Retra Alert (2023 Autumn)

THE POWE R BE H IND ELECTR I CA L R ETA I LI N G

AUTUMN 2023 ISSUE

Skills at your fingertips

We get hands-on with Retra’s new online training facility INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

● Retra Conference Preview ● What’s Hot in Custom Install ● Editor’s Interview: John Pickering, managing director, Miele GB ● Product Features: Home Laundry ● Floorcare ● SDA

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For further information please contact: Howard Saycell Chief Executive Retra howard.saycell@retra.co.uk 01234 269110 www.retra.co.uk

From the CEO

Howard Saycell reflects on why the market is having a hard time, but, on a more positive note, looks ahead to this year’s Retra Conference and highlights the association’s new online training platform.

Welcome to the autumn edition of Alert magazine. I hope you find it an enjoyable read and helpful to your business.

We’ll start with the market. As you know, when I talk to members I always ask, “how is business?”

It’s not data-driven in the way that, for example, the GfK numbers are, but it does give a view from a broad cross section of our membership.

As we are a national association, there are also regional variations and often the responses are quite mixed.

While some members are still saying that trade is okay, a sizable majority are telling me that it’s tough out there. Being honest, that isn’t a surprise. After many years of exceptionally low inflation and interest rates, both have gone up significantly.

The Bank of England has consistently raised interest rates in the battle to contain inflation and at last we do appear to be seeing some results.

Unfortunately, the headline rate – at the time of writing – is still almost four times its target of two percent, so the battle is a long way off being won. I was around and had a mortgage when interest rates hit 15 percent back in the day.

With a wife and two young children at the time, I can tell you it was very hard.

I’m hopeful that the Bank of England is slowly winning the battle with inflation, but I suspect the next few months will remain challenging for us all

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Our mortgage payments rocketed, much as they are today for many. Where there is a subtle difference is that we also didn’t face massive increases in energy, food, and other household bills. I’ve heard the current climate described as almost “the perfect storm.”

As a household’s disposable income gets eaten up by providing the basics, it is inevitable that discretionary spend becomes more and more “discretionary.”

Fortunate We are fortunate that many of the products we sell in our industry are deemed essential, but we can see from the data that volumes are significantly down in most areas.

I’m hopeful that the Bank of England is slowly winning the battle with inflation, but I suspect the next few months will remain challenging for us all.

Conference Included in this issue of Alert are details of our conference in October. We have a great line-up of speakers, a retail panel and networking opportunities with fellow retailers and suppliers.

Spaces are filling up quickly, so if you would like to join us on October 17, please remember to book your place. There are 125 free places (limited to one per member) and there are still a few left, if you act quickly.

You can book online (www.retra.co.uk) or complete the booking form enclosed in this magazine.

Training We have been running a survey on our training offer recently. In the next edition of Alert, we will share the results with you. I want to thank all the members that took the time to complete it. There is already a large training suite available to members.

Much is accessed online, which means you don’t have to release staff but can get them valuable training.

There are details of what is available now in this edition (see page 21).

A lot of it is free, so if you’ve not been using the Retra training, it’s well worth having a look. Full details are available on the Retra website. Talking of the website, we’ve just completed an upgrade. If you’ve not been on the site for some time, I recommend that you do.

We’ve made it easier to navigate, so that you can access the information you need quickly. I would welcome any feedback you have.

Employment rights I have had several members ask if the Government is still going to tear up all EU-derived employment rights on December 31 2023.

There has been quite a lot of speculation in the press about all EU laws.

The reality is that after four decades of working closely with the EU, it is an immense job to review all the legislation and either scrap it or replace it.

In an unexpected move, the Government announced in May that it has decided to abandon the idea.

As matters now stand, all EU-derived employment rights will remain fully binding unless the corresponding legislation is expressly repealed by the Government.

A list of EU laws that will be scrapped on December 31 2023 has been published but there are no significant employment laws on it.

This may change over time, but for now work on the basis that all EU-derived employment rights will remain in place.

Depending on your point of view, there is an argument to say that unless the law is a bad law then why would you want to scrap it?

Equally for those that voted leave, it’s not quite the outcome that many were hoping for.

I’m reminded of the Eagles song, Hotel California: “You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.”

Retra, of course, remains neutral in the whole debate. Until next time…

From the CEO

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Contents CONTENTS 03: From the chief executive NEWS 06: News 12: Associate News 15: Euronics News 16: Sirius News BUSINESS 17: Business Matters 18: Dealer Focus: We visit award-winning business Forbes Rentals 21: Retra Training: All you need to know about our new E-Learning staff training facility 22: HEEST Apprenticeships: Retra is helping to get new lifeblood into the servicing sector 23: The Retail Trust: How to boost your financial fitness

Editor’s Interview

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Home Laundry

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THE ROAD TO NET ZERO 24: Hoover, Haier and Candy’s UK director of brand communications, Antony Peart, on using smart technology to achieve sustainability goals RETRA CONFERENCE PREVIEW 26: We preview this year’s event and impressive line-up of guest speakers EDITOR’S INTERVIEW 28: Miele GB MD, John Pickering, highlights the brand’s commitment to independents and its focus on sustainability PRODUCT FEATURES 32: SDA 33: Floorcare 34: Home Laundry WHAT’S HOT 36: Richard Stevenson pulls back the velvet curtains on home cinema and the CI market ELECTRICAL PRODUCT SAFETY CONFERENCE 39: ESF CEO Lesley Rudd looks ahead to this year’s conference on product safety, with a focus on the circular economy DIGITAL MARKETING: 40: Making the most of Black Friday in your store ASSOCIATE INSIGHTS 41: Vispera 42: AP Taylor 43: Creda Home Appliances

Editor: Sean Hannam T: 07932 586001 E: hannamsean95@gmail.com Consultant Editor: Richard Stevenson T: 07974 926157 E: richard@quickbrownfoxpr.com Advertising: Linda Dorling T: 01256 321337 M: 07785 142398 E: lindaedorling@gmail.com Retra Alert is a Retra publication

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All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form (including photocopying or storage by electronic means) without the permission of the copyright owner.

The articles and opinions contained in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of Retra.

While Retra endeavours to ensure that the information in this publication is accurate and contains nothing prejudicial to the position or reputation of any party, Retra shall not be liable for damages (including without limitation damages for loss of business or loss of profits) arising in contract, tort or otherwise from this publication or any information contained within it.

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Contents

28/06/2022 08:47

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Retra members win big at IER Awards 2023

Several Retra retailers and associate members picked up trophies at the 2023 IER Awards, which took place this summer at the Riverbank Park Plaza Hotel, London.

Avensys in Crawley, West Sussex, won the Large Independent Retailer Award for Consumer Electronics, while NE Appliances in Bristol scooped the equivalent accolade in Major Domestic Appliances and also won Best Independent Retailer Website.

Potters Home Digital in Tenterden, Kent won the Small Independent Retailer Award for Consumer Electronics, while Best Independent Retailer Superstore was picked up by Powerhouse (Jersey Electricity), who also won the award for Best Omnichannel Retailer.

On the supplier side, Sony won the Innovation Award in Consumer Electronics for its Bravia OLED A95K TV, while Blomberg took home the Innovation Award in Major Domestic Appliances for its dual combi fridge- freezer, the KND464V With Vitamin Care.

Beko won the Industry Corporate Responsibility Award in Major Domestic Appliances, and Hoover walked away with the Best Floorcare Product Award for its cordless stick cleaner, the HF9.

Sony won the Training Award in Consumer Electronics and Samsung’s domestic appliances training team won the equivalent trophy in Major Domestic Appliances.

Witt UK and Ireland won the Best Accessory Award for its Etna pizza oven, while Euronics took home the prize for Best Marketing and Advertising Campaign.

Forbes Rentals (see pages 18-20) and Avensys won the Focused on Sustainability awards for Major Domestic Appliances and Consumer Electronics, respectively, while the Contribution to the Industry Award was given to Paul Hide, CEO of AMDEA (see box below).

Retra CEO Howard Saycell and AMDEA chair / Beko UK MD, Teresa Arbuckle, presented Mr Hide with his trophy.

For more information, visit www.ierawards.co.uk and for the photo gallery, go to www.ierawards.co.uk/awards-gallery-2023/.

AMDEA boss recognised for Contribution To The Industry Paul Hide, CEO of AMDEA, has been honoured with a top industry award.

He scooped the Contribution To The Industry accolade at this year’s Innovative Electrical Retailing (IER) Awards ceremony, which was held at the Park Plaza London Riverbank hotel (June 16).

The award was presented to Mr Hide by AMDEA chair and Beko UK MD, Teresa Arbuckle, and Retra CEO Howard Saycell.

Mr Hide, who has been in his role at AMDEA for three and a half years, previously worked as director of marketing and membership at techUK and, before that, for consumer electronics brands, including Sharp and Sony.

In his time at AMDEA, he can lay claim to a host of achievements. He has overseen a growth in membership, and spearheaded improved engagement with both Westminster and Whitehall, channel partners, the media, academic communities and conferences, while also enhancing research activity and charity work.

Under his leadership, AMDEA launched the award-winning and ground-breaking Know Watt’s What campaign, aimed at educating and empowering consumers to make properlyinformed decisions about energy-efficient appliances.

On receiving the award, Mr Hide said: “I am so grateful to have been given this honour. It means a great deal to me.

Appliances are vital to everyone in helping them go about their daily lives and I take huge pride in representing the industry through the auspices of AMDEA. “We’ve achieved a lot in the last few years at AMDEA but we’re not going to be resting on our laurels – we’ve plenty more excellent work in the pipeline.”

Teresa Arbuckle, chair of AMDEA, commented: “Paul has had a distinguished career in the consumer electronics and 6

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home appliance industries, ensuring that British customers and consumers receive the highest quality products and services over the years.”

Pictured (left to right): IER Awards host and comedian Mark Watson; Teresa Arbuckle, AMDEA chair and Beko UK MD; Paul Hide, CEO, AMDEA, and Howard Saycell, CEO of Retra.

She added: “I am most thankful to Paul for his strong leadership in taking over as CEO of AMDEA in 2019. He has not only strengthened the leadership team at AMDEA, but also worked on consumer campaigns which promote the benefits of domestic appliances, winning a trade PR award for Know Watt’s What last year, in addition to supporting the Register My Appliance campaign, which is now in its eighth year.

“He has strengthened relations with APPLiA, while improving government and retailer collaborations, as evidenced with this year’s Houses of Parliament event on sustainability.

“We wish Paul continued success in delivering achievements for AMDEA many years into the future.”

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‘ Retra’s training is invaluable and it’s part of your subscription – you don’t need to pay extra for it’

Independent retail chain Wilkinson Cameras, which has eight stores in the North West of England, is a huge advocate of Retra’s recently revamped online sales training facility. Sean Hannam spoke to director, Paul Edmondson, to find out why the training is so beneficial for their business.

Alert: How have you implemented Retra’s online training across Wilkinson Cameras?

Paul Edmondson: We’ve set it up so I can oversee all of our stores and see what all the managers and the sales staff do.

Alert: So, is it compulsory for your staff to do the Retra training?

PE: Absolutely – Paul Laville from T21 [who devised the training] set up each store – each member of staff registers with their own email and has their own login.

We’ve got eight retail stores and a web store, so nine locations that are doing the training and 35 staff.

The primary reason we wanted the training was for the new FCA regulation [Financial Conduct Authority – Consumer Duty].

The beauty of the training is that the regulation and the key points that the staff need

Paul Edmondson

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I’ve completed the time management training – I’d urge anybody who needs to save half an hour or 20 minutes a day to do it

“

Likewise, the managers can see what their own staff are doing – they can monitor how much of the training their staff have completed and see the overall picture.

One of the biggest problems with remote training – we’ve used other companies in the past – is that you roll it out, you’ll get a percentage of the staff who will embrace it and complete it straight away, and then some will drag their feet and some just won’t bother.

The fact that Retra’s training has an administrator level where you can oversee everybody and run reports is absolutely brilliant.

It also adds a competitive edge – everybody wants to be number one.

I don’t need to do the training, but I’ve done it so I can see what it entails. I said to one of the lads the other day, ‘Why are you at the top and I’m not?’

He said, ‘Well – I downloaded some PDF documents and I got extra points for doing that…’

to understand are incorporated into the training and in extremely simple terms.

If you’ve dealt with finance over the past 10 years for example, you’ll have absolutely no problem completing the training – it’s simple and more common sense than anything. There are just a few things that staff need to make sure they’re asking the customer. We then keep a note of the training on the staff’s personnel records.

Alert: So, you would definitely recommend the training to other Retra members?

PE: Absolutely – it’s invaluable.

If you’re a Retra member, the training is part of your subscription, so you don’t have to pay extra for it.

I’ve also completed the time management training – I’d urge anybody who needs to save half an hour or 20 minutes a day to do it. I guarantee that if you do it, you will save time.

For more on Retra’s online training, see page 21 and look out for a presentation on it at this year’s Retra Conference – October 17.

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Editor’s comment

Welcome to the latest edition of Alert – I hope you had a good summer and managed to get away.

After a quiet few weeks – several retailers I’ve spoken to have said things have been tough – fingers crossed, we’re back into the busy period, with the run-up to Black Friday (See page 40) and peak season.

But before all that, we’ve got the Retra Conference (October 17, Double Tree By Hilton, Coventry) to look forward to – check out the preview on pages 26-27 to see who’ll be speaking there.

I’ll be reporting on the event for the next issue of Alert, so come and find me and say hello. And if you’re there the night before, for the welcome dinner, I’ll see you at the bar.

I’ll also be joining some independent retailers on the panel session at the conference, which should be fun and informative – it’s always a lively discussion.

This year’s conference promises to be another good one – we’ve got a great line-up of speakers and some hot topics on the agenda, including sustainability, the future of the high street, recycling and electric vehicles.

Retra has got a lot to talk about at the conference too – some of which is featured in this issue, including its updated online sales training platform (See story opposite and page 21) and Retra Risk Assist (page 8).

Also in this edition, we look at how we’re working with the HEEST Forum on developing and promoting apprenticeships for young service engineers of the future (page 22).

