Glen Dimplex Home Appliances is planning to cut almost 300 jobs from its 1,000-strong workforce in Prescot, Merseyside. The company says that changes on the High Street have affected sales and that it needs to cut costs and change its product range if it is to remain viable.
In a statement issued on Friday, the company said: “The proposed changes are likely to result in up to 300 potential redundancies over the course of the year, commencing from August
Munich, March 13, 2018 (BSH) – BSH Hausgeräte GmbH has continued its trend of successes, reporting record sales revenue for the eighth time in a row. In fiscal year 2017, the globally operating, multi-brand company boosted sales to EUR 13.8 billion, growing considerably faster than the market. The worldwide home appliance market gained an average of two percent last year, while BSH sales revenue climbed a substantial 5.8 percent from the prior year (3.5 percent in 2016), thus expanding the company’s market lead as Number 1 in Europe. At the same time, BSH again increased its worldwide expenditures on capital investments as well as on research and development, putting itself on course for sustained growth.
“We’re right on track to achieve our long-term growth targets, while at the same time pursuing the cultural and digital transformation of BSH,” says Karsten Ottenberg, Chairman of the Management Board at BSH. By 2025, the company plans to expand Group sales revenue to EUR 20 billion. The BSH brand portfolio comprises 14 different brands of home appliances all over the world (including Bosch, Siemens, Gaggenau, and Neff). Digital services for smart home appliances, marketed under Home Connect, are playing an increasingly important role. They offer consumers customizable added value, and tap additional sources of income for BSH with new, digital business models.
“The way people live, cook and do housework is changing. We want to remain consumers’ first choice all over the world, so we’re aiming to offer people exciting new possibilities. That’s why BSH continues to pursue its transformation into a Hardware+ company that provides not just excellent home appliances, but an increasing range of digital, individual services,” Ottenberg explains. “It’s why, for example, last year we acquired 65 percent of the shares of Berlin startup Kitchen Stories. This global food platform, whose recipes we’re gradually incorporating into our digital ecosystem Home Connect, lets us offer our consumers new experiences in all aspects of cooking within an increasingly connected kitchen world,” he says. Kitchen Stories is already being used by people in 150 countries.
All regions and brands contribute to record year
BSH sales grew in every region in 2017. In its two saturated markets, Europe and North America, the home appliance company enjoyed slight revenue gains1(Europe: + 2.1 percent; North America: + 0.1 percent). BSH expanded its market share in Europe, consolidating its position as the region’s market leader. In BSH’s other three regions2 it generated double-digit revenue increases in 2017. Performance both in the Asia-Pacific (+ 14.6 percent) and Greater China (China, Hong Kong, Taiwan (+ 14.1 percent)) were especially outstanding. Sales revenue in the T-MEA-CIS region (Turkey, Middle East, Africa and CIS countries) also showed extremely good performance, gaining 14 percent. On a local-currency basis, this BSH region even gained 25.1 percent, benefiting from vigorous sales growth in Turkey (+ 31 percent on a local-currency basis).
Net of currency effects, sales revenue for every BSH brand grew – and in every category of home appliances and services.
BSH workforce bigger than ever
In 2017, the workforce at BSH achieved a new record size. At the end of the fiscal year, the company had 61,856 employees worldwide, about 3,500 more than in the previous fiscal year. The company created new jobs in every region – 1,825 in Europe, some 400 of which were in Germany.
Profitable business performance supports record investment
As in previous years, BSH invested vigorously in the future again in fiscal year 2017. Investments (about EUR 637 million, or about 4.6 percent of revenue) and spending on research and development (about EUR 622 million, or about 4.5 percent of revenue) set new records. Three new factories started operations last year, two in Poland and one in China. Giengen, Germany, the pace-setter in Industry 4.0 excellence for the entire global BSH Group and the industry in general, saw operations start up at one of the world’s most up-to-date, fully connected production facilities within the home appliance industry. BSH also boosted its investments in 2017 in ways to offer consumers a seamless brand and service experience – both online and off. One example: BSH opened numerous brand stores and showrooms both in metropolitan centers like Vienna, Shanghai and Chicago and in growth markets, specifically in booming cities like Cape Town, Marrakesh and Mumbai. The company is also testing services that enable consumers who use heavily frequented social networks (like WeChat in China) to custom-configure their home appliances online.
China’s Hisense, which has been picked by Gorenje as its the new strategic partner, promises development of the Slovenian household appliances maker. The potential partner also said it would respect the principles of trust and integrity, and maintain the stability of jobs at the Velenje-based company.
BSH Hausgeräte GmbH is continuing its expansion in Europe and will invest a triple-digit million sum in the coming years in a new site in Romania. BSH has been active in Romania for almost 20 years. The Romanian BSH subsidiary has now acquired a plot covering around 40 hectares to build a washing machine factory.
Construction of a production hall, a logistics center and administration building will already get underway this year. BSH plans to start production of the first washing machine in 2020. Once additional production facilities have been set up, the factory will have an annual production capacity of more than one million washing machines for the European market from 2022. Over the next few years, BSH will create around 700 jobs at the new Romanian plant.
“Our growth strategy calls for consistent further development of regional markets and the expansion of production capacities. The new site in Simeria offers ideal conditions for producing modern washing machines and for the required logistics. It will be an excellent addition to our manufacturing network,” says Michael Schöllhorn, Chief Operating Officer at BSH.
