According to GfK data, in Europe about 26 percent of the 255 billion euro spent on Technical Consumer Goods this year will be for smart appliances like Visual cameras, Air treatment, TVs, Audio home systems, Robotic vacuum cleaners, Smart LEDs. GfK´s forecast indicates that the market for smart devices, excluding smartphones and smart watches, will grow by estimated 9 percent globally this year, up from 122 billion to 133 billion euro. Penetration of smart devices ranges in households. Smart TVs accounted in the first half of 2019 for 80 percent of TVs purchased in Germany, UK, France, Italy, and Spain, while robot vacuum cleaners for about 12 percent or 4 percent in the case of dishwashers.
In the first half of this year, Smart Appliances recorded a 42 percent value growth, while Smart Energy and Lighting increased by 25 percent. The trend is not so positive for Smart Entertainment & Connectivity, the largest smart category, that accounted for 6.3 billion euro of the turnover, but shows a 0 percent annual growth in the January to June 2019 period in the five European markets (Germany, UK, France, Italy, and Spain).
But what are consumers looking for when buying a smart appliance?
GfK Consumer research indicates that 53 percent of respondents would like optimized energy usage, 48 percent say ‘yes’ to remote home monitoring, and 41 percent would prefer their home appliances to communicate with each other.
Consumers would also pay more for solutions that really simplify their lives.
«It is not about whether or not Smart Home will happen, – explains Igor Richter, GfK expert for the telecom and smart domestic appliances industry – it is about how to remove barriers for its adoption. We are already witnessing the smart future today. Well-crafted individual solutions within a common ecosystem possess a tangible opportunity to bridge to contextually aware intelligent homes of the future.»
Miele Romania opens new showroom in Oradea
The Romanian unit of German-based manufacturer of high-end household appliances Miele said on Wednesday it has opened a new showroom in the city of Oradea.
This is Miele’s fifth showroom in Romania, it said in a press release.
“The decision to open the newest Miele showroom in the west of the country is part of our expansion strategy in the most important regions of Romania, but also where the brand is notorious. The consolidation of the brand will continue, we are already taking important steps towards finalising the arrangements to open our sixth showroom, in the histprical region of Moldova,” Miele Romania director Loredana Butnaru said.
Miele Romania’s turnover increased 35% to 8.5 million euro ($9.4 million) in 2018, marking its sixth consecutive year of growth.
Miele is present in Romania since 2007 and has a network of 70 sales points – own showrooms, exclusive shops and partner stores. The retailer has showrooms in capital Bucharest, Timisoara, Constanta and now Oradea.
Founded in 1899, Miele has eight manufacturing subsidiaries in Germany and one subsidiary in each of the following countries: Austria, the Czech Republic, China and Romania.
In its financial year 2017-2018, Miele achieved sales of 4.1 billion euro.
Whirlpool unloads Naples plant
Whirlpool announces that it struck a deal to sell its manufacturing plant in Naples, Italy to a third party.
The company anticipates $127M of total costs associated with the sale will be incurred this year.
LG Quadwash offers maximum efficiency and conserves energy
LG Electronics (LG) continues to bring innovation to life in order to maximize efficiency and conserve energy.
Amongst LG’s expanding range of home appliances, the LG QuadWash combines modern design with responsible functionality to create a sustainable lifestyle in the kitchen.
The LG dishwasher uses high-pressure jets and multi-motion spray arms to shoot water streams in various angles to reach every corner. The foldable tines let you load the dishes the way you want. LG’s Inverter Direct Drive motor gives reliable performance without creating much noise. In addition to that, unlike the conventional motors, LG dishwasher’s innovative Inverter Direct Drive Motor is incredibly energy efficient.
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Addressing different needs to different consumers, the QuadWash allows consumers to adjust the height of the upper rack to three different levels, which enables loading taller items. It gives a choice of the Turbo Cycle to clean stubborn soiled dishes in less than an hour, conserving energy that would have been used for longer.
The Dual Zone Wash gently cleans your delicate dishes and also lets you power-wash the heavy-duty pots and pans, allowing less use of the dishwasher for a variety of dirty dishes to be done simultaneously. The temperature of the tub reaches up to 80 degree Celsius, ensuring deep cleaning and ultimate hygienic care of dishes.
The patented and very efficient Smart ThinQ feature allows the connection of the QuadWash dishwasher with the user’s smartphone. This helps the user to monitor the cleaning at their most convenience with a tap of a screen. Furthermore, one of the features within the QuadWash, is the Machine Clean Reminder function which works well to remind users to run the cleaning cycle to keep the dishwasher fresh and highly functional.