I’ve been out and about a fair bit too, visiting award-winning Retra member and sustainability champion Forbes Retail in Surrey, (pages 18-20), attending Haier Europe’s 1 Vision conference in Liverpool (page 12) and talking to new Retra associate members Vispera, AP Taylor and Creda Appliances, who’ve all recently come onboard – read pages 41-43 to find out more about their businesses and plans.

Actually, I take back what I said about it being a quiet summer – I’ve never been busier…

See you in Coventry – it’s not the first time I’ve been sent there…

Sean Hannam hannamsean95@gmail.com 7

Dates for your 2023/2024 diary SEPTEMBER 1-5 IFA Messe Berlin www.b2c.ifa-berlin.de 13-14 EI Live!

Farnborough Exhibition Centre www.eiliveshow.com

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Retra helps it members with risk management and compliance

In the current working environment, even minor accidents or disputes can have potentially litigious and costly consequences.

21 2050: Appliances of the Future Conference City, University of London www.amdea.org.uk/event/2050appliances-conference OCTOBER 1-2 Sirius Buying Group Trade Show Marshall Arena,Milton Keynes www.siriusbuyinggroup.co.uk 17 Retra Conference Double Tree by Hilton Coventry For more information: Pat Sheldrake pat.sheldrake@retra.co.uk NOVEMBER 9 The ERT Awards Grand Connaught Rooms, London www.ertawards.co.uk 16 Electrical Product Safety Conference Church House, Westminster www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk DECEMBER 5 The TRIC Christmas Lunch The Londoner www.tric.org.uk 2024 JANUARY 9-12 CES 2024 Las Vegas Convention Centre www.ces-tech FEBRUARY 23-25 The Bristol Hi-Fi Show Marriott. Bristol City Centre www.bristolshow.co.uk MARCH 22 – April 7 The Ideal Home Show Olympia London www.idealhomeshow.co.uk APRIL 13-16 Hong Kong Electronics Fair (Spring Edition) www.hktdc.com/event/ hkelectronicsfairse/en

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Getting employment legislation and health and safety compliance right is therefore essential for a business to thrive.

Retra’s online risk management service – www.riskassist.co.uk – provides you with the means to manage all aspects of staff employment and workplace safety – more easily, more effectively and more profitably.

Membership brings access to a wide range of facilities, designed to help you stay compliant with current legislation and alerts you to any changes or current issues which may impact on your business.

Services include: • Health and Safety Essential sector specific information and guidance - all in one place.

• Human Resources From recruitment to exit interview - how to effectively manage your staff.

• Business Continuity Planning to survive in a business crisis.

• Driving Risk Effective management of Occupational Road Risk (ORR).

• E-Learning Fully accredited e-learning modules covering a wide range of health and safety training courses, including wellbeing.

• Self Assessment Where you are now; where you should be; how to get there. Your step-by-step guide.

• Ask the Expert 24/7 Ask the Expert facility - with guaranteed response within 24 hours.

• Document Manager Templates and forms – ready to personalise and store securely on the system.

“If Retra members have any questions or compliance issues, they can use the Ask The Expert app on their phone,” said Rosalind Klass, managing director of Health & Safety Click, which provides managers of small to medium-sized businesses with a compliance online software service that meets with the requirements of health and safety legislation.

“The app will make it much easier for Retra members – when our expert replies, the user will get a ping on their phone.”

For more information, visit www.riskassist.co.uk.

Rosalind Klass, managing director of Health & Safety Click, will be presenting on Retra Risk Assist at this year’s Retra Conference (October 17).

AMDEA conference to focus on the future of appliances

AMDEA will bring together representatives from the domestic appliance industry at a major event this autumn.

Taking place on Sept 21, the trade association’s 2050 Appliances of the Future – the Road to Net Zero conference, organised

by AMDEA in partnership with the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) and the host, City, University of London, is set to feature an impressive line-up of guest speakers.

Chaired by broadcaster Maggie Philbin OBE, the conference will include representatives from some of the UK’s leading brands, as well as senior government regulators, academics and senior figures from major appliance retailers.

They will discuss the challenges and new approaches to design, maintenance and re-use, how to support consumers to make sustainable choices and how the regulatory environment News

will enable the industry to achieve 2050 net zero emissions.

A leading technology futurologist will close the day, with insights into the technological and societal advances that will influence the industry in 10 to 15 years’ time.

Delegates will also enjoy a manufacturers’ showcase and a tour of the new AV/VR/AI suite at City University.

The one-day conference is free to attend.

Register online at www.amdea.org.uk/ event/2050-appliances-conference/ or contact: Rebecca.hildreth@amdea.org.uk.

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Smart opportunities for retailers at EI Live! 2023 Electrical retailers looking to achieve growth and success in the ever-evolving custom install industry should mark their calendars for EI Live! 2023 (Sept 13-14).

This leading trade show, held annually at the Farnborough International Exhibition Centre, Hampshire, is focused on the smart home and AV. EI Live! brings together a diverse range of industry professionals, manufacturers and suppliers under one roof.

It creates a great networking opportunity, allowing retailers to forge valuable connections, discover new partnerships, and strengthen existing relationships.

By engaging with peers and experts, attendees can gain insights into industry trends, emerging technologies, and best

practices, enabling them to stay ahead of the competition. EI Live! also offers a platform for retailers to explore a wide array of cutting-edge products and services.

Exhibitors showcase the latest innovations in home automation, smart technology, AV systems, security solutions, and much more.

By experiencing these products first-hand, retailers can assess their quality, functionality, and market potential, making informed decisions about their inventory and offerings.

EI Live! is also renowned for its comprehensive seminar programme, which takes place in the Technical Theatre.

Esteemed industry professionals deliver informative talks, workshops, and panel discussions on topics such as sales strategies, customer engagement, marketing techniques, and industry regulations.

These educational sessions provide attendees with invaluable knowledge and practical insights that can empower them to enhance their business operations and customer satisfaction.

By participating in EI Live! retailers can expand their professional network, discover innovative products, and gain essential knowledge to stay competitive in today’s fastmoving market.

For more information, visit eiliveshow.com. See What’s Hot Custom Install on pages 36-38.

Hughes invests £750,000 to support jobs at Ipswich premises Retra member, Hughes Electrical, has completed an 18-month, £750,000 refurbishment of its premises in Ipswich, Suffolk, to create a state-of-the-art, 33,000 sq. ft facility on Felixstowe Road.

Around 150 staff now work there across a number of departments: web management and call centre, trade, a retail shop, a depot, which includes service and delivery, plus a newly-created rental call centre.

There are also extensive training and meeting facilities. On the roof are 774 solar panels with an output of up to 301kw and designed to play a key role in Hughes’s commitment to net zero customer deliveries.

Hughes has owned the site since 1998 and took the decision to make the investment for several reasons.

“It is the perfect location to develop a business hub, for now and the future, serving a vital geographical area for our business,” said chairman, Robert Hughes.

“It underlines our long-term commitment to Ipswich, as we want to be an integral part of its development and growth.

“We see it as both a cultural and operational centre for Hughes.

It is also the ideal location for our newly-created rental call centre, underlining the importance of the rapidly growing rental side of our business.”

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As part of its goal of net zero customer deliveries, the Ipswich facility will soon become the base to trial electric vans and will also see the installation of large batteries to store electricity generated from the solar panels. Hughes already has a 100 percent electric car fleet.

Added Mr Hughes: “What we are doing at Ipswich underlines that we are aware to continue to succeed we must constantly invest in the business to enable us to provide ever better levels of customer service, while being mindful of our environmental obligations.”

New Hughes Trade branch for Southend Hughes Trade has relocated one of its largest branches from Rayleigh in Essex to brand new premises in nearby Southend to help it meet its ambitious growth plans and offer even better customer service.

It is now situated on The Quad Business Park, just off the A127, and six members of staff and two HGVs are based there, serving customers daily in Essex, Kent and around the M25.

Said Paul Chisnall, Hughes Trade director: “Our new Southend branch means we now have over 5,000 sq.ft of space available, and the unit is finished to an incredibly high standard, giving staff a much better working environment.

“It means we can hold more stock for immediate delivery.

Customers can also place orders in the evening for collection the following day.

“Hughes Trade has just had another record year and our new Southend operation will help us grow even further.”

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Associate News

Haier Europe shares its vision in Liverpool Appliance giant Haier Europe outlined its recent successes and latest plans at its 1 Vision conference in Liverpool this summer, including its move into small domestic appliances (SDA).

Alert was there to report on the latest news from the company.

Haier Europe’s UK and Ireland CEO, David Meyerowitz, opened the event, which was themed around the concept of ‘dream, believe, achieve.’

Speaking at the conference, he told delegates: “Haier is the enabler of dreams. We are the world’s favourite domestic appliance manufacturer.”

He stated that the company’s growth has been phenomenal.

It now has 170 factories, selling to 160 countries, with one billion customers, 100,000 employees, 4,000 micro-enterprises and 140,000 retail partners. “We dream big with confidence,” he said.

Haier Europe’s UK and Ireland CEO, David Meyerowitz

He added that the company is now the number one in washers and washer dryers, with fast growth also occurring in the cooling market.

“By 2025, 100 percent of our sales will be connected appliances,” he said, and “they will focus on the “ultimate user experience.”

Yannick Fierling, CEO of Haier Europe, stated that the company now has a market share of 17 percent worldwide, with a worldwide turnover of €32 billion.

“Every one in five fridges, wine coolers, washers, dryers are a Haier product. And despite the challenges we have faced recently, with Covid and supply chain issues, we have doubled our turnover making us the fastest-growing smart home appliance company,” he said.

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Associate News

Mr Fierling added that “selling a product was not enough. You must go from product to experience. We have built experiences for our consumers by building scenarios to see what works best for them.”

Sustainability is a key focus for the company. “We want to extend the life of appliances and we will do this by adding new versions of software through our app. Energy efficiency is important for us and being able to tell the customer when the cheapest time is to run an appliance efficiently, is important,” said Mr Fierling.

Haier Europe also announced a new initiative with Octopus Energy – being able to offer consumers the lowest cost per wash cycle at just 5p.

Leon Doyle, head of IoT ecosystems at Haier Europe, said: “If you already have the Intelligent Octopus tariff you only need to download the latest wash cycles from the hOn app and schedule your wash during the off-peak window. If you have not got it, then give them a call to see if the switch is right for you.”

He outlined that through the extensive analysis of data-driven insights it has become evident that existing customers were actively reducing temperatures and shortening their laundry cycles in response to the cost of living crisis.

He said, “Our zero distance to the consumer has shown us that, sadly, more and more consumers are extending days between washing, lowering their temperature and shortening their cycle all in the quest of reining in their electricity bill.”

The conference heard from many members of the senior management team around achievements that the business has surpassed and its goals for future growth.

Antony Peart, director of brand and communications for the UK & Ireland, said that “cultivating a brand is the key to success and the business has three distinct brands Candy, Hoover and Haier that it cultivates and resonates with its consumers.”

In a new move for the Haier brand, Dave Matthews, ME leader SDA, announced Haier’s entry into the small kitchen appliance market sector.

Later this year, Haier will launch its Series 5 range of small kitchen appliances. In 2024, it will follow up and unveil its Series 7 range.

Mr Matthews added: “We launched two new vacuums last year and we are so proud of them. One, the HL5 is an award-winning vacuum. This year, we are following on with two exciting new vacuums, one of which has not been seen on the market and is revolutionary in its style and capabilities.”

Both new vacuums will be launched later this year.

Closing the conference, Mr Meyerowitz paid tribute to all those who attended the conference including suppliers, trade partners and the media.

He also thanked those who have supported the company to get it to where it is today, and paid a special tribute to the staff.

“All of you are the drivers of our future. We thank you for your support. We want to be the first customer of choice for the smart home, and we are well on our way to achieving this goal,” he said.

Haier UK unveils new London Design Activation Centre

Associate News

Haier UK has opened a new Design Activation Centre in north London. Based in the Business Design Centre in the heart of the London Borough of Islington, the space will be used for meetings with trade partners, press, internal team meetings and for press events, product launches and demos.

Haier UK already has two Warrington-based brand and training activation centres – the London venue is the first of its kind in the south of England.

The Haier Design Activation Centre will highlight an extensive range of Haier built-in appliances within a Symphony kitchen.

It comprises an open plan kitchen/’living’ area, a state-of-the-art meeting area and back kitchen.

Premium products on display include the Series 6 range, with the I-Touch wi-fi-connected oven, an induction hob, an integrated double dishwasher and a single-door wine cooler, as well as the Cube 90 Series 7 fridge-freezer, and the I-Pro Series 7 washing machine and tumble dryer.

Antony Peart, director of brand and communications, UK & Ireland, Haier Europe, commented: “The new Haier Design Activation Centre at the Business Design Centre in London is the perfect location.

“It will give us a space in the heart of the capital, for customers, colleagues, and the community, and it will provide us with amazing opportunities to launch ground-breaking products at the heart of an iconic and industry-leading event space.”

New MD for Whirlpool UK and Ireland Whirlpool UK and Ireland has appointed James Goldsmith as managing director.

He has worked at Whirlpool for over 25 years and his previous roles have included marketing director and commercial director at Whirlpool UK, and general manager, KitchenAid EMEA. Mr Goldsmith aims to strengthen Whirlpool’s retail relationships and continue to foster the collaboration and teamwork the business is known for, said Whirlpool.

He started his career at Indesit, where he held several positions with increasing responsibility, based in the regional head office in Italy, as well as the UK.

In 2016 he moved to KitchenAid EMEA, based in Belgium, where the business doubled over his period as general manager for the region.

Speaking about his new role, Mr Goldsmith said: “I’m extremely proud to return to the UK and embark on a new challenge with the company.

“I look forward to applying the knowledge and experience that I have acquired throughout my career to build upon and further strengthen our retail relationships, drive our brands and services forward and nurture even more collaborative and engaged teamwork moving forward together.”

Beko and Blomberg win for charity work and smart innovation at IER Awards Beko won two awards at this year’s Innovative Electrical Retailing (IER) Awards – one for its Blomberg brand’s smart appliance innovation and the other for the company’s work in corporate social responsibility.

Blomberg’s dual combi KND464V fridge-freezer with VitaminCare+ technology picked up the trophy for Best Smart Innovation for Major Domestic Appliances, while Beko was recognised with the Best Industry Corporate Responsibility Award for its decade-long partnership with children’s charity Barnardo’s.

