Electrolux Group launches refurbished product subscription service for Swedish consumers

According to statistics about worldwide electronic waste,* every Swede generates 20 kg of electronic waste annually. With the launch of AtEase, Electrolux Group’s new product subscription-based service for Sweden, consumers can make more sustainable choices for the home.

AtEase is part of Electrolux Group’s ambition to reduce electronic waste and contribute to the circular economy, with Swedish consumers having the option to subscribe to a new product or a refurbished one.

AtEase is an all-inclusive service that covers everything needed to keep the appliance running smoothly, including proactive maintenance, automatic shipments of accessories, and support (the appliance is replaced within three days if a fault occurs during the subscription). Crucially, every product returned to Electrolux Group is refurbished for reuse or gives life to new appliances by donating its parts.

“If the product is too damaged or worn to be refurbished, we can reuse parts such as circuit boards, rubber bumpers, or casings to extend the life of other products. In fact, 75% of the parts we use in the refurbishment of a robot vacuum cleaner have been harvested from an end-of-life product,” says James Ostridge, Product as a Service Director. 

The products currently offered through AtEase include the Pure i9 Robotic Vacuum Cleaner, Well A7 Air Purifier and Pure A9 Air Purifier. Further floor and air care products will be introduced later this year, and more products, including kitchen and garment care, will be added to the service over time. The launch of AtEase is a natural step following a successful pilot launched in 2019 to offer Swedish consumers the Pure i9 on a subscription pay-per-use basis.  AtEase will also be introduced to further markets beyond Sweden in the coming years.

Since July 2022, Electrolux Group has also offered landlords in Sweden a similar program of appliances-as-a-service for installations, maintenance and repair of appliances, prolonging the product life span and reducing electronic waste.

Meanwhile, in Singapore, the company launched a similar direct to consumer subscription model last year that offers the rental, set up, repair and recycling of products.

Midea in numbers

Revenues: $50 billion growth in Q1: profits equal to 8% of revenues and colossal investments in R&D. group presents its 2022 financial statements together with the first quarterly report for 2023. In 2022, the company’s total turnover reached 345, 7 billion Yuan (about US$50 billion), an increase of 0.7% year on year. However, net profit of 29.6 billion yuan (8.6% of revenue) increased by 3.4% over the previous year.

In the first quarter of 2023, Midea increased its revenue by 6.3% and its profit by 12% compared to the same period last year.

Founded in 1968, Midea is not only a leader in the household appliances sector. Its five business segments are smart home, building technology, electromechanics, robotics and automation, and digital innovation. It has spent nearly 50 billion yuan at its 35 R&D centers over the past five years. It has 35 major manufacturing bases around the world.Midea exports 41% of turnover (up in 2022 as domestic market shrinks) and ranks first in China in terms of market share for several product categories both online and offline, including air conditioners, ovens countertop microwaves, countertop ovens, electric stoves, induction cookers, electric kettles, etc. One out of three air conditioners sold in China is made by Midea

Electrolux Posts Q1 Loss, Sales Rise, Backs View; Stock Up

Swedish home appliance major Electrolux AB reported Friday a loss in its first quarter with weak volumes hurt by lower demand. Net sales, however, was higher than last year, and the company maintained its fiscal 2023 forecast. In Stockholm, Electrolux shares were gaining around 9 percent.

President and CEO Jonas Samuelson said, “Our number one priority for 2023 is a successful implementation of the Group-wide cost reduction and North America turnaround program…. The actions and performance in the first quarter are fully aligned with our 2023 full-year cost reduction plan. …Sustainability is at the core of our strategy and I am proud that we reached both of our 2025 science-based targets three years ahead of plan. The business and market outlooks for 2023 full year provided in the fourth quarter 2022 earnings report remain unchanged The company previously said the consumer sentiment in the new year is anticipated to continue to be negatively impacted by a high inflation and interest rate environment, although with regional differences.

Demand for core appliances in 2023 full-year is still expected to be negative for all regions except for the Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa region, which is assessed to be flat compared to 2022.

Based on this, volumes in 2023 are expected to decline year-over-year.

Over the mid-term, the company still projects to reach Group operating margin of at least 6 percent, both for the Group and for business area North America.

According to the firm, a key component is the estimated earnings contribution of above 7 billion kronor in 2024 compared to 2022 from the cost reduction program, whereof 4 billion kronor to 5 billion kronor is expected in 2023. The company also recorded commercial growth in all four business areasElectrolux further said it aims to increase aftermarket sales to approximately 10 percent of Group sales by 2025, from around 7 percent in 2022.

For the first quarter, loss was 588 million Swedish kronor, compared to last year’s profit of 950 million kronor. Loss per share were 2.18 kronor, compared to profit of 3.40 kronor a year ago.

Operating loss amounted to 256 million kronor, compared to profit of 1.58 billion kronor last year.

Adjusted operating income was 305 million kronor, compared to prior year’s 919 million kronor. Adjusted operating margin was 0.9 percent, compared to 3.1 percent a year ago.

The year-over-year decline in underlying operating income was mainly a result of lower volumesNet sales increased 9 percent to 32.73 billion kronor from 30.12 billion kronor last year. Organic sales growth was 2.2 percent. Price remained solid, while weaker market demand resulted in lower volumes for the Group as a whole.Stockholm, Electrolux shares were trading at 146 kronor, up 9.12 percent.

