or to what extent manufacturing would be consolidated should the deal go through

Haier says that it has raised the stakes in customer satisfaction by giving the compressors in its latest high-capacity refrigerators a lifetime guarantee.

The warranty offers a lifetime’s cover on the compressor, which, Haier points out, this is one of the key components in a refrigerator, as it is at the heart of the cooling system.

Said Jean-Franck Badalian, marketing general manager for white goods at Haier Europe: “The introduction of a lifetime refrigerator compressor warranty from Haier has come about after careful consideration of the specific needs of our customers.”

He added: “The new guarantee coincides with the launch of our latest ultra-large capacity refrigerators and that is no accident. They are wider (1,005mm) and higher (900mm) than most refrigerators, but the standard depth of 760mm means these refrigerators fit perfectly into the modern kitchen. These products are designed to have a longer than average lifespan so the warranty makes sense.”

The new refrigeration line offers storage capacities of up to 792 litres.

Apart from the compressor, Haier cooling products also carry a two years’ manufacturer warranty.

Leisure is introducing an additional two-year warranty as part of its customer care programme, which means full three year warranty protection from the brand.

The offer is an extension to the original one-year warranty and is available on selected models via participating retailers from August 21 to September 30 2014. Customers can claim the extended warranty by applying online via Leisure’s website.

Lesiure brand manager at Beko plc Amanda Selby comments: “With this extended warranty, shoppers are given maximum confidence and satisfaction when purchasing a Leisure range cooker. We are extremely confident in our products and this extended warranty period is a direct reflection of the brand’s on-going commitment to deliver exceptional customer service.”

Family-owned Miele, maker of high-end home appliances, has sales of EUR 3.22 billion in its 2013/2014 financial year ending on June 30, 2014.

Sales for the fiscal year were up EUR 69 million, or 2.2%, from the previous fiscal year.

Miele Group now has a worldwide workforce of 17,660 employees.

Miele said the fiscal year included the “largest product and innovation offensive in its history.” It renewed almost its complete line of home appliances. The company said it was able to more than compensate for inclement economic conditions in key sales markets.

A stronger euro, in particular, had a restraining effect on exports. The company said turnover growth, taking currency effects into account, would have been in excess of 5%, or more than twice as high as in euros.

Still, business was “quite satisfactory,” according to Olaf Bartsch, Miele Group board member responsible for finances and administration.

Miele, based in Gütersloh, had sales of EUR 978 million in its home market of Germany, equating to growth of EUR 23 million or 2.4%. Germany’s share of Miele sales was up slightly to 30.6%.

Outside Germany, sales growth was 1.9%, including double-digit growth in strategically important markets such as the United States, China, and Russia—however, this growth was mostly negated by unfavorable exchange rates.

Miele’s top sales markets are Germany, the United States, Switzerland, and Australia. The company saw above-average growth in Australia, but saw this transform into a double-digit decrease after conversion into euros.