Blomberg’s KND464V fridge-freezer stood out in its category due to its VitaminCare+ technology.

This innovative feature utilises coloured LED lights to preserve the vitamins and nutrients in fruit and vegetables for longer periods.

In addition to Blomberg’s accomplishment, Beko was honoured with the Best Industry Corporate Responsibility award for its enduring partnership with Barnardo’s, the largest children’s charity in the UK. Over the past ten years, Beko has raised more than £375,000 to support Barnardo’s mission to protect vulnerable children and families.

Moreover, the brand has donated more than 900 appliances to the charity during this partnership.

As part of Beko’s HarvestFresh campaign, the brand launched a VegPledge initiative, offering customers up to £150 worth of free fruit and vegetables with the purchase of a qualifying HarvestFresh fridge-freezer.

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Associate News

For every customer claim received, Beko donated a box of fresh produce to a Barnardo’s service user.

Through this initiative, the brand has pledged over 5,500 veg boxes since 2021, offering a helping hand to families across the UK. Further still, the brand has run additional charitable campaigns, participating in Barnardo’s Kidsmas last December and more recently donating 100 small appliances to families Barnardo’s identified as living in poverty.

Vijay Bhardwaj, marketing director at Beko UK and Ireland, said: “We are consistently striving to develop products and partnerships that positively impact consumers’ lives, whether through innovative product technologies that make life easier or our collaboration with Barnardo’s to support vulnerable families.

“That’s why we are delighted to receive this industry recognition.

It truly is a testament to the exceptional work taking place within both Beko and Blomberg.”

“The strength of Euronics lies in the agents that serve their local communities,” said Paul Tyler, CEO of CIH. “We understand that consumers require choice when it comes to making purchases. This is why we have evolved our website.”

Each agent now has access to a unique URL, which means they can manage their own microsite which allows them to be more visible within the communities they support.

When consumers enter their postcode into the Euronics website, they can see the exact prices available to them, stock availability and delivery costs and timings.

“ CIH launched its new website and e-commerce system at this year’s Euronics Showcase

Evolution is the new way for Euronics agents to share details of their product range, delivery timings and installation information with consumers.

It takes the shopping locally experience to a whole new level of ease and simplicity, said CIH. The CIH team has spent the last year developing the new website to guarantee the professional and consistent approach Euronics is known for, whilst adding enhanced functionality to improve the consumer experience.

Over 2,000 products are now on the Euronics website, which local agents can tailor to suit the stock they have available in their stores.

The strength of Euronics lies in the agents that serve their local communities.

We understand that consumers require choice when it comes to making purchases. This is why we have evolved our website Paul Tyler, CEO of CIH

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CIH, part of Euronics, Europe’s largest electrical buying group, has launched a comprehensive new website that also delivers an innovative ‘closed marketplace’ function for its members.

Euronics News

Euronics evolves its online operation

Mr Tyler added: “Our website will continue to evolve, with more features planned in the near future.

“Euronics’s new e-commerce solution has the ability to share a wider range of members’ stock, offers and services to consumers.

As with everything Euronics does, it is all about shopping locally.”

This year’s Euronics Showcase, which took place at the NEC in Birmingham in April, was the launch platform for the new e-commerce solution.

Commenting on the show, Mr Tyler said: “This year is also a special year for us as we are celebrating 60 years of CIH. Our agents are a fundamental part of CIH’s longevity, and we wanted to provide an event where they could see the latest innovations, build great relationships with the brands they are selling, as well as find out about the promotions, new initiatives, support, and training that’s available to them.

“We feel we achieved just that, and we are delighted that so many of our members agreed.”

A broad range of companies supported the Euronics Showcase, event, exhibiting a full range of domestic appliances, televisions, computing, and home technologies, among other electrical products.

Among the 50-plus brands in attendance were: Beko; Blomberg; CDA; Liebherr; Haier; Hoover; Hisense; Creda; Asko; Vax; Dyson; Product Care Group; Caple; Rangemaster; Bosch; Neff; Siemens; Rangemaster; Whirlpool; Hotpoint; LG; Sony; Smeg; Shark/Ninja; AEG and Samsung.

Euronics News

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Steve Jones, managing director of Sirius Buying Group, looks ahead to the company’s autumn trade show, which takes place in Milton Keynes this October.

With modest growth predicted for 2024, ‘stronger together’ is the key message from the Sirius team, as it prepares for its keenly anticipated UK trade show this autumn.

Its experts are looking forward to presenting the latest product deals and market intelligence for 2024-5, to give independent retailers the best resources to reflect changing consumer desires.

Networking In recognition of our retailers’ changing working patterns and the need to optimise networking and mutual support, the annual event will now take place over two days instead of the usual one-day event.

This will enable new and existing members even more time to take advantage of the exclusive offers and peer-to-peer networking from approved suppliers to the group.

Taking place at Marshall Arena, the home of the MK Dons in Milton Keynes from Sunday October 1 to Monday 2 2023, this prime location is centrally located between Birmingham and London, and we are also offering one free night’s stay at the DoubleTree Hilton hotel located on site for each member company. The Marshall Arena is one of the largest purpose-built arenas in the UK equipped with 2,500 square metres.

Perfect Providing the perfect space for us to hold our 2023 trade show, we enjoy bringing all our members and suppliers together under one roof to continue to collaborate and grow relationships and collaboration, which right now in the current climate, is more important than ever.

Suppliers will be out in force supporting with exclusive offers right in time for peak season, so that our members can take advantage and maximise profitability.

Our autumn trade show is designed to be an exploration of the latest products and systems, as well as unique marketing solutions for independent retailers.

Our strength as a community lies in sharing information at every level and I am delighted by the growth mindset and the ripple effect of positive momentum, as we lean into new opportunities and keep developing our businesses together.

Discussion This year’s UK trade show serves as a place to facilitate open discussion and creative ideas with like-minded business owners.

We are finding that the appliances and kitchen living sector are evolving with state-of-the-art smart tech and energy-efficient solutions, and so our UK trade show is a great opportunity for our members every year to meet the demands of the new build and replacement market.

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Sirius News

Grow According to Statista,the overall sector is set to grow to over $900 billion (£700 billion) in value by 2028, and so by partnering with leading global brands like Whirlpool Group, Haier and BSH Appliances, as well as established UK suppliers, we’re helping our members develop long-lasting connections and build product portfolios that best serve their communities.

As experts in the kitchen electrical space for over 20 years, we believe in helping our members to be proactive and forward-looking.

As more consumers gravitate towards areas in their life they can control, our suppliers and members are in the best position to react quickly and capture new customers seeking out premium household appliances with self-serving features.

We know that the cost of living continues to dictate the sales conversation, so we want to ensure our members are equipped with the latest promotions and exclusive deals so they can quickly convert leads into sales.

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Our autumn trade show is designed to be an exploration of the latest products and systems, as well as unique marketing solutions for independent retailers

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Sirius News

Stronger Together

Supporting In addition to facilitating good business, the Sirius trade show will also be supporting Bristol-based charity, the Billie Elizabeth Wood Trust, which fundraise for research in subarachnoid haemorrhage.

We are proud to raise awareness about this brain condition, which affects a significant number of otherwise healthy people every year and join with our approved member Caple in championing this worthy cause on a national stage.

We are always humbled by the generosity of the entire group who kindly raised £9,000 at our Conference last May for the Disaster Emergency Committee’s Syria-Turkey Appeal.

We are so proud that our people continue to see the importance in giving back and are excited to see what we’re able to raise at our autumn event.

For further information on how Sirius can help you to grow your business in 2023, please contact: Sirius Buying Group siriusoffice@siriusbuyinggroup.co.uk 01395 277103 siriusbuyinggroupltd.co.uk

Business Matters

Learning an expensive lesson

We report on a Retra member who got fined twice by the FCA for an oversight, and offer advice on how to deal with the death of an employee.

We will start this article with a word of warning on FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) submissions.

A member contacted Retra recently to say that he had been fined £250 – twice – by the FCA. You will be aware that if you offer any financial services through your business, that you must be registered with the FCA. This extends beyond what we would all recognise as finance to other things such as rentals.

If you have any rentals, then these are classed as a financial product and come under the umbrella of the FCA. Back to our member who received the two fines. He was penalised twice for missing FCA submissions.

The reason behind this was that he had changed his e-mail address. At the time he changed his e-mail, he did inform the FCA, and they acknowledged his new e-mail address.

What he did not realise was that the FCA held his information on two different databases.

As a result of this, he missed two submissions where they had asked – via his old e-mail address – for data.

There is an automatic fine of £250 and there is no realistic opportunity to appeal. Our member has learned an expensive lesson and asked us to highlight how easy it is to get caught out.

The FCA makes the rules and applies them stringently. You have been warned.

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The FCA makes the rules and applies them stringently. You have been warned

Dealing with the death of an employee Sadly, from time to time we will get a call from a member seeking advice where an employee has passed away.

There’s no law which covers how you should deal with an employee’s death. Instead, it’s up to you to navigate your way through this unfortunate situation and how you do so will depend on the circumstances and wishes of the deceased’s family or next of kin.

The first thing you should do is to offer your condolences and find out how they wish to proceed.

You should also ascertain what information they are agreeable to you sharing with staff.

Having done this, you should inform staff about the employee’s death. Start with their immediate colleagues and then move on to the wider workforce.

Unless it’s unavoidable, it’s best to disclose this information to the deceased’s immediate colleagues personally and not via e-mail.

At this stage you should be as sympathetic as possible and offer support to individuals most affected by this news.

If anyone needs counselling, there is some very good support available via The Retail Trust. Details of how to get support are on the Retail Trust website www.retailtrust.org.uk – and it is a service that’s offered free of charge.

Advise It’s also possible that you will need to advise close external contacts, e.g., clients, customers, and suppliers, third parties such as your payroll supplier.

Often, colleagues will ask if they can attend the funeral. Even if you are aware of the funeral arrangements, always check with the family or next of kin about colleagues attending the funeral as this may not be practical or wanted.

If their attendance is welcomed, consider who will be allowed time off work to attend the funeral, i.e., anybody who wants to attend or one or two employees who will represent your firm.

Do try to accommodate everyone’s wishes. Employees may take it badly if they are welcome at the funeral but are denied time off work to attend.

Don’t make any final salary payment direct to the deceased’s surviving spouse, partner or next of kin. This forms part of the deceased’s estate and must only be paid to their personal representative. Where the deceased had a will, this will be the executor; if they died without a will this will be the administrator of their estate who is usually their next of kin.

You can make the final salary payment into the deceased’s bank account, as its control passes to their personal representative.

Non-compete clauses You may recall in the last Business Matters we looked at the contentious issue of non-compete clauses in employment contracts.

Some members have tried to impose up to 12 months in senior employees’ contracts where they handle sensitive contracts.

It has always been very hard to enforce these clauses. Helpfully, in May 2023 the Government confirmed that it is intending to apply a statutory three-month cap to non-compete clauses by introducing legislation when parliamentary time permits.

Its rationale for the three-month cap is that non-compete clauses have become a “default part of too many employment contracts; are inhibiting employees from looking for better paid roles; and limit competition and innovation”.

When the cap is introduced, the most likely outcome is that any pre-existing non-compete clauses which have a longer duration e.g., six or 12 months will be limited to three months. That’s because new legislative requirements generally override preexisting contractual terms and obligations.

The Retra Helpline is open Monday to Friday from 9.00am to 5.00pm on 01234 269110.

Business Matters

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Dealer Focus

Responsible Retailing Forbes Rentals has won awards for its commitment to sustainability and customer service. Sean Hannam went to the company’s head office in Redhill, Surrey to find out more.

At this year’s Innovative Electrical Retailing (IER) Awards, Retra member Forbes Rentals picked up the trophy for Best Independent Retailer Focused on Sustainability.

This accolade highlighted the company’s commitment to promoting sustainability and environmental responsibility within the industry.

Commenting on the win, Forbes CEO, Kevin Herring, said: “We are beyond delighted to receive the IER Award for Best Independent Retailer for Sustainability.

“At Forbes, sustainability is deeply enshrined within our company ethos, and we are firmly committed to making a positive impact on the environment. This industry recognition is a big moment for us as a business.”

Commitment A few weeks after the IER Awards ceremony took place, Alert visited Forbes in Redhill, Surrey, to find out more about the retailer’s The original Forbes shop in Purley, south London

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Dealer Focus: Forbes Rentals

Dealer Focus

Split Forbes is split between domestic and commercial rentals – Forbes Professional. The domestic side is currently the largest chunk of the business, but the commercial arm is growing very quickly.

“We’ve put a lot of investment into the commercial side,” says Mr Herring.

“Initially, our commercial operation was focused on the provision of TVs for hotels and healthcare but we quickly expanded to also offer commercial laundry solutions, mirroring our consumer offering.

“Our clients now include boutique hotels, large hotel chains, care homes, hospitals and student accommodation. We cover most of the UK and are seeing a rapid expansion of our commercial division, as clients become more aware of the financial, logistical and service benefits of leasing equipment.”

He adds: ““When the company was established, we were selling a mix of products – TV and white goods – but then moved in to rental in the 1960s. The ‘80s, was a big boom era for rental and we were doing large amounts via leafleting – predominately TV rental at that time.

“We were competing with Radio Rentals and Granada. We opened distribution depots and white goods rentals really took off in the ‘90s. Our operation has evolved considerably since then and now the majority of our rental contracts are for white goods.”

Relationship Bosch is Forbes’s biggest white goods supplier – it has a longstanding relationship with the manufacturer.

Mr Herring tells Alert that white goods account for around 60 percent of Forbes’s business and browns – TVs and soundbars – for about 40 percent.

He adds: “Today, we’re getting more applications for white goods.” So, why’s that?

“I think the technology in TV hasn’t changed for a while, so there’s not the need for people to change the TV as frequently,” he explains.

“We’re seeing that a customer who rents a washing machine will very quickly add on a tumble dryer and then a fridge-freezer to their account. White goods give us more opportunities for that kind of organic growth.”

Hannah Forbes – head of brand and content management

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I think the sustainability message is huge – there’s a movement away from the preoccupation with ownership. People can become a user rather than a consumer

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commitment to sustainability, as well as the company’s background and its approach to business.

