Retra Alert (2024 Summer)

SUMMER 2024 ISSUE

TH E P O W E R B E H IN D E LE CTR ICA L R E TA IL IN G

Make your sales sizzle this summer…

We look at the hot opportunities for putting on outdoor retail events

● Editor’s Interview: Sirius Buying Group MD, Steve Jones INSIDE THIS ISSUE: ● Dealer Focus: Dacombes of Wimborne goes solar

● The Road To Net Zero: AMDEA on a sustainable appliance future ● Product Features: Cooling and Smart Home

18–19 SEPTEMBER 2024

18-19 SEPTEMBER 2024 FARNBOROUGH EXHIBITION CENTRE FARNBOROUGH EXHIBITION CENTRE

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For further information, visit www.bira.co.uk

From the CEO

A warm welcome to Retra members from Bira CEO, Andrew Goodacre On behalf of Bira, I’m delighted to extend a heartfelt welcome to all Retra members joining our association family. This move represents an exciting new chapter — one that will strengthen the collective voice and support for independent electrical retailers across the UK. At Bira, we share Retra’s deep commitment to championing the interests of independent businesses like yours. For over 125 years, we have been dedicated advocates for the retail sector, tirelessly campaigning to create a fairer, more sustainable environment for indies to thrive.

I want to assure you that under Bira’s stewardship, the Retra name and identity integral to the electrical retail community will be wholeheartedly upheld. All existing member services, from insurance and training to website support, will continue.

Campaigners and champions However, Bira’s mission extends far beyond merely providing consultancy services. We are committed campaigners and champions for the UK’s independent retail sector as a whole, taking your collective voice directly to Parliament and key stakeholders to drive tangible positive changes.

Currently, our advocacy priorities include lobbying for more vigorous action against the rising tide of retail crime and violence afflicting independents. We’re also pushing for legislative reforms to promote greater fairness and flexibility, reforming the unfair business rates system, and reducing excessive regulatory burdens that needlessly stifle indie traders’ ability to thrive.

Bira representatives are consistently engaged across government departments, regulatory bodies, and industry forums.

Recently, our commercial director, Jeff Moody, attended talks with Defra’s Graeme Vickery, regarding reforms impacting recycling systems for Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE).

“

I want to assure you that under Bira’s stewardship, the Retra name and identity integral to the electrical retail community will be wholeheartedly upheld. All existing member services, from insurance and training to website support will continue

“

Andrew Goodacre

Moreover, as Retra members, you’ll gain access to a wide array of additional benefits through Bira’s comprehensive membership package. This includes a professionally staffed legal helpline, preferential rates with payment solution providers like Global Payments, and much more - all geared towards supporting the unique needs of independent retailers.

On your behalf, we emphasised the need for appropriate co-design and collaboration between government, industry and retailers.

Our recommendations urged Defra to explore more costeffective distributor return routes, incentivised as potentially cheaper alternatives to kerbside collection for producers. We also called for comprehensive consumer research to understand preferences and inform optimum WEEE recycling methods benefiting the entire UK. We cannot allow the government to place yet more heavy cost burdens on independent electrical retailers through WEEE reforms that primarily benefit major producers while firms apply immense lobbying pressures.

Retra and Bira’s role is ensuring the voice and interests of our indie members are forcefully represented, campaigning for equitable splits in cost responsibilities.

Formidable By merging Retra under Bira’s umbrella, we’ve created a formidable, united voice, exclusively dedicated to promoting the interests of independent retailers. Our organisation’s laser focus on your sector, combined with our proven track record of effective campaigning, will ensure your businesses can access unparalleled support and representation.

I look forward to Bira building upon Retra’s incredible legacy, as we forge new pathways to success for all independent electrical retailers. Together, our collective power and perseverance will shape a brighter future for this vital industry.

From the CEO

3

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Contents CONTENTS 03

NEWS

From the CEO

06:

News

13:

Bira News

10: 14: 15:

Associate News Euronics News Sirius News

Cooling

27

Smart Home

30

BUSINESS 16:

Business Matters

20:

Digital Marketing – Turn up the heat on outdoor events

18:

Dealer Focus – Dacombes of Wimborne goes solar

EDITOR’S INTERVIEW 22:

Sirius Buying Group MD, Steve Jones, on the tough MDA market and the challenges and opportunities out there for its members.

