Samsung Electronics Co. on Sunday signed a partnership agreement with South Korea’s leading furniture maker Hanssem Co. to expand business opportunities amid the pandemic-driven stay-at-home trend.
Under the deal, Samsung will cooperate with Hanssem in the home interior remodeling business. The tech giant will provide its latest home appliances such as refrigerators and dishwashers that fit with Hanssem’s furniture in interior remodeling.
The two sides will also collaborate in the smart home solutions business and will share retail infrastructure, such as displaying products from each company at its stores.
The latest deal comes as Samsung seeks to become a lifestyle brand with customizable products amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lee Jae-seung, who heads digital appliances at Samsung, recently said the company is “recalibrating” its strategy in the era of the pandemic. He added that home has become more important than ever as people practice social distancing and that home appliances need to reflect the change.
The collaboration with Hanssem is expected to help Samsung launch more products under its Project Prism, which reflects consumers’ lifestyles and allows them to personalize the materials, colors, shapes and designs of products.
So far, the company has introduced refrigerators and laundry appliances under Project Prism.
BSH’s new generation of dishwashers is a milestone for connected home appliances and perfectly geared towards bringing added value to the kitchen.
Have you ever wondered how new products are made? How do you come up with all the big and small ideas that make our daily lives easier, safer or better? At BSH they have
developed a simple formula: We listen to what we are told.
Every year, we talk to countless consumers and ask them what they like about our appliances, what bothers them, and which household tasks are particularly annoying for them. And that’s exactly how we approached our new generation of dishwashers – with market research involving over 40,000 consumers. The result is the next big step in connected home appliances!
Digitization meets its master
In 2014, BSH laid the foundation for a connected home with the Home Connect App. Today, Home Connect is the largest digital ecosystem in the networked kitchen, launched in 40 countries, in 25 languages, and with many partners. But at this year’s IFA we are going one step further.
A new kind of microprocessor, the “SystemMaster”, is a milestone for connected appliances and a master of digital services. Among other things, it supports the company’s own factory customer service department in diagnosing and correcting appliance errors via remote maintenance. Self-learning algorithms also make it possible to develop new services that are tailored even more precisely to consumer needs. Matthias Ginthum, CMO of BSH Hausgeräte GmbH, explains it in a nutshell: “The SystemMaster opens up new possibilities for creativity and future services.
Thanks to this clever innovation, for the first time all appliances in the new generation of dishwashers, from the entry-level to the premium model, can be connected. “We call this new appliance generation our ‘dishwashers ahead of their time”, says Roland Hagenbucher, Managing Director Siemens Home Appliances Germany, and explains: “Through networking and updates, we are laying the foundation for it to remain state of the art for many years to come and thus always match the lifestyle of its owners. In this way, we are providing a little more security for the future in an unpredictable world.”
Time for your glassware to shine
Of course, the SystemMaster is not the sole innovation of the new dishwasher generation. The appliance itself knows how to make a sparkling performance – in the truest sense of the word. Take the new glassZone in Siemens’ dishwashers, for example, and think of it as a VIP zone for your most precious glasses: Six integrated jets clean them as thoroughly as they do delicately with a gentle, continuous water supply.
And if you are ever in a hurry, the Siemens dishwashers’ varioSpeed-on-demand function can save you time: Just press a button to accelerate the appliance by up to three times. Surprise guests will definitely not make you break a sweat any more.
From the dishwasher straight into the cupboard
Harald Friedrich, Managing Director Robert Bosch Hausgeräte GmbH, explains: “Our new appliances are fully connectable and benefit from the numerous Home Connect functions – for smart control from anywhere.” But the new dishwasher generation can do more than just go full throttle – it can also be as quiet as a whisper. The already very low noise level can be reduced to a minimum using the Silence on Demand function on Bosch appliances.
A third rack, offering around 25 percent more space, makes room for smaller dishes. And if “more dishes” automatically makes you think that you will have to dry more pieces when the dishwasher is done, we can put you at ease: “Bosch is the only company to offer zeolith drying, which even dries plastics so efficiently that you can put them straight into the cupboard,” says Harald Friedrich.