We spoke to Mr Herring and Hannah Forbes, who is head of brand and content management – her grandfather, Frederick Donald Forbes, founded the original Forbes retail business in 1926, in Purley, south London, and then her uncle, Malcolm and her father Stuart, took over the operation – they joined full-time in 1960 and 1967 respectively.

The business will celebrate its centenary in 2026. Ms Forbes says: “In terms of our offering, we’re hugely responsive to our customers and we’ve really diversified; we now provide mobility scooters as well as home and electrical appliances. While we’re progressive and agile in terms of the products we offer, we still offer the same service we’ve offered for almost a century – it’s just expanded.

“People still want traditional, reliable service without unexpected costs. I think the sustainability message is huge – there has been a movement away from the preoccupation with ownership.

“People can become a user rather than a consumer; reduce what they’re sending to landfill and reduce emissions. We offer a multi-cycle product lifespan and a more sustainable lifestyle choice.

“Winning an award for our sustainability was brilliant – it means a huge amount.”

Adds Mr Herring: “Rental is a sustainable alternative to purchase. If a product is faulty, we’ll repair it or replace it and if we can’t repair it, the parts will remain in our stock flow for re-use.

“We have comprehensive policies on recycling and waste, and fully comply with the WEEE directive for anything that has reached the end of its lifespan. It’s not just the product life cycles that are sustainable – it’s the entire business model.”

Says Mr Herring: “Our workforce is multi-skilled. Some of our TV engineers can now repair white goods, and we’re training up our delivery assistants and installers to be engineers. We invest heavily in staff development and training and have an incredibly low turnover of staff.”

He adds: “We’ve also seen a lot of growth this year with our mobility scooters and we’ve had a good strong summer.” ▶▶ Dealer Focus: Forbes Rentals

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Dealer Focus

Customer Service Last year, Forbes won a IER Award for Best Customer Service.

During our visit, Alert is shown the domestic sales department and introduced to sales manager, Janice Englefield, who tells us about that side of the operation.

“Our domestic sales team works six days a week, from 8am to 7pm – it’s a very busy, proactive department with passionate staff,” she says.

“Everyone has been here for over 15 years – I’ve been here over 20 – and the staff are knowledgeable and enthusiastic. It’s like a Forbes family – we have that ethos and our customers are part of that.”

She adds: “We’re dealing with applications for new customers that come in via our website, having applied online.

“We contact them, confirm their details and perform a credit check. Not everyone passes the check – if they do, we’re delighted to offer them the product that they initially pick. If not, we do have alternative products to offer – we use our pre-loved, quality refurbished stock that’s come back from one of our existing customers who has upgraded. It’s a circle of stock – sustainability.”

Contract lengths on pre-loved products are only nine months, so customers can call Forbes after that period of time has elapsed,

and the retailer will review the customer’s situation and also look at new or additional products that they may want.

“We also have new customers that phone in – I would say that number has increased thanks to our current marketing. We’re getting a high volume of calls, as well as online,” says Ms Englefield.

Forbes CEO, Kevin Herring

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Customers know we are only ever a phone call away and our customer care team provide telephone and video assistance for a number of basic user issues. We are committed to providing a comprehensive service support for all products

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Staff There are 109 staff working for Forbes at its head office, across various departments, including customer service, admin, sales, distribution and delivery, plus installers and a large, nationwide team of field service engineers who are primarily home-based.

In addition to the head office in Redhill, Forbes has regional head depots in Derby, Wigan, Exeter and Glasgow, so the company can provide deliveries across most of the country, with a few geographical exceptions.

Forbes offers free delivery, free same/next-day service / repair and like-for-like replacement – if a product can’t be repaired, it will be replaced.

Mr Herring says Forbes benefits from being a Retra member: “It’s the industry knowledge – you can be very insular and only look at your own businesss… Retra is a forum and a knowledge base that you can’t get anywhere else.”

He adds: “The services for members – Retracare and the helpline – are essential. I use Retra Risk Assist, which is invaluable for compiling all of our health and safety and personnel documentation.”

She also attributes this to the cost of living crisis and says: “It’s peace of mind – we take everything away from them and we do the delivery, service and the installation. If there are any problems, they can just phone us.”

Adds Mr Herring: “We’ll do what we need to do to satisfy the customer.

“Customers know we are only ever a phone call away and our customer care team provide telephone and video assistance for a number of basic user issues. We are committed to providing a comprehensive service support for all products.”

‘Regeneration of products is at the core of the Forbes business’ Forbes takes its environmental responsibilities very seriously – the regeneration of products is at the core of its business.

On the news section of the company’s website – www.forbes-rentals.co.uk – an article on sustainability written by Hannah Forbes, who is head of brand and content management, says: ‘We believe that sustainability is synonymous with a sense of responsibility towards people and the environment, and is an integral part of quality awareness.’

As a business, Forbes says it is fully committed to: • • • • • • • • • •

Forbes winning this year’s IER award – Best Independent Retailer Focused on Sustainability

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Dealer Focus: Forbes Rentals

Using its resources efficiently and minimising waste.

Selecting its products based on their durability and projected longevity.

Refurbishing and redistributing its products – where possible, old stock is regenerated and either sold to trade or put back into the company’s stock flow.

Ensuring that any products that are not suitable for regeneration are disposed of responsibly.

Recycling of plastics, metals, glass, paper and cardboard.

Promoting the use of recycled products.

Choosing its business partners carefully, to ensure its laundry equipment offers optimum energy and water efficiency and minimises chemical usage.

Offering the latest, most efficient LED technology.

Introducing hybrid cars to its fleet of vehicles where possible.

Encouraging employees to be aware of their own environmental responsibilities within the workplace.

“Even when a product reaches the end of its life, there are parts that we can reclaim and put back into stock,” says Ms Forbes. “Regeneration goes beyond just the products – it’s about the parts too.”

We ask Paul Laville, founder and owner of T21 Group, to talk us through the new Retra E-Learning staff training facility and highlight some of the benefits.

Alert: So, what’s different about the new system?

PL: Retra’s new platform is built on our [T21’s] brand-new learning management system Konkor, which offers a faster, overall much slicker user experience than the previous iteration on any modern web browser.

From a learner’s point of view it’s easier to see your progress through multiple courses and download related resources – the online equivalent of the handouts you might pick up in a classroom training for example.

We can upload these supporting documents into the platform’s ‘library’ and attach them to related e-learning courses, then we can ‘gamify’ the experience by triggering achievement points and badges when they’re downloaded, it’s one way of incentivising engagement and improving knowledge retention.

From a dealer’s perspective the reporting is more granular, so that managers responsible for staff training can view and download detailed reports on who is engaging with the courses right down to the very second someone started, completed or failed to complete a course module, engaged with an activity or answered a question.

This can be really important for compliance-related courses and can even form part of a performance appraisal programme, where it provides hard data to show that employees are achieving their training goals.

The biggest benefit is that Retra E-Learning on Konkor provides a better user experience on every level, for learners engaging with more dynamic, more effective courses and having everything they need to support their learning at their fingertips, to managers who want to track their staff training online and use Retra E-learning as

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Ongoing training and development is essential for businesses that want to tune-in to changing customer behaviours and market conditions T21’s Paul Laville

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Alert: Can you tell us about the relaunch of Retra’s online training programme?

Paul Laville: The relaunch of Retra E-Learning is the first part of Retra’s drive to support its members with a comprehensive suite of online learning courses intended to help members and their staff improve their skills in key areas of retailing and service delivery.

We’ve launched with three major courses: The Selling with Finance course has been fully rebuilt.

It aims to help shop floor sales staff engage more of their customers in conversations about retail finance, so they can sell more packages and generate higher turnover and profitability.

The Sales Masterclass, also rebuilt, provides those already proficient at selling the means to advance their skills and create better customer experiences.

It also includes expert guidance on integrating strong sales strategies into the business.

The third course is brand new and it covers Time Management Essentials.

Anyone who struggles with their work/life balance and finds that there aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done will find this very useful.

Retra Training

‘ Retailers and their sales staff need to be at the top of their game if they want to compete and stay relevant’

part of their personnel development programmes.

Alert: How can Retra members access the training and will it cost them anything?

PL: Enrolment with Retra E-learning is free to all Retra members.

The easiest way to sign up is for members to login to the Retra website and visit the Retra E-Learning page at: https://retra.co.uk/ retra-e-learning. Just complete the enrolment form and then you’ll receive instructions on how to register your staff. It’s easy.

Alert: Why is training so important in electrical retailing?

PL: Ongoing training and development is essential for businesses that want to tune-in to changing customer behaviours and market conditions, and in the last five years the electrical retailing industry has changed massively.

Modern day retailing has become much more of a consultative process and customers are much more informed about technology trends than ever before.

This means that their expectations for retailers to deliver seamless experiences and value online and in person are much higher, so retailers – and by extension, their sales staff – need to be at the top of their game if they want to compete and stay relevant.

We’ve always been good at engaging with product training offered by manufacturers in this industry, but less so on training our ‘soft skills’. Both are critical, so you’re missing out if you’re only engaging with one of those.

Alert: Any plans to further develop the platform in the future?

PL: The platform itself will continue to evolve in response to the needs of those who use it and changing technologies. It’s built to be flexible in that way.

With regards to the content, Retra want to build up the library of courses to include training on a wide range of topics essential not just to retailing, but also service and installation.

We’re right at the start of that journey and there are many plans.

Right now, the future of Retra’s training provision looks very exciting and I’m delighted to be a part of it.

Paul Laville will be speaking about the Retra E-Learning platform at this year’s Retra Conference – October 17, Double Tree by Hilton, Coventry.

Retra Training

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HEEST Apprenticeships

Encouraging young people into electronics Retra and the HEEST (Household Electrical and Electronic Servicing Training) Forum are collaborating on apprenticeship schemes to help service engineers of the future develop the skills needed to work with connected appliances.

Retra is proud to support the work of the HEEST (Household Electrical and Electronic Servicing Training) Forum, which has launched a Trailblazer apprenticeship scheme to nurture the engineering skills required for the future of the home appliance and consumer electronics sectors.

“It’s proper hands-on training – not death by PowerPoint. I sit at my workstation with cameras all around me and I can show people particular testing procedures. They’re doing the same thing and discovering other elements – it’s learning from doing and it’s been very successful.”

Attract There’s a definite need to attract new lifeblood into the servicing industry – Mr Williams and the HEEST Forum are keen to work with Retra members to promote the apprenticeship scheme and safeguard the future of the industry.

“I’d like them to start putting young people back into the industry – that’s my goal. I’ve had a very rewarding career in the sector – we need the next generation and we need Retra and its membership,” he says.

The HEEST Forum and Retra are committed to helping our service engineers of the future learn the right skills in order to be the best they can be in this exciting and dynamic field.

The HEEST Forum was formed in 2010. Its members include trade associations Retra, AMDEA and techUK, as well as manufacturers and service providers, such as Miele, Whirlpool, Hotpoint, BSH, Samsung, Panasonic and Sony.

Background Steve Williams, curriculum leader of electronic engineering at Gower College, Swansea, who started out as a TV engineer and then moved into teaching, is the chairman of the HEEST Forum – he explains the background to it: “I’ve been chair of the HEEST Forum for at least the last four years and we’ve also had some independent retailers sit around the table as well – basically we designed a ‘Trailblazer Group’ and a qualification to make sure the sector could recruit and upskill,” he says.

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The age profile of engineers is approaching retirement and there’s no one coming up behind them to take over the mantle, so, fundamentally, we created an apprenticeship standard – ST0150

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“The age profile of engineers is approaching retirement and there’s no one coming up behind them to take over the mantle, so, fundamentally, we created an apprenticeship standard – ST0150.

We then went out to colleges to get buy-in.”

The colleges currently delivering the Trailblazer include Gower College, Swansea, Birmingham Metropolitan College and Lincoln College.

“We’ve invested in online training with block release – we ship out a ‘lab in a box’, which the apprentices can work on at home, or wherever they’re engaging with us,” says Mr Williams.

22

HEEST Apprenticeships

Smart The ST0150 standard – Electrical, Electronic Product Service and Installation Engineer – includes details of how to meet the needs of today’s smart products.

It is essential that an engineer is IT-literate and has an understanding of all aspects of connectivity. The engineer must also be capable in the usage of apps.

Technology is developing at a rapid rate and the range of products requiring the engineers’ skills will expand, requiring them to maintain and update their knowledge and skills to meet these future needs, particularly as the smart home develops.

Says Mr Williams: “As part of the training, there is the opportunity to make a smart home remotely – it’s about 8 X 6 inches and it’s got all the various sensors you’d have in a smart home installation. The course is very pratical.” ● For more information

www.retra.co.uk/supporting-apprenticeships www.heestforum.co.uk www.www.instituteforapprenticeships.org www.worldskillsuk.org

Boost Your Financial Fitness It goes without saying that things are pretty tough right now – with interest rates and the cost of living, we’re all feeling the pinch.

But although most of us are well-versed on the importance of looking after our physical and mental health, many of us don’t realise our financial fitness is also crucial when it comes to our overall wellbeing.

A new report conducted by the Retail Trust into the health of the UK’s retail workers found that a worrying 80 percent have experienced a deterioration in their wellbeing in the last 12 months, with over half (52 percent) telling us the cost of living crisis has impacted their mental health.

The most common symptoms were anxiety, reported by 70 percent of employees, changes in sleep habits (59 percent), feeling overwhelmed (55 percent) and struggling to think clearly (47 percent) – all of which show the crucial importance of financial wellness.

You can download your copy of the Retail Trust health of retail report at retailtrust.org.uk/health-of-retail-report.

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For most of us, enjoying financial wellbeing and avoiding those 2am panics means having the capacity to deal with money emergencies and the freedom to enjoy life in the way you want to

“For example, you can have debt but also achieve financial wellness if your income is comfortably covering repayments.

Instead, ask yourself: am I suddenly waking up in the middle of the night worrying about money? Am I avoiding looking at my bank account? Do I tend to spend on impulse to quell my anxieties?

Do my feelings around money include anxiety, stress or fear?

Even obsessively saving can indicate that your financial wellbeing isn’t as good as it could be.”

Your financial wellbeing prescription For most of us, enjoying financial wellbeing and avoiding those 2am panics means having the capacity to deal with money emergencies and the freedom to enjoy life in the way you want to.