THE ROAD TO NET ZERO 25: 26:

AMDEA sets out its roadmap for a sustainable appliance future.

Haier wants to use AI and connectivity to help drive sustainability and achieve its social responsibility targets.

PRODUCT FEATURES

Editor: Sean Hannam T: 07932 586001 E: hannamsean95@gmail.com

30:

Consultant Editor: Richard Stevenson T: 07974 926157 E: richard@quickbrownfoxpr.com

27:

Cooling

Smart Home

WHAT’S HOT 32:

Richard Stevenson reports from the Munich High End show.

ASSOCIATE INSIGHTS 34: 35:

Forbes Rentals Calculus

Advertising: Linda Dorling T: 01256 321337 M: 07785 142398 E: lindaedorling@gmail.com Retra Alert is a Retra publication

Retra c/o British Independent Retailers Association 225 Bristol Road, Birmingham, B5 7UB T: 0121 446 6688 E: info@bira.co.uk W: www.bira.co.uk Published and printed by Ocean Creative T: 01234 381035 E: hello@oceancreative.co.uk W: www.oceancreative.co.uk

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.

Nor shall Retra be held liable for damages arising from any action or decision taken as a result of reading this publication.

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Contents

28/06/2022 08:47

5

News

News

Retra becomes part of Bira - the British Independent Retailers Association Retra has been integrated into Bira (the British Independent Retailers Association).

The move, which was effective as of April 1 this year, demonstrates Bira’s commitment to supporting independent retailers in the electrical appliances industry and championing their cause.

Established in 1942, Retra has been instrumental in representing the interests of independent electrical retailers and service providers in the UK.

“

We did not want to see Retra close. However, we are thrilled to continue Retra’s legacy by providing unwavering support to independent electrical retailers

“

Jeff Moody, Bira commercial director

Jeff Moody, commercial director of Bira, said the association was delighted to welcome Retra members into the Bira family, and emphasised the shared commitment to supporting independent retailers.

He said: “We did not want to see Retra close. However, we are thrilled to continue Retra’s legacy by providing unwavering support to independent electrical retailers.”

Bira has pledged to uphold the Retra name, recognising its significance within the electrical retail sector.

Members can expect continuity in existing services, including insurance, training, website support, and Alert magazine – both print and online. Moreover, Bira will serve as a dedicated advocate for the sector, engaging with government bodies to ensure favourable policies for businesses.

Mr Moody added: “Our lobbying and campaign efforts have historically yielded tangible results, and we remain steadfast in championing the interests of our members. Bira’s advocacy has led to significant victories, such as the introduction of the small business Retail Rates Discount, providing a 75 percent discount up to a rateable value of £110,000, directly benefiting independent retailers.”

In addition to existing services, Retra members will gain access to a range of Bira’s membership benefits, including a professionally managed legal helpline and preferential rates with Global Payments.

Bira’s membership team is ready to provide comprehensive support to Retra members and their businesses.

Mr Moody added: “Bira’s exclusive focus on independent retailers reaffirms our commitment to serving the retail sector for over 125 years. Bira represents only retail, and we are dedicated to supporting independent businesses.”

The partnership with Retra follows Bira’s successful integration of the Association of Cycle Traders (ACT) in June 2023.

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

Haier Europe appoints Neil Tunstall as new CEO Haier Europe has appointed Neil Tunstall as its new CEO – he took up the role at the beginning of April.

Mr Tunstall will assume leadership of the Haier Europe region, which has its headquarters in Italy, with approximately 10,000 employees, and a sales presence in more than 50 countries, as well as seven manufacturing sites.

Commenting on his appointment, he said: “I am delighted to have been appointed to lead Haier Europe. It is a business with an impressive manufacturing footprint, a strong brand portfolio, a talented team, and an enviable reputation as a leader in the major appliances industry.”

He added: “I am convinced by the strength of Haier Europe’s fundamentals and its potential, and I look forward to building on the great work already in place.