Alongside Germany, Spain and Poland, the new site will in future be the fourth washing machine factory in Europe. BSH will then operate a total of nine washing machine factories worldwide
Hisense Luxemburg Home Appliance Holdings, part of a Chinese holding, has placed an offer to purchase all shares of Gorenje Gospodinjski aparati, the latter company stated. Earlier in May, Gorenje announced it had chosen Hisense as a strategic partner offering it 50 percent plus one share at €12 per share.
“Aura 3.0”, “Triple” and “Pure”: Even their very names give an intimation that these cooker hoods do not belong to the mainstream. Rather, Miele is offering three design concepts as original as they are different – that also leave nothing to be desired in terms of performance, convenience and energy efficiency.
Aura 3.0 is designed for use above a cooking island. For the first time a Miele cooker hood has a completely round shape – which makes a visual impact just as elegant as it is surprising. The 70 cm diameter canopy in brilliant white conveys the impression of a shallow dome. The overall impression of filigree is underlined by a discreet three-part suspension bracket, the unobtrusive controls situated on the underside – and the apparent absence of an external power source. In fact the energy supply is integrated invisibly into the suspension bracket. The all-round dimmable LED ambient lighting provides an atmospheric glow – in addition to the LED hob lighting, that puts the hob activities in exactly the right level of light.
As a recirculation cooker hood the Aura 3.0 is also best suited to highly insulated buildings, in which the clean air is recirculated back into the room. First grease particles are removed by a ten-layer metal filter before the odour molecules are absorbed by the Longlife AirClean filter. The metal filters can be easily cleaned in the dishwasher as their stainless steel outer layers are permanently protected from discolouration.
The Aura 3.0 communicates with a Miele hob by means of Con@ctivity to automatically adjust extraction performance to what is happening down on the hob. The hood can also be controlled by the Miele@mobile app via smartphone or tablet. With its fan and LED lighting it achieves energy efficiency class A.
Puristic attraction in a premium kitchen
Miele is now extending its range of cooker hoods with the addition of a model with a particularly extravagant design. Three vaulted canopies made from safety glass, which appear to breezily levitate above each other, make Triple Black and Triple Grey an eye-catching feature in premium kitchens. Thanks to its compact dimensions, this hood also guarantees more headroom above the hob.
Miele is now set to cater more specifically for headroom with two new models, “Pure Black” and “Pure Grey”. Their simplified design with a slanting glass panel makes these hoods timelessly elegant focal points in prestigious kitchens. Both versions are available in widths of 80 and 90 cm and feature intuitive touch controls.
Both the Triple and the Pure hoods achieve the best energy-efficiency ratings. Both vented and recirculation mode is possible, the latter in combination with a highly effective active charcoal filter which the acting multiple test winner with the German consumer watchdog Stiftung Warentest also uses on its other models. These hoods also have the Con@ctivity feature. The aptly named models Triple Black/Triple Grey and Pure Black/Pure Grey as well as handleless ArtLine built-in units are available in obsidian black and graphite grey.
India’s largest e-commerce marketplace Flipkart today announced its exclusive partnership with the appliance manufacturer, Midea, to launch its range of energy efficient range of Air conditioners and Washing machines in India.
Chinese home appliances maker Hisense Electric Co Ltd has won the bidding process for Slovenian appliances producer Gorenje, which said it received three binding offers by interested strategic partners from Asia on Tuesday.
Hisense offered the best bid of 12 euros ($14.2) per share subject to its acquisition of 50 percent plus one share of Gorenje in the takeover procedure, the Slovenian firm said in a statement on its official website.
Hisense has committed to launch a takeover intent within 15 days and to make a takeover offer in accordance with the statutory deadlines, according to Gorenje.
Gorenje said on Tuesday it received bids from three companies who had performed due diligence over the past several weeks, but it did not reveal the names of the bidding companies.
The other two bidders were identified as the Chinese home appliance maker Haier Group and Hefei Meiling Co Ltd, according to reports by local newspapers Finance, Delo and Dnevnik. The three bidders declined to comment on the matter.
Gorenje reported in March that its 2017 net profit fell 84 percent due to cost pressures and strong competition. It was seeking a strategic partner to increase cost efficiency and strengthen the brand.
“Acquiring local companies is the easiest way for Chinese household appliances producers to expand their presences in the global market,” said Zhang Yanbin, assistant director of All View Cloud, a Beijing consultancy specializing in home appliances, adding the European market is of great significance to Chinese appliance manufacturers.
The Chinese home appliances market is almost saturated, so domestic makers are looking overseas to find new business growth points. The acquisition will allow the Chinese company to obtain local customers quickly and reduce production costs, Zhang said.
Hisense, which is based in Qingdao, Shandong province, has been relying on its go-global strategy to expand. “Hisense is counting on overseas markets for future growth,” said Zhou Houjian, the company’s chairman, in an earlier interview, adding it is targeting the middle and high-end segments of the market.
The company has secured sponsorship deals for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, becoming the first-ever Chinese consumer electronics brand to sponsor the tournament.
Faber will be atGrand Designs Live 2018 in London. The event, that will continue until May 13, is based on the TV series Grand Designs and is presented by Kevin McCloud. More than 500 exhibitors operating in different sectors, from buildings to gardens to interior design, takes part to the event and Faber will attend the space dedicated to kitchen and bathroom, bringing to London some of its latest innovations, just revealed at the Salone del Mobile in Milan, such as Galileo, Glow and Odette. Galileo is the company special cooking system with integrated extraction. It is equipped with a waterproof and space-saving engine that allows to add a large capacity container: the motor guarantees the functioning of the system even in the case of accidental fall of liquids, and being concentrated only in the central part of the furniture in which it is built-in, it can be surrounded by a U shaped drawer, perfect to contain useful items in the kitchen.
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