Visit the Retail Trust website for simple steps you can take to boost your financial fitness which include getting to grips with the basics, tackling your beliefs and asking for help: retailtrust.org.uk/ financial-wellness/boost-your-financial-fitness/651.article.

You can also access loads more resources to improve your financial health at: retailtrust.org.uk/financial-health.

The Retail Trust

Financial wellbeing is important, but managing money can be stressful and lead to anxiety. The Retail Trust explains how it can help Retra members to improve their financial health.

We are always here for you

As a valued member of the Retra family, you and your colleagues have free and confidential access to the charity’s wellbeing services.

The Retail Trust wellbeing helpline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can contact the team on 0808 801 0808 for in-the-moment support and guidance.

Tools for a happier, healthier life The Retail Trust website is packed full of loads more articles, quizzes, videos and guidance on everything from mental health and wellbeing to your career and lifestyle.

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“We should all live a ‘well’ life, whether that’s physically, emotionally, or financially,” says financial coach Catherine ThomasHumphreys, AKA The Finfluencer.

“Money is there to support you living your life, but around half of us don’t feel confident with money, which means wellbeing in terms of finances is missing from their lives.

“If you imagine not having any money, you can see why financial wellbeing is important – it’s stressful and the consequences of managing badly are very hard on us.

“We’re also very hard on ourselves for financial mistakes, much harder than in other areas of our life. But it’s not just about how much money you’ve got – some people have plenty, but they still don’t enjoy financial wellbeing because they’re so anxious about it.”

How healthy is your financial wellbeing?

The signs that your financial fitness could benefit from some finetuning are mostly based on your feelings around and reactions to your financial situation.

“To find out if you need to work on your financial wellbeing, don’t look at the numbers – look at how your finances match your personal situation, and how it makes you feel,” says Catherine.

You can take charge and decide what’s important to you.

Think of it as your very own support network.

Once you’ve registered on the Retail Trust website – www.retailtrust.org.uk – you can personalise it and choose what topics interest you.

Whether that be advice on how to cope with anxiety or financial worries to valuable tips on managing a team, you’re in total control.

And remember, it’s completely confidential. Completely.

That means, as with everything at the Retail Trust, no one at work will know what topics you choose, what you’re clicking on, what you’re reading or whether you’re reaching out for counselling or financial aid.

Register today at retailtrust.org.uk, choose ‘Retra family’ as your employer, and start your wellbeing journey.

The Retail Trust

23

We ask Antony Peart, Haier, Hoover and Candy’s director of brand communications for the UK and Ireland, how the business is tackling sustainability and using smart technology to achieve its goals.

Sustainability is one of our pillars and like everybody else Haier is working on reducing its carbon footprint, with plenty of KPIs to reach and very clear goals to achieve in the coming years.

Haier is on a transformation journey towards being the first consumer choice for smart home solutions.

This vision – combined with the need for a more circular economy and society – calls us to rethink our design, production, and consumption practices.

As the world’s global number one major appliances brand (Euromonitor 2023), we take our responsibility extremely seriously.

Sustainability is a key enabler in our strategic plan, as we aim to reduce our social and environmental impacts by leveraging what is at the core of our business: artificial intelligence and connectivity.

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We aim to have 100 percent of our products connected by 2025 in order to drive efficiency and sustainability

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The Road To Net Zero

‘ As the world’s global number one major appliances brand, we take our responsibility extremely seriously’

Initiatives We have just announced our commitment to submit a plan for emissions reductions in line with science-based targets within the next two years.

In parallel, we are performing a thorough assessment of our emissions in all areas of our value chain and continuously working to build supply chain transparency and ensure efficiency of our products through all areas of the life cycle.

Our IoT and connectivity approach extends the durability and efficiency of our products, helps prevent food waste and empowers educated consumers on sustainable living.

The h0n app provides a range of features to transform the experience of our customers into a sustainability journey.

Our h0n app has been developed to deliver energy savings and efficiency across our connected appliances for Haier, Hoover and Candy.

We aim to have 100 percent of our products connected by 2025 in order to drive efficiency and sustainability in the use phase and end of life of our products.

In addition, the connectivity featured on the h0n app empowers educated consumers, teaching and informing on sustainable habits related to the use of our products, that save resources and bringing awareness on climate change and sustainability.

The app has a number features centered on reducing energy and resources consumption and prolonging the life of our products including: • Wide range of AI features to optimise energy and H20 consumption and prevent unnecessary wear and tear.

• Seize less carbon intensive electricity times through timing remote delay feature.

• IoT ecosystems Smart grid connectivity for solar energy use.

• Reducing travel footprint with wireless preventative maintenance and updates.

• Tips, alerts and guidance focused on circularity, resource and cost savings.

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The Road To Net Zero

• On demand manuals and OTA updates reduce number of spare parts needed.

Achievements We have put forward a very strong agenda and targets in terms of sustainability and social responsibility.

We have a full programme, and have made some excellent progress to date.

It is certainly a core investment channel for the business, because our environment is what is most precious to us all. Our achievements include: Emissions in operations and production In 2022, we are proud to have reduced our scope 1 and 2 emissions by over 20 percent from 2021 through implementing a range of energy efficiency solutions in our Italian factory such as introducing zero emission electric boilers, implementing more efficient smart meter systems and optimising the performance of our manufacturing lines.

We have made the commitment to achieve at least 60 percent renewable energy across all of our controlled sites by 2025.

Products • Sustainable packaging – In line with a circularity approach and our sustainable packaging initiative, we have achieved 100 percent recyclable packaging in our small domestic appliances product line and aim to set more targets in 2023, to transform our packaging in other product lines to Hoover A-rated washing machine fully recyclable materials over the next five years.

• A-Class washing machines – Haier Europe now has the most A-class washing machines on the market today and we aim to continue the presence of high efficiency products as a priority.

• Bringing second life to products – In line with extending the life cycle of our products, we have partnered with small local businesses in key markets, with the first pilot project in France, for the refurbishment and resale of our products.

We are currently assessing this for implementation in UK and Germany, with the aim of offering more consumers the opportunity to access pre-used appliances.

• Assessing the life cycle impact of our products – In line with a full review of our value chain emissions, we are identifying key products for life cycle assessments, starting with our cooling product line, so that we can drive sustainability in the key areas that are needed the most.

We aim to expand critical assessments of the life cycle of our appliances to all product lines in the next five years.

17th October 2023 Double Tree by Hilton Coventry Paradise Way, Walsgrave Triangle, Coventry CV2 2ST

125 FREE Places for Retra Members

To claim your Free Place contact Pat Sheldrake at: pat.sheldrake@retra.co.uk

or call: 07920 852973

MAIN SPONSOR

SPONSORS

Retra Conference Preview

Working together for a sustainable industry We look ahead to this year’s Retra Conference, which promises an impressive and highly relevant line-up of guest speakers, covering topics including sustainability, electric vehicles, recycling and the future of the high street.

Retra CEO Howard Saycell

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Retra Conference Preview

This year’s Retra Conference will take place at the Double Tree by Hilton, Coventry on October 17.

The theme is ‘A Sustainable Industry’, and the event will feature a range of industry heavyweight speakers in the line-up, along with guest experts and the ever-popular retail panel.

The conference focuses on the things that matter to electrical retailers – the sustainability of both our industry and our sector.

The host for the day will be the popular journalist and broadcaster, Declan Curry.

He has been reporting on business, the economy and politics for almost 30 years, and appears frequently as a business commentator on LBC News, and occasionally on Classic FM and Capital Radio.

For almost a decade, he was the business presenter for the BBC’s breakfast television programme on its flagship network, BBC One.

Keynote speaker, Steve Fowler, editor-in-chief of Auto Express

Outlook Not only will Mr Curry run the conference, but he will also provide his personal insight into the economic outlook for the UK. The keynote speaker will be Steve Fowler, editor-in-chief of Auto Express.

He has been writing about cars for over 30 years, is used as a resident ‘car guru’ on BBC Radio Five Live and BBC Radio Four’s You and Yours, and been a motoring pundit on BBC TV, ITV and Sky News, and on national and local radio.

The conference focuses on the things that matter to electrical retailers – the sustainability of both our industry and our sector

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AMDEA CEO, Paul Hide

Popular The conference will close with a panel of retailers answering members’ questions and is always a popular feature of the day.

This year’s panel will comprise Matt Renaut, managing director of Dacombes of Wimborne; Matthew Todd, partner of Herbert Todd & Son, York; Luke Gammon, director of Wades, Ramsey, and Alert editor, Sean Hannam.

On the evening of October 16, there will be a welcome dinner, which is free to anyone attending the conference.

Retra Conference Preview

In addition, there will be the formal launch of the new Retra Risk Assist management website (see page 8).

This will be presented by Rosalind Klass, managing director of Health & Safety Click.

Retra Risk Assist is a very comprehensive toolkit and will be available free to all members.

If you need templates for HR, risk assessments and a whole resource centre it’s all there – and it’s free.

Conference host, broadcaster and journalist, Declan Curry

Mr Fowler will look at the whole switch to electric vehicles and what this means for retailers’ delivery and installation teams.

When is the right time to go green with your fleet of vehicles?

Mr Fowler will hopefully provide the answers.

Other guest speakers already confirmed are: Nick Simon, GfK’s client insight director, consumer electronics; Paul Hide, CEO of AMDEA; Andrew Goodacre, CEO of BIRA (British Independent Retailers Association), who will talk about the future of the high street, and Robert Williamson, national business development manager at Symphony.

There will also be speakers from both Repic – Laura Crehan – and Material Focus, looking at the recycling challenge. Paul Laville, founder and owner of T21, will also be outlining Retra’s new approach to training and its website (see page 21).

GfK’s Nick Simon, client insight director, consumer electronics

Many of Retra’s associate members will be at both the dinner and the conference.

The dinner is a great opportunity to mingle over a meal and a few drinks, in a relaxed atmosphere.

There will also be an opportunity to meet three new associate members, Vispera, AP Taylor and Creda Home Appliances (see pages 41 – 43).

There are 125 free places available for the conference – one per membership – and the welcome dinner. Extra places can be booked for a small charge.

If you would like to attend the Retra Conference, please email: pat.sheldrake@retra.co.uk.

For more information, visit:www.retra.co.uk/retra-conference-2023 Please note: speaker line-up is subject to change. Correct at the time Alert went to press.

Retra Conference Preview

27

Editor’s Interview

E X C L U S I V E

‘ Independent retailers form a critical part of what we do – there is no plan to remove that heartland’ In his first interview for Alert, Miele GB and Ireland managing director, John Pickering, tells Sean Hannam about the market challenges, the brand’s commitment to independent retailers and its focus on sustainability.

He also hints at big plans for the company’s 125th anniversary next year.

It’s just over five years since John Pickering took over as managing director of Miele GB and Ireland.

Before he joined the premium, Germany, family-owned appliance manufacturer, he was in the food sector, working for the likes of Mars and Kraft, and prior to that, he had a career in investment banking.

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Editor’s Interview: Miele

So, five years in, how is he finding our industry?

“It’s fantastic, with some high-quality players, great characters, demanding customers and consumers – it’s everything you want – and Miele itself is in a place of significance and ambitious transition, so it’s a good time to be in the business,” he says.

We’re in a healthy place – we’re out-performing the market, but there’s no safe haven

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SH: So, how’s Miele GB been performing?

JP: I’d say we’re in a healthy place – we’re out-performing the market, but there’s no safe haven. The market is going through a storm.

When we look at our performance, we look at it in four dimensions – the first one is how are our customers and our commitment to them? Are we delivering against our customers? We call it ‘customer delight.’

We carefully measure our service levels and they’re good – we’re not complacent, and we’ve got work to do in that area. We never give up – we want to be the best in the industry. That’s our ambition.

The service part of our business is really important.

What we sometimes see is that when there’s a dip in confidence on the sales side, the service side picks up because more people get their machines repaired.

We remain committed – we keep our parts for 15 years and we keep our products viable for as long as they possibly can be.

We also look at how we look after our employees – the phrase ‘Immer Besser’ (Forever Better) applies to our customers and to our employees. It’s a really challenging market to recruit into – not just for us, but for the industry. To get value-driven talent – people who want to stay and develop and engage with your business and your brand – has never been tougher.

We’ve got successful apprentice schemes which we’ll remain committed to.

A really important part of our business strategy is ‘Immer Besser for the Planet.’ Our commitment is to be the most sustainable manufacturer in our category, and when you come up with that statement, you’ve got to live up to it.

Last, but not least, is our financial performance – we’re in a healthy place.

We’re a family business – next year, we’ll have been around for 125 years, and we’ll be around in another 125 years. We’re very focused on our strategic priorities and being agile as a business.

When times are tough, customers often go to brands they trust – trust is important.

SH: So, does Miele have big plans for its 125th birthday?

JP: Watch this space.

SH: It’s a big milestone…

JP: It’s huge and it’s a credit to the Miele and the Zinkann families that they’re still here and in control of the business through all the choppy waters and in a competitive marketplace.

There will be plans to celebrate next year and we’ll start talking about that and our product development at IFA this September.

A lot of the new product campaigns for next year will launch at IFA, starting with vacuum cleaners.

SH: Miele has always had a strong network of independent retailers, but, like a lot of brands, it also sells direct-to-consumer. What’s the thinking behind it and should retailers be worried?

JP: It’s the million-dollar question. No – independents shouldn’t be worried about it. In every single area where we’ve opened a Miele GB Experience Centre, the business around it has increased.

Even when we’ve opened some almost directly opposite some of our biggest retailers, both businesses have stepped up because of us opening in the area.

I haven’t got a single case where we’ve worked with a partner and the business has gone backwards.

I’m talking to you from Edinburgh today, where we have one of our local partners who’s sent a customer in [to the Miele Experience Centre], where often we carry a different or a slightly enhanced range, and the staff here are working with the customer to explain the full benefits of the range, so the customer can go back to the independent retailer to transact the sale.

There are two ways of looking at it – the reason we call them Experience Centres and not shops or showrooms is that although they can transact, they are there to create an ecosystem approach to our service division and for our kitchen retailers and independent retailers to use the assets. That’s our commitment – they’re not here to steal business but grow it.