LG currently has four different models of its QuadWash dishwashers
Taurus Group reaches 203 million euros of turnover after its corporate restructuring
Taurus Group has closed a successful fiscal year 2018, marked by the change of ownership and a major business restructuring that has led to the sale of the Brazil division.
Brazil represented 16.7% of the turnover and contributed negatively to the net result of the group.
After this sale, all divisions have a positive contribution to the net result. During fiscal year 2018, Taurus achieved significant growth in all divisions with net sales of 203 million euros (+ 5.6%), an ordinary EBITDA that reached 19.9 million euros (+ 5.9%) , which represents 9.8% of sales, and a net profit from continuing operations of 10.8 million euros (+ 21.4%). This good evolution is based on Western Europe, North America, Asia and Africa.
At December 31, 2018, a net profit of 4.4 million euros was presented, as a result of the negative impact produced by the interrupted operations (Brazil division) worth 6.4 million euros.
The evolution of exchange rates during the year 2018 slowed growth by 4.8%, mainly caused by the Mexican peso, the Indian rupee and the South African rand.
The product development continues to be promoted in the plants distributed throughout the world as a differentiating element with added value for the consumer. An example of success in the exercise has been the Mycook intelligent kitchen robot, designed, developed and manufactured entirely in Spain.
The Group’s forecast is to reach 216 million euros at the end of 2019 while maintaining similar levels of profitability and investment.
Much of the growth of 2019 is the result of the launch of a new range of products under the Black + DeckerTM brand with sales expectations of around 6 million euros. In 2018, the license rights for the Black + DeckerTM brand of small appliances for Europe, Turkey and Russia were acquired.
Within the strategic plan, inorganic growth is contemplated through the acquisition of companies in the same sector both to consolidate positions in the countries in which it operates and to enter new markets
Wahl
Leo Wahl in 1919 patented the first electromagnetic hair clipper in Sterling, Illinois. It was the beginning of an industrial and family dynasty (four generations) that led to hundreds of patents, such as the first wireless and rechargeable “beardock”.
To celebrate its centenary, Wahl brought to Berlin a collection of “hair clippers” and “vintage beard trimmers”: a collection of vintage objects specially brought to Berlin by the Wahl Museum, which is based in the company’s headquarters in theUnited States . But he also presented the new Aqua Trim beard trimmerproduced in the United States: it is the IPX7 model, completely washable, equipped with adjustable guide combs. Usable in the shower, Aqua Trim is equipped with a combined wheel mechanism with two adjustable guide combs that allow to obtain 38 different cutting lengths between 1 and 20 mm, with a difference of 0.5 mm between one level and another . Maximum precision, great reliability and absolute control.
Partnership between Henkel and ECOVACS ROBOTICS
ECOVACS ROBOTICS and Henkel , one of the leading manufacturers of detergents and home cleaning solutions, announce a strategic partnership that has enabled them to develop a high quality liquid detergent designed exclusively for DEEBOT OZMO vacuum cleaner and floor cleaning robots.
Practicality and digitization are among the main trends that influence consumer behavior in the cleaning sector. Thanks to our partnership with ECOVACS, we want to use our experience to support and further develop the growing market for home robots -, says Nuria Ribe , Head of International Marketing for Henkel’s Home Care division. – The professional cleaning product we developed offers a specialized solution for ECOVACS domestic robots that will give customers exceptional results “.
We are pleased to have found at Henkel a partner with internal cleaning brands indispensable in the daily life of many of our customers. Together, we have created a practical product that improves the already excellent cleaning performance of our OZMOTM technology and brings a clean smell into the house , “explains Andreas Wahlich , General Manager Europe of ECOVACS ROBOTICS.
The innovative OZMOTM cleaning technology, available for the DEEBOT OZMO 930, PRO930, OZMO Slim10, OZMO 900, OZMO 920 and OZMO 950 models, allows single-stage suction and washing. A study has shown that this technology can remove 99% of the harmful bacteria present on the soil. The water tank ensures efficient cleaning of the floors and the amount of water that escapes can be manually controlled by the application depending on the degree of dirt and the surface to be cleaned.
LG’s Instaview refrigerators promote sustainable lifestyle
LG’s InstaView Door-in-Door refrigerators.
Once opened, conventional refrigerator can take 1-2 hours to regain maximum cooling level, affecting food located inside. As part of LG’s range of smart kitchen solutions, the InstaView Door-in-Door™ is equipped with a sleek mirrored glass panel that lights up with two knocks, allowing users to check inside the easy access compartment without opening the door – preventing cold air loss by up to 41%.
With less frequent temperature fluctuations, items such as fruit, vegetables and dairy products can remain fresher for longer. The refrigerator also features the Hygiene Fresh+™ technology, which automatically cleans and purifies its internal air. Its five-stage filtering system is certified by Intertek, removing up to 99.999% of bacteria and with it, minimizing odors.