Electrolux Delivering sustainable business strategy

Jonas Samuelson, Electrolux Group CEO, and Vanessa Butani, VP Group Sustainability, talk about achieving the Electrolux Group science-based climate target three years ahead of schedule, and how the company managed challenges in 2022 to continue work toward its For the Better 2030 goals. This interview is published in the Electrolux Group Sustainability Report 2022. https://www.electroluxgroup.com/en/delivering-on-our-sustainable-business-strategy-35311/

Electrolux rumours

There have been rumors about the sale of the Swedish company for some time now

“we don’t comment on rumors,” Electrolux PR manager Paul Palmstedt told the Swedish financial publication Privata Affaerer .

Chinese company Midea had been rumoured to be interested

Electrolux is not sailing in good waters at the moment. It loses on the North American market and does not gain on the European one which is suffering from weak demand. Things are going better in the professional segment and partly in the built-in segment, sure, but the cost base is high and making margins isn’t easy.Midea has repeatedly stated that it sees its future in high value-added productions such as advanced robotics and automotive. It is said that you intend to invest money and intellectual resources in a business like ‘white’ which will be stagnant in the next few years at best.Electrolux collaborates with Midea in China to promote AEG without the need to exchange shares. One can think of a partial entry of Midea into the shareholding structure of Electrolux, or of joint ventures for the marketing in Europe (and in the USA) of products made by Midea but conceived and sold by Electrolux.

Electrolux redundancies


Electrolux announces redundancies: there will be 76 in Porcia and 25 in Susegana. Not renewed 300 expiring workers
The union: only voluntary and incentivized exits. In Italy the total number is 222 cuts. Redundancy fund risk in 2023
There are 222 redundancies announced by Electrolux for Italy during a meeting with the trade unions. The most substantial personnel cuts will be absorbed by the Porcia plants which will see the exit of 40 employees and 36 workers (10 of whom in the spare parts warehouse), and Forlì which will instead see a cut of 19 employees and 77 workers. Redundancies for 25 employees in Susegana while the cuts will affect 10 employees in Solaro in the province of Milan. The site is also the protagonist of an investment process which in the next few years will see the company spending around 102 million euros to modernize the production lines. In Cerreto there will be 5 outgoing employees while in Assago there will be two redundancies.

The operation aims to be concluded within the first quarter of 2023 and provides for the use of the incentived Naspi instrument. The negotiation will continue in the individual plants.

Electrolux cost reduction program

Electrolux is initiating a cost reduction program on the back of weaker-than-expected market demand and weak earnings in the third quarter. The cost measures are expected to result in a material positive earnings contribution in 2023. In combination with supply chain imbalances resulting in significant production inefficiencies and increased costs, the third quarter earnings for the Group are expected to decline significantly compared to the second quarter 2022 also excluding the one-time cost to exit the Russia market. This has been driven mainly by Europe and North America. Business Area North America is expected to report an operating loss in the third quarter exceeding the loss in the second quarter.

Since market demand for 2023 is expected to continue to be weak in both regions, the Board of Electrolux has decided to initiate a Group-wide cost reduction program addressing both variable and structural costs. The program, which starts immediately, will focus on reducing variable costs, with special attention to eliminating cost inefficiencies in the company supply chain and production. The structural cost reductions will primarily take place in Europe and North America and include prioritization and efficiency measures leveraging recent organizational changes. The measures include increasing productivity in operations as well as optimizing the R&D portfolio, administration, sales and marketing activities.

In business area North America, the strategy to strengthen and broaden Electrolux product offering with consumer experience innovations remains. However, the production transformation with two new facilities and several new product platforms, in combination with the particularly challenging supply chain conditions in the region, require additional measures to return to stability and profitability. A turnaround program will therefore be conducted under the leadership of Ricardo Cons, who has been appointed new Head of Business Area North America. Ricardo Cons has successfully led the transformation of the Electrolux business in Latin America over the last six years. He succeeds Nolan Pike, who takes up a new position continuing to report to Anna Ohlsson-Leijon. A new leader of Electrolux Latin America is anticipated to be appointed shortly.

Electrolux Says Profit Hit By Supply Chain Disruptions

Swedish home appliances maker Electrolux AB’s net profit plunged 81% to 257 million Swedish kronor ($25 million) in the second quarter of the year, due to supply chain disruptions, Barrons reported citing AFP. Supply chain disruptions adversely affected the availability of essential components and production schedules, and also increased the costs of airfreight for the companyThe irregular deliveries of multiple components, mainly electronics, continued to significantly impact our volumes, cause severe production inefficiencies and increase costs for airfreight,” he said.

By contrast, second-quarter sales increased by 11 percent to 33.7 billion kronor, as higher selling prices offset the supply crunch.

Electrolux said it was still unable to meet demand, especially in its laundry and premium cooking segments.

“We continue to collaborate closely with our suppliers to mitigate these supply chain constraints and expect sequential improvements from mid-2022,” Samuelson said, noting the risk of further disruptions still loomed.

Electrolux promotes a sustainable path in the kitchen

FSK’s third edition gathered online leading experts from across the food ecosystem – scientists, kitchen producers, food tech start-ups, and a chef. Among them is Petra Janney, founder of sustainability consultancy firm Hatcher, who said companies should put the right choices in front of consumers. In the process, companies can create “irresistible offerings” based on shared experiences for families and friends. «Eating sustainably is not a sacrifice: it’s an opportunity to learn something new, to try something delicious, and to create an unforgettable moment with loved ones» – Janney said.

«There are so many innovators showing that with the right amount of knowledge, right amount of nudging, we can really make a difference that’s meaningful for the planet and for our future – said Electrolux CEO Jonas Samuelson -. If today has shown anything, it’s really the power of partnership in the food ecosystem.» At this year’s EuroCucina in Milan (June 7-12), Electrolux will unveil GRO – a visionary concept aimed at reinventing the kitchen and enabling people to enjoy food in a way that is sustainable for our health and the planet.