Cut its financial forecast for the year and offered a weak forecast for 2015, citing integration costs related to recent acquisitions.

The world’s largest home-appliance manufacturer by sales said it now expects to close the year with a profit of $8 to $8.20 a share, down from $9.40 to $9.90 a share, largely due to the impact of new laundry products and costs associated to the integration of Italy’s Indesit Co. and Chinese home-appliances maker Hefei Rongshida Sanyo.

In 2015, Whirlpool said it expects to make $10.75 to $11.75 a share, including integration costs and a pension-settlement charge.

Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters projected a profit of $11.65 a share for 2014 and $14.50 for 2015.
company’s majority stakes in both companies mark its bold expansion in Europe and Asia. Whirlpool is expected to double sales in both markets.

Hisense, based in China, has launched a personal home beverage-dispensing appliance, called Chill by Hisense, in the United States and Canada. Retail availability starts Jan. 15, 2015.

The appliance stores up to seventy-two 12-ounce cans, or thirty-six long bottles or cans, organized into four beverage selections. It provides a cold beverage with the touch of a button. The unit also has a large pre-cooling bottom department with the capacity to store 60 additional cans or small snacks.

The unit has a an LED back-lit screen that can be customized with users’ photos.

The unit has internal and external child locks to keep adult beverages inaccessible to children

“Whirlpool of India is planning to open around 15 showrooms for our kitchen appliances products across the country in the next one year. These experience centres will showcase our entire product range,” 

Das Gupta said all the showrooms will be franchised. “We are targeting Rs 200 crore turnover from this category in three to four years,” he added. 

Last month, Whirlpool opened its first exclusive built-in showroom called ‘Whirlpool Haute Kitchen’ in Jaipur. 

The company, which expects its kitchen appliances segment to be one of the future growth drivers,

Whirlpool’s kitchen appliance range includes microwave ovens, conventional ovens, refrigerators and dishwashers. 

The company is working with a number of of modular kitchen manufacturers for its built-in appliances and also talking to builders for providing its products to luxury apartments. 

It has a distribution network of 250 stores showcasing products in India.

Euronics is coming to the Danish market. The international group has over 11,000 independent electrical retailers in 31 countries.

Headquartered in Amsterdam in the Netherlands, Euronics has already opened a store in Ikast in Jutland and is scheduled to open 20 to 25 stores in Denmark during 2015.

Best Buy will sell Chinese Five Star business

Best Buy Co., Inc. entered into an agreement for the sale of its Five Star business to the Jiayuan Group, a China-based real estate firm. This sale does not affect Best Buy’s private label operations in China.

“The sale of Five Star does not suggest any similar action in Canada or Mexico. Instead, it allows us to focus even more on our North American business. We will also continue to invest in and grow our China-based private label operations, with brand names that include Dynex, Insignia, Modal, Platinum and Rocketfish,” said Hubert Joly, president and chief executive officer of Best Buy.

Best Buy entered the Chinese retail market by purchasing a majority interest in Jiangsu Five Star in 2006 and now operates 184 stores in China, all under the Five Star brand. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of fiscal 2016.

British ventilation manufacturer Vent-Axia is celebrating winning Product of the Year at the Housebuilder Awards 2014. Scooping the award for its revolutionary Lo-Carbon Response™ solution, the Sussex-based company received the accolade in London, at a glittering ceremony held at The Tower Hotel near Tower Bridge. This announcement follows hot on the heels of the Lo-Carbon Response™ winning the Best Brand New Product Award at the Housebuilder Product Awards 2014 in July.

Sensaboil water boilers are ideal for commercial applications such as offices, canteens and cafes where boiling water is required instantly for hot beverages. The range consists of three sizes, 3, 5 and 7.5 litres, available in white and polished stainless steel. Units are permanently plumbed and wall mounted, saving space in confined areas, are easy to operate with constant or controllable flow, and capable of delivering up to 206 cups an hour.