This year’s IFA is full of exciting innovations in the field of home appliances. We present highlights from the BSH brand Siemens.
The global Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted the world in many ways. Few things are as they were, but a few trends have only been amplified by lockdowns and home offices: for many people, the kitchen is the center of quality of life in their own homes. “Despite – or perhaps because of – Corona, around a third of all city dwellers would like to invest in their kitchen in the near future,” says Roland Hagenbucher, Managing Director of Siemens Home Appliances Germany.
It is no wonder then that the BSH brand Siemens has placed its focus on the topic “kitchen” for the IFA, which will take place in a virtual showroom in 2020. It is precisely in this field that Siemens can point to years of experience in smart technologies and stylish designs. And it is also precisely in these fields that Siemens is presenting a whole range of innovative and aesthetic new products, all with the aim of improving the quality of life for consumers.
The future of dishwashing
The first demonstration of this, is BSH’s new generation of dishwashers. This clever series was developed for both the Siemens and Bosch brands and is 100% connected from the entry-level model to the premium model. Automated programs allow the consumer to fully adjust the appliance to their needs. Using Home Connect, they can also speed up the washing cycle – no more frantic dishwashing when guests arrive early!
Of course, the new generation is also available in a wide range of different versions so that the dishwasher can be perfectly integrated into the kitchen. The result is full flexibility without sacrificing performance or appearance.
Showstopping cooking
Combining an elegant look with the latest innovation was also the goal of the glassdraftAir table fan. This slim glass panel sits behind the stove top and can be extended while cooking. The patented Guided-Air technology creates an air curtain behind the glass panel, which directly draws in fumes – even from cooking zones that are further away. This powerful extractor power, together with an integrated light show in the glass panel, sets the stage for showstopping cooking.
The perfect addition is the activeLight cooktop, upon which pots and pans can be placed flexibly thanks to the interactive light matrix. Of course, the cooktop and the table fan can be connected with each other, so that the power of the extractor fan can be controlled directly from the cooktop – a function which, by the way, is possible with all Siemens cooktops equipped with cookConnect.
Breathtaking design
Good design does not always have to be extravagant – it can also be clever solutions that make life easier for a lot of people. Just like the inductionAir Plus cooktop. This innovative cooktop with integrated extractor fan can be adapted to the most diverse architectural environments, thanks to a wide range of different sizes. So almost every household can enjoy a cooking experience without fumes. No wonder the cooktop has already won an iF Award and a Red Dot Design Award!
A coffee to round things off
The crowning glory for Siemens at IFA 2020 is the EQ.9 plus – a fully automatic coffee machine. This successful series is now available in two different designs: a chic chrome look, similar to typical Italian coffee machines, and a sophisticated dark-inox casing. There is also the new baristaMode, where the espresso or coffee can be adjusted to personal taste. “Especially in times of Corona, when people work from home a lot, I can enjoy coffee in my own home the way I love it,” says product designer Melanie Mager.
LG Electronics (LG) plans to give a new meaning to clean, personal air with the introduction of its PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier at IFA 2020.
LG say the ergonomic design fits snugly on the user’s face to minimise air leakage around the nose and chin. The design also makes it possible to wear the unit comfortably for hours on end. The efficient and lightweight 820mAh battery offers up to eight hours of operation in low mode and two hours on high.
Replaceable filters enable the mask to supply fresh, clean air indoor and out. With its Dual Fans and patented Respiratory Sensor, LG’s wearable air purifier allows users to take in clean, filtered air while the Respiratory Sensor detects the cycle and volume of the wearer’s breath and adjusts the dual three-speed fans accordingly. The fans automatically speed up to assist air intake and slow down to reduce resistance when exhaling to make breathing effortless.
LG’s personal air solution comes with a case that helps maintain hygiene between uses. Equipped with UV-LED lights that kills harmful germs, the one-of-a-kind case can even charge the mask and sends a notification to the LG ThinQ mobile app (Android/iOS) when the filters need to be replaced for peak performance. And because every component of LG PuriCare Wearable – from the filters to the ear straps – is replaceable and recyclable, it is seen as an environmentally responsible solution as well.