We’ve created better brand awareness and a halo [effect] on service and product awareness and advice.

It’s an important part of our strategy but it’s not the only one.

Editor’s Interview

Sean Hannam: What’s your take on the appliance market at the moment? We’ve had Covid, sales spikes and now a cost of living crisis… Miele is at the premium end, so how is it for you?

John Pickering: I don’t think anything I say will be different to what else you’ve heard about the market – it’s not an easy place to be.

The last AMDEA figures I saw showed a doubledigit decline in white goods – the cooking end of it was the hardest hit.

There are a number reasons for that which aren’t alien to anyone – everything from inflation to consumer confidence, delayed decisions and planning applications for the building market.

Our eyes are wide open to the fact that we’ve been living in a bubble for the last two-plus years, with consumer demand and the impact on product supply.

There were months, not just for us but for others in the industry, when we struggled to get the parts we needed to get the products to our customers – that was far from ideal. That impacted on the value chain and cost... I won’t say we’re through that, but we’re in a very different place now, where product supply for many of us is better, but consumer demand is quite volatile.

Miele Point Store, Bluewater

Through our insights, we know the Miele customer will do at least two or three pieces of research on us before they buy – that will involve stores, online, friends…

Independent retailers form a critical part of that and always will do. There is no plan to remove that heartland, whether it’s the training we give them, the investment in displays or specific ranges.

On the other side of that, because we have a selective distribution approach to our business, we expect to invest with you and to make sure the products look amazing when the customer comes into contact with them. ▶▶ Editor’s Interview: Miele

29

Editor’s Interview

Miele Experience Centre, Edinburgh

SH: I can see both sides of it, but retailers just want transparency, don’t they?

JP: I think so, and, if I’m honest, they want people like me to look them in the eye and say, ‘We are not here to steal your business.’

I understand that the way that works is that you build trust – trust in welcoming in their customers, giving them fantastic assistance and support, and sending them back again.

We continue to build trust with our retailers – we’re not here to take business at their expense.

SH: You mentioned sustainability earlier – that’s important for Miele, isn’t it?

JP: We want to be the most sustainable appliance manufacturer.

That’s a big statement for Miele – we’re a relatively conservative company. We’ve made three pledges – one is that will we make sustainability apply to every part of a product’s life cycle.

What that means is we know that 80 percent of the [carbon] footprint that our products make is once they’re in your home.

We can no longer just be interested in using green steel, or parts that last for 20 years, or creating our own electronics so they don’t go wrong or need replacing – it means we have to work with our customers to educate them on the best ways to use the machines.

That can be as simple as an eco-cycle, or making sure the software is up to date, so it’s working at the optimum temperature.

When you turn on the dishwashers in our range, they automatically default to eco-mode.

We are very fixed on sustainability happening at every stage of the value chain.

Secondly, we want the lowest carbon footprint in the industry – we’re very focused on our manufacturing assets – and, thirdly, there is the circularity of our value chain.

We know that the products we make are incredibly durable, long-lasting, quality-driven and convenient, with many benefits for our customers. We’re zero waste to landfill – we recycle everything and what we can reuse we will remanufacture as far as possible.

30

Editor’s Interview: Miele

SH: So, finally, what’s your gut feeling on the market for the next few months?

JP: I think it’s still going to be volatile.

It’s difficult to predict. There are a number of economic factors – inflation looks like it’s coming down a bit – but whether we start to see consumer confidence turning… The housing market looks like it hasn’t taken the knock that some people predicted.

Miele KM 7897-2 Diamond induction hob

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We want to be the most sustainable appliance manufacturer – that’s a big statement

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We work with your staff and train them, so they can become advocates of the brand – that’s the essence of it.

Direct-to-consumer is important – it does give us direct customer contact, but it’s there as part of an ecosystem.

For us, I’m confident in our strategic priorities and in the health of the business – we’re on the right track and we’re not complacent.

We know that we’ve got to partner with our customers and consumers, we’ve got to provide incredible service and be focused on the ‘Immer Besser’ approach.

We also have to make sure that our independent retailers are right at the heart of the business – and we look forward to working with them for many more years to come.

SDA Feature

Kitchen Comforts

After the boost that Covid-19 gave the SDA sector, what does the future hold for the market and how will the cost of living crisis affect peak season? Sean Hannam reports.

The Covid-19 pandemic had a huge effect on the SDA market, with people locked down at home spending money on products for the kitchen, such as baking appliances and coffee machines.

But with the UK in the grip of a cost of living crisis, what does that mean for the SDA sector for the rest of 2023 and beyond?

“With people spending more time at home, there was an increase in demand for appliances that helped them recreate experiences they were unable to enjoy outside,” says Steve Green, director of small electricals at BSH. “For instance, kitchen machines and coffee machines became more popular as they enabled consumers to prepare foods and beverages that were previously unavailable due to social distancing restrictions.”

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The cost of living crisis has changed the way we shop – customers are wanting to spend only when they have to, rather than when they want to

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Smeg product manager, Anna Batten

Market He adds: “Although the market for these particular appliances has returned to a more normal level, overall growth in the purchase of SDAs has been observed.

“This could be attributed to more people becoming aware of the advantages of such products and integrating them into their daily lives.

“The trend towards remote work and online classes has also contributed to the rise in demand for SDAs, as people look for ways to make their home environments more comfortable and efficient.

However, with ongoing pressures on the cost of living, consumer spending is likely to decrease in the coming months.

“As the pandemic continues to affect the economy, people are becoming more cautious about their spending.”

At premium Italian brand Smeg, product manager, Anna Batten, says her company has seen consistent growth across the SDA market over the past three years, mostly driven by people spending more time at home and wanting to invest in appliances they have there.

She tells Alert: “The cost of living crisis has changed the way we shop – customers are wanting to spend only when they have to, 32

SDA Feature

Bosch MUM5XW10 kitchen machine

rather than when they want to. That being said, as our brand is more of a considered choice, we haven’t seen our sales on SDA slow.

“We have seen a big drive in coffee, with people really wanting to create that barista experience in their homes. This is an area we have a few new launches in this year.”

Functions Ms Batten believes that when it comes to SDA products, customers are looking for products that provide a multiple of functions.

“As countertop space is such a high commodity, customers want to make the most of the products they have,” she says.

“In terms of the healthy eating aspect, there will always be an element of this driving sales in various models that come to market.

“An example of this would be our new personal blender, which has just launched and just shows when design, convenience and healthy eating are all rolled into a product, there is very much a demand from customers for this product.”

Air fryers Also commenting on the trend for healthy eating, Beko’s marketing director, Vijay Bhardwaj, says: “Air fryers have also become soughtafter, due to the rising interest in healthy eating and the cost of living crisis.

“These appliances allow users to enjoy crispy and flavourful food with reduced oil usage, providing a healthier alternative to deep-frying methods.

“Air fryers offer convenience and versatility in the kitchen.

Beko has recently introduced its ExpertFry dual zone air fryer to cater to this demand.”

At this year’s 1 Vision conference in Liverpool, Haier Europe announced its move into the small kitchen appliance sector.

Later this year, Haier will launch its Series 5 range of small kitchen appliances.

In 2024, it will follow up and unveil its Series 7 range – more details on both of those line-ups at a later date.

Looking at the next few months, Mr Bharwaj at Beko, says: “The SDA market remains highly influenced by seasonality, typically experiencing significant growth leading up to and beyond the peak season.

“However, the ongoing cost of living crisis presents a challenge in accurately predicting how the market will behave during this period.”

Smeg’s Ms Batten is more confident, telling Alert: “We are still seeing the SDA market performing well and we think this will continue in the lead-up to peak season.”

Sucking Up In the past year, the floorcare market has been on the decline, but the good news it that it now seems to be picking up, if you pardon the pun.

“Over the last 12 months, floorcare has seen declines of 3.4 percent in volume and 2.2% in value. However, we’re starting to see evidence that the market has been improving in the first six months of 2023, with value now slightly increasing year to date, and volume still declining, but to a lesser degree (-2 percent),” says Miele GB’s floorcare manager, Dan Young.

He adds: “Naturally, a number of factors will be driving this, significantly driven by the inflation we’ve seen in this time period, causing people who may otherwise have purchased a new floorcare product to hold off that bit longer.”

Beko’s new robot vacuum cleaner

Niche So, where is the growth coming from?

“At the moment, it is coming from some of the more niche categories, including wet and dry and robots,” explains Mr Young.

“It’s yet to be seen whether robot vacuum cleaners will become a significant part of the average home, but with almost a 100 percent increase in value year-on-year in the last 12 months, it’s fair to say that it’s a ‘hot’ product at the moment.”

Beko’s marketing director, Vijay Bhardwaj, also comments on the rise of the robots, telling Alert: “Robot vacuum cleaners present the most significant opportunity.

“These innovative devices offer automation and control through in-app capabilities, providing users with a convenient and effortless cleaning experience.”

He adds: “Robot vacuum cleaners have gained significant popularity as ‘hot’ products.

“These autonomous cleaners automate the cleaning process, providing convenience and time-saving benefits.

“With advanced sensors and mapping capabilities, they effectively clean various floor surfaces.

“Some models, including Beko’s new robot vacuum cleaner, even offer mopping functionalities, adding to their versatility.”

Cordless Robot cleaners may be mopping up a fair share of sales, but, according to Miele’s Mr Young, cordless vacuums have declined more in the past six months than the last 12 in total.

“This is likely down to market saturation and the inflationary pressures causing people to make products they’d have otherwise replaced, last longer,” he says.

Floorcare Feature

Robots are on the rise, but sales of cordless cleaners have slowed down, thanks to a saturated market.

Sean Hannam dishes the dirt on the floorcare sector.

Miele Triflex HX2 Pro cordless cleaner

“The cylinder market continues to struggle, as consumers have moved to handheld and cordless vacuums, generally decreasing the number of people replacing older cylinder vacuums. However, we see a lot of consumers with both a cylinder and cordless to take advantage of the different benefits that both designs give you. Whilst the cylinder market is likely to stay in decline, it’s still a significant category within floorcare.”

Late last year, Hoover launched two new cleaners – the Push & Lift HL5 that goes from an upright model to a portable vacuum, and the HF9 cordless stick cleaner.

Launched Speaking at this year’s 1 Vision conference, held by Hoover owner, Haier, Dave Matthews, ME leader SDA, said: “We launched two new vacuums last year and we are so proud of them. One, the HL5 is an award-winning vacuum. This year, we are following on with two exciting new vacuums, one of which has not been seen on the market and is revolutionary in its style and capabilities.”

Both new vacuums will be launched later this year – more details to follow.

Future So, where’s the floorcare market heading? Are robot cleaners the future?

“In the current iteration, it’s hard to see the products becoming fully mainstream, as the differences in houses that we see in the UK means that they only work really well in certain scenarios,” says Miele’s Mr Young.

“That said, we know that technology develops fast and it probably won’t be long until the common challenges of difficult and changing room layouts, steps, dust bin capacity and charge become less of a challenge.

“Whilst this may not make the products as mainstream as cordless or cylinders, we definitely believe that the technology will get us to a position where they are more accessible to a bigger percentage of the market.”

On the larger floorcare market and its performance over the next few months, Mr Young tells Alert: “It would take a bold person to predict a complete turnaround in the market, however I believe that the green shoots of the last few months will continue.

“Whilst the economic challenges don’t look set to change anytime soon, floorcare historically seems to be a bit ahead of the curve in other appliance categories, when it comes to seeing slumps and booms, and it’s reasonable to assume that floorcare is

slowly turning the corner to growth again.”

Floorcare Feature

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Home Laundry Feature

Money Spinners

Financial worries are making more consumers look for energy-efficient home laundry products. Sean Hannam takes the temperature of the market.

Trends Over at Beko, marketing director, Vijay Bhardwaj, tells Alert: “In recent years, trends have been driven by consumers’ desire for convenience, efficiency, sustainability, and enhanced functionality.”

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Home Laundry Feature

He adds: “Energy-saving features are essential for consumers who are conscious of their environmental impact and want to reduce utility bills. Washing machines and dryers with high Energy Star ratings are sought after, as they help save energy and reduce water consumption.”

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Energy-saving features are essential for consumers who are conscious of their environmental impact and want to reduce utility bills Beko marketing director, Vijay Bhardwaj

“

The cost of living crisis has put even more emphasis on the importance of using energy efficient home appliances, which is having a big influence on consumers’ buying habits when it comes to laundry products for the home.

“Given the current need to conserve resources, consumers are prioritising energy ratings when choosing a washing machine,” explains Alex Lucas, business head, laundry, at BSH. He adds: “An A-rated model that uses less electricity not only helps the environment but can also save money in the long run.

“All of our washing machines also have our active water technology that minimises water usage, depending on the size of your load.

“In addition, the fast pace of modern life has an impact on consumer washing machine preferences. Models with quick programs that can speed up a regular wash are proving popular.

“Some models even offer 15- and 30-minute quick wash options. Consumers should keep in mind, however, that there’s a trade-off between speed and energy efficiency.

“Quick programs typically use more energy, so homeowners may mistakenly believe that shorter runtimes mean less energy usage.”

Miele GB’s laundry manager, Jacob Christian, says consumers are seeking laundry products that offer convenience and versatility to fit their busy lifestyles and the desire for quick and efficient wash cycles is driving innovation.

“There is a duty for manufacturers to provide educational information to guide consumers in choosing machines and features that suit their laundry needs,” he says, adding: “The cost of living crisis and soaring energy bills have significantly impacted the market.

Haier connected washing machine with hOn app

Heat pump dryers Many brands have been pushing the advantages of using heat pump dryers, which use a lower temperature and save a significant amount of energy compared with a condenser or vented model.

“The benefits of heat pump tumble dryers are definitely getting out there — not only can they be conveniently installed anywhere, they are incredibly energy efficient and are relatively low cost to run compared to vented models,” says Mr Christian.

Comments BSH’s Mr Lucas: “Consumers are increasingly seeking tumble dryers that are both energy-efficient and fast.

“There is often a perception that achieving both goals is impossible and that all tumble dryers are very energy-hungry machines. However, heat pump tumble dryers are not comparatively energy-hungry, leading to a surge in their popularity.”

He adds: “Furthermore, new legislation will require manufacturers to sell only heat pump dryers by 2025.