6

News

“I will be very focused on working with the central Haier Europe team and the markets to remain at the forefront of innovation in product technology and scenario-based solutions, as we serve millions of people around the world who use our Neil Tunstall products every day.”

Prior to his new role, Mr Tunstall was Haier’s UK and Ireland managing director.

Mr Tunstall replaces Yannick Fierling, who has decided to leave the business after nine years.

For more on Haier, see pages 26 and 31.

News

Beko Europe launches following Whirlpool-Arçelik merger

Hakan Bulgurlu

The deal, which was provisionally approved by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in February, has led the way for the creation of Beko Europe, following the closing of the Whirlpool transaction in the region.

The closing also completes the definitive agreement for Arçelik to acquire full ownership of Whirlpool’s Middle East and North Africa (MENA) operations in a separate transaction.

Based on production volumes in 2023, the combined share of Whirlpool’s European major domestic appliance business and Arçelik’s major domestic appliance, consumer electronics, air conditioning and small domestic appliance businesses, i.e. Beko Europe, is the largest in Europe.

Beko Europe has more than 20,000 employees and a production capacity of approximately 24 million home appliance products per year across 11 production sites.

Seventy five percent of the newly formed company is owned by Beko B.V and 25 percent by Whirlpool Corporation.

Globally, Arçelik will now have operations across 57 markets with around 55,000 employees.

The company’s annual production capacity will also increase significantly as the total number of production facilities reaches 45.

Commenting on the merger, Hakan Bulgurlu, CEO of Arçelik, said: “We set clear targets to grow our business and transform our industry over the last ten years, all while delivering value for our consumers, our customers, our employees and our shareholders.

“Our growth has been propelled by considered acquisitions and ground-breaking joint ventures with leading businesses such as Singer in Bangladesh and Hitachi in Asia.

“The creation of Beko Europe and acquisition of Whirlpool’s MENA assets, marks yet another

pivotal milestone in Arçelik’s journey and our tenth year of continuous growth.

“As one of the global leaders, with strong positions in mature and high growth, markets, today we reinforce our ability to be a force for progress and change, in service of planet and people.”

Marc Bitzer, chairman and CEO, Whirlpool Corporation, said: “We are pleased to achieve this significant moment in completing our transaction with Arçelik to form Beko Europe.

“This milestone begins an exciting new chapter in creating greater value for European consumers through attractive brands, sustainable manufacturing, product innovation and consumer services. We look forward to the considerable opportunities Beko Europe will unlock for consumers in the constant pursuit of improving life at home.”

Commenting on the move, CEO of Beko Europe, Ragıp Balcıoğlu, said: “By combining our respective footprints, we achieve scale – now we must work tirelessly to ensure this scale serves the needs of our customers and consumers.

“

By combining our respective footprints, we achieve scale – now we must work tirelessly to ensure this scale serves the needs of our customers and consumers

“

A new appliance brand, Beko Europe, has launched – the move follows the completion of the major merger between Arçelik’s wholly-owned subsidiary Beko B.V. and Whirlpool Corporation’s wholly-owned subsidiary Whirlpool EMEA Holdings LLC.

CEO of Beko Europe, Ragıp Balcıoğlu

“We will be a responsible partner to the industry and consumers, actively using our market leading position to raise standards, address efficiency, and drive innovation in the pursuit of a better future.

“By understanding our customers’ and consumers’ changing needs, we aim to power the European household appliance industry forward to a brighter, more competitive, and eco-friendly landscape. Our exceptional and highly complementary teams will be critical in delivering against this ambition.”

For more on Beko, see News page 10.

News

Editor’s comment

Welcome to the summer Alert – it’s our first issue with Bira, which Retra became a part of earlier this year.

I’d like to thank Bira CEO, Andrew Goodacre, and the rest of his team for welcoming me into the organisation, and, as far as the magazine is concerned, it’s pretty much business as usual.

Andrew has written a From the CEO foreword for this issue (page 3), in which he sets out his message to Retra members and outlines what the partnership will mean for independent electrical retailers.

Elsewhere in this edition (page 13), you’ll see I’ve added a Bira news page – we’ll have one of these in each issue of Alert going forward, highlighting key issues that Bira is tackling, or updating you on developments at the association.