While traditional refrigerator compressors adopt a circular movement with 4 friction points, they can result in consuming excess energy and parts are more prone to wear. LG’s Inverter Linear Compressor has revolutionized the core of the InstaView refrigerator, with just 1 friction point, resulting in added durability, the ability to cool faster, using less energy and emitting 25% less noise.
Providing the ultimate convenience to for homeowners, the Smart Storage System makes it easy to group certain types of food together. Consumers can also control their refrigerator with their smartphones via LG’s Smart ThinQ™ app.
The dedicated application enables users to control the temperature of their refrigerator and enjoy a range of added benefits, such as deploying express freezing. The express freezing function helps cool items faster, keeping items such as ice cream, fish and meat in their best condition. Smart ThinQ can also be used to operate the Hygiene Fresh+™’s power mode – refreshing air at an accelerate rate, every hour.
Over the years, LG’s forward-thinking smart technology has helped families overcome challenges of food wastage and spoilage – promoting a healthy and sustainable lifestyle.
With the technological innovations found in the InstaView Door-in-Door, consumers can now confidently buy fresh ingredients for healthy meals without having to worry about preservation and storage.
The Rangemaster Nexus Steam
British appliance manufacturer Rangemaster has unveiled what it claims to be the UK’s first range cooker with dedicated steam cavity
The Rangemaster Nexus Steam is a stunning 110cm dual fuel range cooker that is designed to enhance the appearance of your kitchen. The set up on this cooker consists of two spacious electric ovens, a glide-out grill cavity and a separate bread proving drawer which can couple as a plate warming drawer.
This cooker sets itself apart from any other thanks to it’s steam capability in one of the main ovens. With the help of steam cooking, this feature allows you to perfectly cook your food giving it a succulent centre and crispy outer layer.
The Nexus Steam cooker has a new and improved digital clock and timer with minute minder and an LED display so you can accurately keep an eye on your cooking progress. The porthole oven doors also help you check on the progress.
On top it houses a large gas hob with 7 powerful burners including a griddle perfect for cooking or keeping food warm. The hob comes with Steadfast cast iron pan supports that provide and safe and stable surface for your pans.
LG vows to become game changer in home appliances
LG Electronics will continue to bring innovation to the rapidly changing home appliance industry and maintain its premium brand image by introducing a range of trend-leading products, Song Dae-hyun, president of the tech giant’s home appliance and air systems division, said at the IFA tech fair, Saturday.
Stating that the tech company has launched a series of appliances that have inspired the industry to rake new approaches, Song vowed to keep performing its trendsetting role in the business.
“When we first launched the Styler, we were not sure whether the steam closet would do well. But an increasing number of consumers are recognizing the value of the device and now our competitors are rushing to roll out similar products,” Song told reporters during a press conference.
At the IFA trade fair, the company introduced its state-of-the-art products such as the Styler steam closet, the artificial intelligence (AI) powered AI DD Washing Machine, 8K OLED TV, beer brewing machine HomeBrew, and its premium appliance lineup SIGNATURE.
LG also has been a fast mover in releasing appliances that connect with each other through internet of things (IoT) technology. Though he has witnessed that many late starters are trying to catch up, Song said such moves were welcome because they helped expand the industry scope.
“As seen in a race, the frontrunner can have broader horizons. We came up with the concept that our appliances get connected with others faster than other companies and could establish brand awareness as an industry leader,” he said.
“There has been growing uncertainties over our business due to external factors such as the U.S.-China trade feud. To cope with such difficulties, we will continue to offer differentiated premium products and technologies. I think this is the way we can win over consumers’ hearts and minds,” he added.
Song said the IFA could provide a glimpse at how its competitors are doing and pointed to Haier, a Chinese home appliance maker, saying it has achieved impressive growth in recent years.
“Chinese makers such as Haier have attained impressive growth in recent years. They are rushing to release products that have features similar to Korean makers. But I think there is still a long way to go for their hardware capabilities to catch up to ours,” he said.
In reaction to the rapid growth of the Chinese makers, Song emphasized LG has to work on retaining its premium position by focusing on offering more valuable products to customers.
“It is not significant to talk about how many appliances we sell. The important thing is we have to establish brand awareness with our premium products so that we can be in the hearts of our customers,” he said.
Speaking of the European market, known as one of the world’s most lucrative, Song said LG has the potential to attract more customers there with its competitiveness in AI and IoT technologies.
“There are many home appliance powerhouses in Europe. For a long time, European electronics makers have been focusing on producing appliances while LG has been making various products in other categories.
“Though European makers are trying to pursue IoT and AI technologies, we have a comparative advantage in these emerging technologies. Based on the competitiveness, I think we will be able to make a success in Europe,” he said.