“We therefore expect the percentage of heat pump dryers sold to grow significantly as we approach 2025. The industry is making significant efforts to educate consumers about low-energy drying options.”

Market Looking at how the overall home laundry market is performing, Beko’s Mr Bhardwaj tells Alert: “The built-in segment of the home laundry market currently accounts for approximately 10 percent of the washing machine market share and 24-25 percent of the washer dryer market share in terms of value. This segment is expected to maintain its stability in the upcoming months.

He adds: “The washer dryer market is declining due to the rising energy costs and cost-of-living crisis.

“These factors drive consumers to prioritise separate washing machines and dryers rather than combining units. Similarly, the overall tumble dryer market is experiencing a decline for the same reasons.”

In a cost of living crisis, some shoppers will be looking for smarter home appliances, which could bode well for a bigger uptake of connected laundry products, which have been largely a niche sector.

“Wi-fi- enabled laundry appliances are becoming more and more sought after in light of energy consumption concerns,” says Miele’s Mr Christian.

“Consumers want to know how much a machine is outputting and want to be able to track this down to the penny. Appliances that have connectivity are able to provide the consumer with not only up-to-date, live readings of their costs, but also suggestions on what programs to run to reduce their costs”.

He adds: “We see connected appliances becoming more of a need than an added extra, as they have previously been considered.”

BSH’s Mr Lucas says his company’s connected home laundry appliances offer several benefits, including a smart feature called Connected Dry. “If you have a Home Connect washing machine and a Home Connect dryer, the dryer will automatically adjust its program based on the last load washed by the washer, ensuring the perfect drying program for your load,” he explains.

“We also provide remote monitoring and control. Additionally, you can receive useful notifications to remind you to run a machine care program, like a drum clean program, which can help extend the life of your machine.”

At its 1 Vision conference in Liverpool this year, Haier Europe went big on connected home appliances and the consumer benefits they can provide.

“Having smart technology and connectivity brings benefits to everyday life. Smart technology helps appliances run more efficiently and makes them more sustainable,” says Ben Peach, laundry product manager at Haier Europe.

“Haier offers the hOn app, available across its three brands, Haier, Hoover and Candy, which helps users across the ranges of cooking, cooling and washing.

“When users buy a smart appliance and connect to the app, it helps them with advice, tips and ways to get the most out of their appliance. For example, when it comes to laundry, when users download the app, they get a free laundry guide.”

For washing alone, this is what connectivity and the hOn app can help users with: • Check the status of their washing machine remotely and receive an end-of-cycle notification, so they never forget their laundry.

• Get more than 40 additional cycles to take care of a specific garment or fabric.

• Get programmed maintenance updates and reminders to preserve their washer’s reliability.

• Get suggestions about the perfect detergent settings for their load – they will be able to optimise washing results and reduce waste.

• Get real-time consumption data during washing cycles and track their usage habits to improve efficiency.

• Access useful stain guides with over 50 tips how to treat clothes best.

Home Laundry Feature

“As consumers become increasingly mindful of their spending, the challenge for retailers, manufacturers, and brands to secure a sale has intensified.

“Hence, it is essential to raise consumer awareness about quality appliances that can be considered smart investments.

“These appliances not only lower energy bills but also deliver the desired washing results. The demand for such energy-efficient benefits is on the rise as savvy consumers conduct thorough research before making their purchase.”

Bosch WGB256A1GB washing machine

Looking at the future of connected appliances, BSH’s Mr Lucas says: “We expect to see a more advanced level of remote diagnostics. This means that if there is an issue with a machine, an engineer won’t necessarily have to make a home visit. With this technology, the issue can be diagnosed remotely and even fixed with a software update.”

When it comes to home laundry, that can take a load off someone’s mind.

Home Laundry Feature

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NOW SHOWING:

What’s Hot: Custom Install

HOME CINEMA FOR ALL

Home cinema continues to drive custom installation and smart home integration in a post-pandemic market. Richard Stevenson pulls back the velvet curtains.

Home cinema has had a bit of a turbulent time over the last few decades, but its road to recovery looks a whole lot brighter than acting careers in a future of AI-generated characters.

Where home cinema won great favour among film aficionados last century and through the noughties, the simplicity of ever bigger TV screens with a soundbar attached turned home cinema into something of an enthusiast concept.

Yet, various more recent lockdowns put a greater focus on entertainment at home, siring a renaissance in true home cinema that has continued into the post-Covid era, thanks often to people both living and working from home.

It’s a whole lot easier to sit down in front of a movie after dinner at 7pm at night when you don’t have a 90-minute commute home from work first.

Growth Global analyst Technavio’s market figures include everything from high-end installs to plug-and-play speaker packages but suggest overall growth in home theatre systems of around 8 percent yearon-year.

Moves among the big players in home cinema equipment also suggest positive market conditions, with the likes of Denon releasing a raft of new AV amplifiers and receivers this year, making its 2023 AVR range some 20 models strong.

Comments Stuart Tickle, managing director at Retra associate member distributor AWE: “While the cost of living issues are putting a squeeze on the high street, not so long ago we were all reminded about the value of our home environment, having been forced to spend loads of time in it.

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What’s Hot: Custom Install

For further information please contact: Richard Stevenson Consultant Editor Retra Alert richard@rspr.co.uk 07974 926157 www.retra.co.uk

“Many have held off or are cancelling holidays, or cutting back on expensive trips out, but there is still an opportunity for indies to upgrade a customer’s home experience.”

And it’s an appealing idea too. The enormous raft of content on streaming services now eclipses anything the local cinema can offer at a fraction of the price, and the lead time from a movie’s release on the silver screen to a streaming service near you is now weeks rather than years.

Hisense area in AWE’s Smart Apartment

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What’s Hot: Custom Install 38

Amazing I recently reviewed Hisense’s frankly amazing L9H Laser TV system at AWE’s showroom and was blown away by the visual impact of its pixel-shift 4K 120in screen for less than the cost of a premium UHD 77in TV.

Living room area in AWE’s Smart Apartment

The system uses an ultra-short throw laser projector with a builtin TV tuner, smart features and streaming service apps, and simply sits on a cabinet in front of the screen – so no tricky ceiling mounting.

It comes supplied with an ambient light reflecting (ALR) screen in 100in or 120in that fixes to the wall with concealed, adjustable brackets.

The screen reflects the light from the projector creating near-TV levels of brightness and rejects ambient light from above or the sides.

The result is a very large screen that can be viewed in daylight or with the room lights switched on, and offering a colourful 4K visual punch that no sports or movie fan could resist.

While the Hisense L9H’s built-in sound is OK for day-to-day TV viewing, the concept opens the door for an accompanying or future sound upgrade, even if that is just a premium soundbar system.

The screen performance would happily live up to a budget AVR and surround sound speaker package with subwoofer… creating a formidable system for around £5,000-£6,000 retail.

And no one, well maybe the other half, is going to judge you for sitting down with a pint… of gin and tonic.

The focus on ‘home’ has barely subsided since its Covid-boost with sectors like furniture, lighting and homewares punching a healthy 15 percent+ growth annually over the last couple of years.

Once the home has a nice new kitchen, several new sofas made from organically sourced vegan leather and been splashed with a king’s ransom in Dulux, media and games rooms tend to be the next logical step.

“For those with a higher budget, turning a living room into a media room, or a spare room/garage into a dedicated entertainment space is still a growing trend,” adds Mr Tickle, having seen AWE’s business in home cinema and smart home equipment continue to accelerate long after global stock shortages stymied the market in 2020 and 2021.

“If you are not already confident in installing, marketing and demonstrating these rooms, you are missing out on a massive opportunity. Social media and your website showing case studies of past installs, your own showroom or even using the demonstration facilities of your distributor can drive new business to you that you otherwise wouldn’t get.”

Showroom For the latter, AWE has recently given its Surrey-based showroom a major overhaul to include both reference and more affordable home cinema rooms with Sony and Epson projectors, a living space with the aforementioned Hisense Laser TV and a soundbar, a gaming area and a music room with a selection of stereo equipment from Denon, Marantz, Rotel and B&W. Not only does AWE offer a considerable amount of training at the venue, but AWE’s retail and install customers can also book slots to show off these facilities to their premium end-user customers, to give them a feel of what is possible.

There is nothing like a great demonstration to sign the deal on a major up-sell, so AWE’s local trade customers don’t even require their own demo facilities.

The zoned areas at AWE include lighting control and electric blinds to complete the full smart home feel - products and technologies that retail outlets can also learn to sell and install for their customers.

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The AV installation market is further than ever from just super-wealthy customers wishing to turn their spare living room into the bridge of the Starship Enterprise

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For sports fans, streaming and a big screen is a great way to enjoy the game – all without the travelling costs, an £80+ entrance ticket and lunchtime burgers at £10 a patty.

At the lighter end of upgrading a customer to a home cinema / CI experience, there is number of options that deliver cinema-scale AV without requiring the budget to open your own IMAX.

Up-selling So, how do you begin up-selling your customers to home cinema?

“The way to really make money in AV, is to install more products to a higher standard yourself,” adds Mr Tickle. “Don’t be apologetic for having to charge for delivery and installation, offer a better service than the usual fit-and-forget nature.

“Once you are in someone’s home and give good advice, you cement yourselves as the trusted local supplier which gives you a massive advantage over everyone else in the country online.”

“If you are selling someone a new kitchen, which is a growth area for some white goods retailers, why not offer window shading which also taps into the “home renovation” budget rather than entertainment,” adds Mr Tickle.

“We offer the Silent Gliss brand, with a vast range of manual and automated shading options. No training is necessary as it includes standalone systems with a full on-site quote and installation service included.”

Benefits As ever, it’s not about selling them the products or the features but the benefits and excitement of the end result.

No one except enthusiasts wants to know what ‘AVR’ stands for, but even those with just a passing interest in big-screen TV might want to know what the end result of a home cinema investment might offer.

Big screen and big sound entertainment go almost without saying but don’t forget to mention the simple benefits versus going out to the local cinema: The ability to pause a movie, drink your own drinks and eat your own snacks, not have to put up with young Tarquin eating popcorn on the seat beside you (well, unless you have a son called Tarquin…), control of you own start times and placing your derriere on a seat to your liking, hopefully without spilt coke from the last screening.

Joy With the irony that I am writing this What’s Hot at the tail end of my second bout of Covid, there remain small pockets of business joy on the back end of the global pandemic.

One of those is clearly the ongoing consumer focus on the home; living and working at home and home entertainment.

That has meant the AV installation market is further than ever from just super-wealthy customers wishing to turn their spare living room into the bridge of the Starship Enterprise.

With ‘proper’ home cinema scale installation starting at around £5k, thanks to products like the Laser TV and premium Atmos soundbars, the market is now affordable to most homeowners.

Moreover, there is plenty of room for additional products and exciting end-results to trade customers up from that entrylevel budget.

What’s Hot: Custom Install

Lifespan of electrical products is key focus at ESF conference 2023

Lesley Rudd

Progress is needed on changes to the regulatory framework, as many new supply chains, innovations, and technology are not appropriately covered by existing – and in many cases, outdated – legislation.

Concept As the concept of a circular economy, and sustainability more broadly, continue to gain traction to achieve net zero emissions targets, debate is growing around the lifespan of products, especially whether they should be reused, recycled, or repurposed – and, if so, how.

Now in its 15th year, our Electrical Product Safety Conference, sponsored this year by Connected Innovations, explores the latest critical issues and solutions, from product conception, through manufacture and production, to sale, after care, and finally end of life.

Although we live in a disposable society, predicted lifespan remains a hot topic that divides the electrical product industry.

Despite obvious benefits to a longer life cycle, this must be balanced with added risks it brings in repair and maintenance, as well as lost opportunities to benefit from new technology – especially energy efficiencies – and safety innovations.

Themes The conference covers major themes and trends impacting consumer safety and the electrical product industry, and offers invaluable insights for industry leaders, safety-minded professionals, and organisations.

Through a mix of informative presentations and panel sessions, we like to take a wide-lens approach so you can hear about the most important emerging issues but also get into the real-life detail with experts about exactly how these issues affect industry and consumers.

Regulation Likely to be hotly-debated – and certainly close to our hearts here at Electrical Safety First – are topics on the need for better regulation of online marketplaces, which we have long been campaigning for, and the safety of chargeable products kept in the home.

We have just issued a major new report on the risks associated with e-bikes and e-scooters – many of these risks apply to cordless domestic appliances.

The areas of due diligence, risk assessments, testing, and product recalls will also be put under the spotlight with discussions on guidance such as PAS 7050, PAS 7100, and the PRISM (product safety risk assessment methodology) approach favoured by the UK Government versus the RAPEX (rapid exchange of information system) adopted by the European Union (EU).

Other important topics on our radar include the controversies over the development of e-labelling, new cyber security regulation, and post-fire product identification to help identify patterns and trends of faulty appliances.

Safety Innovation Award I am also delighted the conference features the announcement and presentation of our prestigious and coveted Safety Innovation Award, sponsored by ProductIP, which recognises and rewards innovators, designers, and creators delivering forward-thinking approaches to product design and safety. Conference delegates will get the chance to see the winner present their idea on stage.

Hosted this year by Katie Prescott, technology business editor at The Times and one of the UK’s best-known business journalists, our annual conference is the first event I put in my diary each year and one I look forward to eagerly.

You will find fascinating speakers from industry-leading bodies and companies and government representatives from the OPSS (Office of Product Safety and Standards) and departments such as transport, environment and DCMS (Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport).

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Debate is growing around the lifespan of products, especially whether they should be reused, recycled, or repurposed – and, if so, how

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In a fast-paced world where regulation and standards struggle to keep up with innovation and new technology, it has never been more important to scrutinise the journey of an electrical product through each stage of its life cycle.

The UK must work hard to catch up with its European counterparts to deliver new legislation on the sustainability of products.

Electrical Product Safety Conference Preview

Lesley Rudd, chief executive of ESF, looks ahead to the Electrical Product Safety Conference, which, this year, focuses on the circular economy and product life cycles.

It is an excellent opportunity to network with industry professionals, decision-makers and business leaders dedicated to sharing best practice and improving the future for all those involved in the electrical product sector and of course for the users of electrical products. ● Hosted by Electrical Safety First and supported by Connected Innovations, Eurosafe, OPSS and ProductIP the Electrical Product Safety Conference 2023 is at Church House, Westminster, London on November 16.