In this edition, we look at the worrying rise in retail crime, as covered in the first episode of Bira’s new podcast, High Street Matters, and report on why, despite the recent growth in the UK economy, indies still face a challenging time.

On that note, in this issue we look at some of the reasons why the current electricals market is tough.

In an exclusive interview with Steve Jones, MD of the Sirius Buying Group, (pages 22-24), he shares his thoughts on the state of the appliance sector, and in our Cooling Feature (pages 27-28), I ask several Retra associate brands for the latest market trends – the good news is that despite the challenging time, there’s still good business to be had, with sustainability a key message on the shopfloor.

With that in mind, I’d like to say congratulations to Retra member, Dacombes of Wimborne, for moving over to solar power – you can read all about MD Matt Renaut’s eco journey and ambitions in this issue’s Dealer Focus (pages 18-19).

Finally, in our Digital Marketing article, we cover the opportunities for outdoor retail events at this time of year (page 20).

Have a great summer and make hay, or in Matt’s case, energy, while the sun shines.

Sean Hannam hannamsean95@gmail.com 7

Dates for your 2024 diary JUNE 11-12 The Exclusively Show The Business Design Centre Islington London www.exclusivelyshows.co.uk

News

New MD for Smeg UK

Premium Italian appliance brand Smeg has appointed a new UK managing director, following the retirement of Mike Giddings.

22–23 The North West Audio Show De Vere Cranage Hall Estate Holmes Chapel Cheshire www.audioshow.co.uk 25 TRIC Awards Grosvenor House, London www.tric.org.uk JULY 5 The IER Awards 2024 Riverbank Park Plaza London www.ierawards.co.uk SEPTEMBER 1-4 Autumn Fair NEC, Birmingham www.autumnfair.com 6-10 IFA Messe Berlin www.b2c.ifa-berlin.de 18-19 Ei Live!

Farnborough Exhibition Centre www.eiliveshow.com

Daniel Hadley and Mike Giddings

Daniel Hadley, who previously worked for Dyson, where he led the Middle East & Africa Region (MEA) sales team, has taken over the role.

Mr Hadley has 16 years’ experience in blue chip organisations – before his move to the Middle East, he led Dyson’s UK retail sales team.

“I am delighted to join Smeg at such an

exciting time for the brand and am keen to continue to develop the UK and Ireland Smeg UK business,” he said.

“Mike was the lynchpin for so many incredible milestones at Smeg, no less the opening of the brand’s global flagship store in Regent Street St James’s and the incredible UK HQ in Abingdon. I wish Mike all the best for a happy and long retirement.”

Mr Giddings joined Smeg as national sales manager in 2001, before becoming sales director.

Over the past 11 years as managing director, he has had a massive impact on Smeg UK, spearheading its sales operation, service partnership and marketing direction across both the domestic and professional sides of the business, with growth in all areas.

He has taken the decision to retire to spend more time with his family.

“I leave the Smeg brand on a high and in the very capable hands of Daniel Hadley,” said Mr Giddings.

“It has been an incredible journey filled with so many memories of extraordinary activations and innovations. I am now looking forward to spending more time with my wife Jill and our grandchildren.”

EI Live! returns for 2024

18-19 eCommerce Expo Royal Victoria Dock 1 Western Gateway London www.ecommerceexpo.co.uk OCTOBER 13-16 Hong Kong Electronics Fair (Autumn Edition) Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) China www.hktdc.com/event/ hkelectronicsfairae/en/fair-at-a-glance 16 Bira Conference London – 10am to 4pm. Details TBC. 24 – The ERT Awards The Grand Connaught Rooms London www.ertawards.co.uk NOVEMBER 21 Electrical Product Safety Conference Church House London www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk 8

The EI Live! exhibition – a leading event in the AV and home automation industry – is back for 2024 and will take place from September 18-19 at the Farnborough Exhibition Centre, Hampshire.

Showcasing smart home and highperformance entertainment products from some of the world’s most cutting-edge manufacturers, distributors and innovators, the exhibition is said to attract a quality audience, consisting mainly of decision makers with significant purchasing power.

According to the organisers, the range of exhibitors is a significant draw for visitors seeking to explore the latest industry News

developments.