Marc Bitzer, Vice Chairman of Whirlpool Corporation announced global leadership changes related to Whirlpool’s acquisition of Indesit Company and upcoming integration activities within the Whirlpool Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region.

Esther Berrozpe, President of Whirlpool EMEA, will assume leadership of the company’s integrated European business, effective January 1, 2015. In this role, Berrozpe will be responsible for the combined operations of Whirlpool and Indesit.

“As a newly-combined company, the importance of having a unified leadership team will be central to the success of Whirlpool EMEA going forward,” Bitzer said. “This marks an important milestone as we position our European business for growth and ongoing value creation throughout the upcoming integration process and as we focus on product innovation, margin expansion, and delivering on our commitments to consumers within the region.”

Marco Milani has announced his plans to step down from his position as Indesit Chief Executive Officer effective December 31, 2014.

Following a recent mandatory tender offer and purchase of the remaining Indesit shares by Whirlpool Italia S.r.l, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Whirlpool, Indesit was delisted from the Italian stock exchange on December 3, 2014 and is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Whirlpool.

As previously announced, Whirlpool Italia completed its acquisition of a majority interest in Indesit on October 14, 2014.

The Sweepovac reduces your household work and makes life easier.

It will remove all your floor sweepings in less than 3 seconds. It saves you having to bend down to use a dustpan.

This insanely handy appliance is really quick because it is conveniently placed in your kitchen and requires no set up or put away time. http://www.sweepovac.com

Dacor, the leading manufacturer of ultra-premium kitchen appliances, is a front-runner in cooking appliance safety testing. Today, the company announces that its Discovery iQ Dual-Fuel Range is the first ultra-premium, smart range to pass the UL UL-60730, Fourth Edition certification. This new test certifies that the Dacor high-tech range passes stringent safety requirements to operate from any remote location, inside or outside

The evolution of home appliances into smart appliances introduces potential product safety concerns. UL safety standards historically address pre-determined, built-in settings adjustable by the home chef. However, standards for smart enabled appliances need to additionally address: 

*Network connection that introduces action by external devices or other parties. 
*Remote operation by the consumer that no longer requires proximity to the appliance. 

These UL-60730 requirements are focused on the functional safety of appliances that are network connected or intended for remote operation. 

Dacor has been working with UL since its inception in 1965 to test its products and certify safety. The UL-60730 certification will be required by appliance manufacturers in 2018, but Dacor has taken the step to implement this standard now, to take advantage of the most current safety standards and empower its customers with the most advanced cooking technology available for the home. 

“We’ve been manufacturing ultra-premium kitchen appliances for nearly 50 years, and unlike every major competitor, have never had a safety recall,” states Dacor President Steve Joseph. “We credit our safety record to our working collaboration with UL. As companies like Dacor launch smart, high-tech appliances it’s important that safety is a top priority in the engineering process.” 

“We applaud Dacor on its commitment to putting safer products into the marketplace,” said UL Engineering Manager Paul K. Jackson. “UL fully tested the remote capabilities of the Discovery iQ Dual-Fuel Range against requirements and have authorized Dacor to apply the UL certification mark.” 

ABOUT DACOR 
Founded in 1965, Dacor is a manufacturer of ultra-premium kitchen appliances. Designed and built in California, Dacor’s cooking appliances integrate function and technology to create high-performing, intuitive products that reflect the lifestyle and needs of the passionate cook. For nearly 50 years, Dacor has been responsible for many of the innovations that have improved the way people cook in the modern kitchen. Dacor is family-owned and embraces the legacy, heritage and expertise of a third generation to lead the company into a new age of cooking innovation. Dacor’s innovative appliances have been recognized with many prestigious awards including a Digital Trends Best of Consumer Electronics Show (CES) Home award for its Discovery iQ Dual-Fuel Range, Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) Best of Show and Best of Kitchen Gold for its Discovery iQ 30″ Wall Oven and Better Homes & Gardens Kitchen + Bath Ideas 30 Most Innovative Products award for its Discovery WineStation. For more information about Dacor and its products, visit dacor.com.