For more information, visit: www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/ conference.

Electrical Product Safety Conference Preview

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Digital Marketing

Paint it black While Black Friday may be seen as something of an online retail trend in the UK, Richard Stevenson of Quick Brown Fox PR asks, is there mileage in bricks and mortar retailers having a ‘weekend noir’?

Yes, there is.

During the weekend of Black Friday 2022 there was a 9.3 percent increase in footfall in retail parks and high streets compared with the previous weekend.

Unless those shoppers were out solely for an over-priced latte, charity shop bargain or getting their nails done, that increased footfall represents a real opportunity to maximise physical over-thecounter sales around the Black Friday weekend.

I say weekend because when this retail bonanza started in the USA, Black Friday was always the physical high street store discounting event as the Friday after Thanksgiving and the last major payday before Christmas.

That sired an online equivalent on the other side of the weekend, Cyber Monday.

As the Black Friday concept first reached these shores through online retailers, the Cyber Monday idea fizzled out here before it started.

However, with the stretching of discounting event time frames (Amazon Prime ‘month’ next year?) Black Friday is already a weekend event and, for some retailers, a whole week long.

Everyone loves a week of Fridays!

1. Preparation is key: Plan well in advance for Black Friday.

Develop a comprehensive strategy that covers everything from inventory management to marketing campaigns. Make sure your website and physical stores are ready to handle the influx of customers. Hopefully.

2. Early marketing: Start your Black Friday marketing campaigns early to create anticipation among your target audience. Use social media, email marketing and traditional advertising to spread the word about your upcoming deals.

3. Limited-time offers: Create a sense of urgency by promoting limited-time offers or bundles that are only available on Black Friday. Countdown timers and promotional banners can help convey urgency to customers.

4. Bundle out overstock: Offering 20 percent in free accessories is likely to net more profit than 20 percent discount on the original item, so look to create Black Friday package offers with overstock or high-margin accessories.

5. Increase spend per customer: Offering increasing discounts with higher spend, or on a second item, is proven to drive up retail sales order value. Customers are not only just looking for a bargain; they are looking for value.

6. Extended store hours: Consider extending your store hours across Black Friday weekend to accommodate more shoppers.

Some customers might prefer to shop early to avoid crowds or later after work.

7. Creative fulfilment: Offering over-the-counter, local delivery, courier delivery, and click and collect are all vital fulfilment ingredients for Black Friday to encourage customers to buy, both instore and online.

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Much like the bargain camera drone I bought on Black Friday 2021, sales can go up quickly… or crash into a tree in the first ten minutes and lie motionless for the rest of the weekend

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Bargain So, how do you make the most of this period of shoppers looking for a bargain or to splash some cash on something they didn’t even know they wanted?

Much like the bargain camera drone I bought on Black Friday 2021, sales can go up quickly… or crash into a tree in the first ten minutes and lie motionless for the rest of the weekend.

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Digital Marketing

8. Differentiate online and in-store: Offer some deals exclusively online and others exclusively in-store. This can encourage both online and offline traffic, catering to different customer preferences and driving customers to change their purchase channel.

9. It’s not all black: While discounting means low margins, ensure you leverage your customer service benefits across your Black Friday event to encourage repeat business and word-of-mouth recommendations into the future.

10. Think past the weekend: Capture customer data and marketing approval to get them on the database. After Black Friday, follow up with thank-you emails and future incentives to keep them engaged.

Black Friday 2023 in Friday November 24 in the UK, so there is still plenty of time to jump on the ‘black’ bandwagon.

British TV brand Vispera has just joined Retra. It’s exclusive to Euronics dealers and is designed to help them compete in the brown goods market and make a decent margin.

Vispera is a new, British-owned TV brand that has a clear vision – it wants to offer the best value products that meet the needs of consumers while also meeting the needs of retail partners.

The products, which are sold exclusively through Euronics members, are manufactured in China but assembled in the UK. Vispera has been selling through Euronics central stock for over 12 months and it now has around 20 different TV models available to members.

We recognised that Euronics was crying out for a brown goods brand that was built around its members’ requirements – that’s essentially what Vispera is’

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Ultra TV with TIZEN from Vispera

what problems are sometimes created by other suppliers.”

He adds: “Our products are assembled in the UK, which adds an extra layer of QC (Quality Control) and makes a huge difference to the failure rate, which is low.

“From a retailer’s perspective, whatever money they make from selling the product they keep – they’re not spending it solving service problems. A good, reliable product is central to the ongoing adoption and development of the brand – people give us good reviews and tell their friends.”

So, what after-sales support can Vispera offer retailers?

Director Nick Osborne fills us in: “We have a full two-year guarantee on a swap-out basis, which Euronics members love and it gives them the option to talk about extended warranties without being penalised. The service is localised – we manage it and we deal with it on an account-by-account basis within 24 hours.”

Associate Insight: Vispera

Vispera sets out its vision

The brand was co-founded by Terry Reed, who is ex-Linsar, and Nick Osborne, who has worked for companies including Apple and Samsung.

Former Linsar co-founder, Barry Kick, has also come onboard as a director.

“Vispera was Terry and Nick’s brainchild – I joined as a supporting act to help get the business going,” says Mr Kick.

“We recognised that Euronics was crying out for a brown goods brand that was built around its members’ requirements – that’s essentially what Vispera is.

“It’s a TV brand, but we’re also looking at audio and we’ll add products to the brand in time. It has a message, a story and an identity that echoes the values that the Euronics guys have – it’s honest, good quality and competitively priced, and it enables them to compete in the brown goods space with something they can earn a reasonable margin on.”

Pressure He adds: “Everyone is under so much pressure with the cost of living crisis – what we’re doing plays into that. We have some really nice products and they’ve even surprised us at how well they’ve done, like our 4K Ultra TV product, from 43in to 55in. We’ve just added two 65in models and we’ve got QLED coming as well.

“We’ve got a range of products with the Roku [smart TV] operating system and also the TIZEN operating system on the 4K and QLED. We also have the VIDAA operating system on some very high-end 27in and 32in products – that’s the design-led Elegance range, which is more premium.’

In terms of market positioning, Mr Kick says that Vispera is pitching itself just ahead of Hisense and other Chinese competitors.

“That’s what the retailers want. The product side is strong and we are getting the message out to Euronics members, talking to them about their business – what problems they need to solve and

Vispera Elegance TV

Performance Commenting on the current performance of the TV sector, Terry Reed says after the sales spike during the Covid lockdown, the market has now reverted to its original behaviour.

“We are looking forward to a bumper peak season as we’re already seeing exceptional sales on large-screen TVs despite tough market conditions overall.”

For more information, visit www.vispera.org. ● Look out for the guys from Vispera at this year’s Retra Conference on October 17.

Associate Insight: Vispera

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Associate Insight: AP Taylor

Working towards sustainability goals

AP Taylor is an expert in end-to-end sustainable returns management and works with leading brands and retailers in SDA and floorcare to help them achieve their targets and contribute to the circular economy.

New Retra associate member AP Taylor calls itself ‘a total returns solution’.

Based at its 50,000 sq. ft facility in Dunstable, Bedfordshire, the business, which was founded 23 years ago, specialises in end-to-end sustainable returns management and works with a wide range of well-known brands, including Electrolux, Vax, Hoover, Zanussi, Tefal, Sharp, Groupe SEB and Spectrum, as well as retailers like Currys (formerly Dixons Carphone) and Asda.

According to AP Taylor, which has 124 staff working for the business, end-to-end returns management is an essential part of manufacturers’ and retailers’ sustainability goals – by working with the business, brands can reduce their returns rates thanks to informative reporting, and take better control of how their returns are handled.

We’re pleased to be joining Retra and connecting with its members – it was the logical next step in the growth and expansion of AP Taylor

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Services AP Taylor, which primarily deals with SDA, floorcare and microwave ovens, offers services including repair and refurbishment, waste management recycling and reuse, logistics management, returns processing, analysis, after-sales support and customer care.

Warranty repair, fault analysis, and product refurbishment improves the lifespan of products and contributes to a more circular economy.

“One hundred percent of our returns are kept from landfill – that sustainability aspect has been big recently,” says Will Hedley, commercial manager at AP Taylor.

“We’re doing things to maximise that and we’re making sure we can support brands on their evidencing – we work with Repic.

They’re great and they’ve been really good at helping us facilitate solutions for some of their members – all of that is so important.

We also work with the Reuse Network (www.reuse-network.org.uk).

“My interest and training is in sustainable business development.

“In the circular economy, we’re trying to empower brands so they know where all the recycled material goes and make sure everything is responsibly treated.”

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For more information, visit www.aptaylorltd.com

Associate Insight: AP Taylor

He adds: “We have a warehouse management system that tracks all the products that come into the business through the whole loop, which allows us to gather real-world data. That’s one of the biggest benefits of our service. We can scan a product, we’ll know how long it’s been on the market and why it’s been returned, and then we can look at it and see what’s wrong with it.

“We’ve been in business for 23 years and we’ve never lost a contract – we have long-term partnerships and most of that is down to our ‘open-book’ assessment. We’re happy to give information back to manufacturers.”

Electrical industry veteran, Neil Drain, who is well-known to Retra members, has come onboard as a consultant for AP Taylor.

“I’m a project consultant, helping with grade A stock,” says Mr Drain.

Neil Drain and Will Hedley

Pleased On AP Taylor becoming a Retra associate member, Mr Hedley says: “We’re pleased to be joining Retra and connecting with its members – it was the logical next step in the growth and expansion of AP Taylor.

“We look forward to contributing to the wider conversations within the industry.” ● Look out for AP Taylor at this year’s Retra Conference (October 17) – the company will have a pop-up stand in the exhibition area.

AP Taylor – the stats

100 percent of returns kept from landfill.

Over 120 staff.

50,000 sq. ft facility.

2 satellite operations.

23 years of experience.

Over 700,000 returns handled last year.

90 percent parts reuse rate across the business.

Home appliance brand Creda is back and using social media to help its independent retailers attract younger customers in-store.

Well-known British appliance brand Creda has recently joined Retra as an associate member – it’s looking to combine its heritage as a trusted household name with a new digital marketing strategy to attract younger consumers into independent retailers’ stores.

Founded in the UK in 1919, Creda produced washing machines, tumble dryers, cookers, ovens, hobs and also microwave ovens and, at one point, commanded 40 percent of the English electrical consumer goods market.

Blythe Bridge, in Staffordshire, was the original HQ and manufacturing site for Creda appliances, making cookers, spin dryers, washing machines and storage heaters – the site was also used in the Second World War to make Blenheim bombers.

At its peak, Creda employed over 2,000 people, manufacturing one million units a year.

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We’re encouraging the use of social media and helping our retailers with it. We’ll create social content for them – not just for the Creda brand, but for their whole store

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Creda brand ambassador, Harriet Pavet-Golding

In 2022, Creda returned to its Staffordshire homeland, by keeping distribution from Stoke-on-Trent (six miles from its original home in Blythe Bridge) and allowing twice weekly deliveries to most of the UK. The brand, which is currently selling through Euronics and Sirius Buying Group members, as well other independent retailers and builders’ merchants, has had several owners over the years.

It has seen lots of changes, but it has always kept true to its values and the philosophy of delivering safe, quality, innovative products and those values still apply today.

The current Creda appliance line-up includes freestanding cooking, 90cm and 100cm range cooking, built-in cooking, hoods, hobs and accessories.

“Currently we’re in cooking, but this quarter we’ll be in tumble dryers and then we’ll be in washing later in the year,” says Tony Gardiner, managing director of Creda Home Appliances.

“We launched at the Euronics Showcase earlier this year, and we’ve got some good penetration already with the Creda centres.

“An added attraction is that if the retailer has a service side, they can service what they sell, with access to heavily subsidised spare parts. We are in the appliance business - not the spare parts business” Attract The brand is hoping to attract not only younger consumers into retailers’ stores but those consumers who are new to the area, as Mr Gardiner explains: “One of the problems the independent retailer has is the age of their footfall. We ask retailers what’s the average age of their customers?

“A lot of them say it’s about 55 – in 10 years’ time, those customers will be 65 and then in 12 years’ time, they’ll probably be economically inactive in terms of domestic appliances.

“We need to get to younger people quickly – we need to drive down the average age of footfall for the independent retailer – and the best way to do that is with social media.”

Engage Creda brand ambassador, Harriet Pavet-Golding, has been tasked with talking to retailers and helping them and the brand to engage with social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok, to appeal to younger consumers (whilst not ignoring the more mature Facebook users) who may not know where their local high street retailer is, as they might not have grown up in the area they’re now living in.

Says Ms Pavet-Golding: “According to various surveys, British people now live 100 miles on average from where they were born.

That’s the equivalent to being born in Nottingham and now living in London.”

She adds: “Years ago, a good independent would have sold appliances to generations of the same family but these days they are not there and the new people coming into your town don’t know of you.”

This is where social media comes in. “Social media is being used as a search engine – it’s such a powerful tool. People spend a lot of time on there and it’s very influential,” says Ms Pavet-Golding.

“In order to reach a bigger demographic, we’re encouraging the use of social media and helping our retailers with it.

“We look at exploring different channels and demographics – everyone consumes information slightly differently and we’re adapting our content and our strategy to meet different target audiences and generations.

“You need to have authenticity and trust in your social media – we understand that.

“Our long-term goal is to create an online community network that trusts and knows Creda as a household name and for its family values, making it a consumer go-to for the younger generation.”

Adds Mr Gardiner: “We’re targeting Generation Z in a certain way, but we’re not ignoring Gen X and the Baby Boomers either.

Good social media captures them all.”

Associate Insight: Creda Home Appliances

Creda gets social in the kitchen

Digital marketing As part of her role, Ms Pavet-Golding will visit Creda retailers and assist them with digital marketing and social media.

“I’ll create content and a content strategy for them – it’s not just for the Creda brand, but for their whole store,” she explains.

Adds Mr Gardiner: “We need our customers to make money, but we know they can’t do that with just a single brand.” ● For more information and/or to arrange Harriet to visit you, please e-mail her at ch@creda.co.uk or telephone 017559 48 78 36.

Associate Insight: Creda Home Appliances

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