The Wearable Air Purifier will be available starting in the fourth quarter in select markets.
Midea Group, a leading Chinese home appliance manufacturer, reported declines in both revenue and net profit in the first half of 2020 (H1) as the COVID-19 epidemic hit its business.
Net profit attributable to its shareholders totaled 13.9 billion yuan (about 2 billion U.S. dollars) in the January-June period, down 8.29 percent year on year, Midea said in its interim financial report filed with the Shenzhen Stock Exchange.
During the six months, the company generated total revenue of 139.7 billion yuan, a year-on-year decrease of 9.47 percent, according to the interim report.
Electrolux today announced that Jan Brockmann, Chief Operations Officer and Executive Vice President of AB Electrolux, has decided to resign from his position to pursue an external opportunity.
Jan Brockmann will remain with the company until September 30, 2020. The succession planning has been initiated.
“I want to thank Jan for many important contributions during his 10 years with Electrolux. During his tenure, with a strong focus on developing a global approach to modularization and automation, Global Operations have driven outstanding efficiency, product quality and innovation at Electrolux,” said Jonas Samuelson, President and CEO of the Electrolux Group.
Jan Brockmann joined Electrolux in 2010 as Head of R&D Major Appliances and has been part of the Group’s management team since 2011, first as Chief Technology Officer and since 2015 in his current role.
Smeg announce the addition of a sleek new finish to its KLF03 kettle and TSF01 toaster, a rich and elegant Slate Grey hue. This smart new shade joins Smeg’s extensive colour range, which already includes bold bright, fun pastels and opulent metallics. Whether you are looking to create a focal point within your kitchen or introduce an industrial style to your space, slate grey is so versatile.
NOW IT’S TIME TO EXPAND THE PRODUCT CATEGORIES – THIS AUTUMN A COMPLETELY NEW PRODUCT CATEGORY WILL BE LAUNCHED IN THE SMEG FAMILY.
For several decades, Smeg has been producing high-tech white goods and household products with a strong focus on design and style. Now it’s time to expand the product categories – this autumn a completely new product category will be launched in the Smeg family. More information coming soon.
About Smeg Smeg was founded by Vittorio Bertazzoni from Guastalla, a town on Reggio Emilia in northern Italy, and is today one of the country’s leading manufacturers of household appliances. For more than 70 years, Smeg’s products have been regarded as tasteful and elegant solutions in modern households thanks to the company’s collaboration with world-renowned architects. Not only does Smeg have a unique profile in household appliances, they are also well known in professional business sectors. The Foodservice and Instruments divisions specialize in commercial kitchen / catering equipment and electromedical instruments, respectively. The Smeg Group is, thanks to a corporate culture that places maximum focus on product quality, technology and design, known worldwide as one of the most important representatives of Italian-produced quality.
Haier, the largest household appliances producer in China and one of the largest in the world, will relocate the production of Rosières ovens to Romania,Haier Europe said “the intention to cease ovens’ manufacturing activities in Lunery (France) does not have any impact nor include any activity in Romania where Haier has started an investment of more than 50 million for a refrigerator production facility.”
This new production line will add to the refrigerator factory Haier is building in Romania.
Haier took the Rosières brand as part of the Italian group Candy last year. The Chinese group wants to close the factory in France, arguing that sales fell by 40% between 2016 and 2019, and the cost of assembly is too high – while the cost of labor in Romania is more attractive.
The factory in France employs 72 people. The first layoffs are expected early next year.
The relocation of production to Romania has generated protests in France, with about 500 people protesting in the neighboring town of Saint-Florent-sur-Cher, especially since, in addition to Rosières, lighting manufacturer Comatelec Schréder will move production to Spain.
Chinese group Haier announced earlier this year that it is building a refrigerator factory in Romania, on an area of 10 hectares in an industrial park in Prahova county (north of Bucharest).
The investment is estimated at some EUR 50 million and will create about 700 new jobs. The plant should be completed by early next year at the latest.
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