EI Live! prides itself on providing great face-to-face sales opportunities for exhibitors, and offering a rewarding experience for visitors, be they experienced installers, or retailers looking to increase their presence or begin a journey within the smart home and luxury AV market.

Smart home systems, including home automation, intelligent lighting, smart shading, security and HVAC, will feature at the show, alongside home cinema systems, media room products, and multi-room music.

The show is free to attend – simply visit the official website: www.eiliveshow.com.

‘Beko’s been an amazing story and I’m really proud to be a part of it’ This year sees Beko UK and Ireland sales director, Kevin Wackett, celebrating his 20th anniversary with the business. In an exclusive interview with Alert, he tells us about the success story of Beko, highlights some of the changes he’s seen during a career in appliances that’s lasted almost 40 years and looks ahead to the new era of Beko Europe.

Alert: You’ve worked at Beko for 20 years, but you’ve been in the industry since 1987…

Kevin Wackett: I joined the MDA sector in 1987 – I started in Philips, at City House, Croydon. I was only there a year – I looked after Comet – then I did 15 years with Zanussi, which became part of Electrolux.

I was with Zanussi until 2003 – primarily I was working with Currys – and I started at Beko in 2004.

“

Kevin Wackett

Blomberg came along, and it’s been a revelation in independents for Euronics.

It’s exclusive and it’s premium

“

Associate News

E X C L U S I V E

All my career, I’ve been in sales – I started working in FMCG for Fox’s Biscuits in the early ‘80s.

When I joined Beko, it was a lot smaller – in 2004, it was a £100 million business and with very little distribution, but now it’s £500 million. It’s been an incredible journey. We had one washing machine when I started – the WM510. That one SKU did 250,000 units. We also had three fridge-freezers, one dishwasher and about four combis.

Beko products are very reliable – if you bought an appliance, 10, 15 or 20 years ago, the products are now more premium, and the quality and the depth of the range are now miles away from what they were.

We’ve been the bestselling brand for almost the last 10 years.

Beko’s been an amazing story and I’m really proud to be a part of it.

Alert: You’ve also done well with Blomberg, which is part of the Beko group…

KW: Blomberg has been another success story – independents are very loyal, and some are set in their ways, but Blomberg came along, and it’s been a revelation in independents for Euronics. It’s exclusive and it’s premium – it’s been a sensation, and we work very well with the independents.

We’ve got Beko and then the trade-up story to Blomberg.

We work very closely with Euronics and I’m a big supporter of independents, who offer the best customer service by a long way in the MDA sector.

10

Associate News

Alert: What are some of the biggest changes you’ve seen during your time in electricals?

KW: I’ve seen the growth of out-of-town and the internet revolution.

I’m still a great lover of stores – I love to see products.

I get digital – it’s the fabric of society – and I’ve no issue with it, but you can’t deny that when you see your products on the shopfloor, it’s a great feeling. That’s been the success of Beko – we were a disruptor. We’ve grown and grown from a very little business. Why? We were very successful in getting store space, so the consumer could see the product and touch and feel it – and it’s always been great value. People bought into it, and I’ve built some incredible relationships with some of the biggest customers in the UK – not just selling products but selling the brand. Many customers call me Mr Beko, which always makes me chuckle.

People have bought into me, the Beko team and what we wanted to do – it’s not about selling the product and running away, it’s about selling it right through to the consumer.

I’m proud of the Beko UK family – I’ve got a very good team that have been very loyal and are very knowledgeable, from omnichannel to digital, independents and non-retail.

Alert: How many staff are you responsible for?

KW: I have 28, but I have key heads, who look after all the key channels and customers.

Alert: It must be an exciting time for you, with the launch of Beko Europe, following the recent merger between Beko owner Arçelik and Whirlpool…

KW: It’s an enormous change for the sector. It gives us enormous scale, access to factories, home delivery and consumer solutions and three incredibly strong brands: Indesit, Beko and Hotpoint, and then Blomberg in independents.

We also have Leisure range cookers at the top, so we cover a huge spectrum of price points across the MDA sector. One in three appliances will be from Beko Europe – that gives us a lot of responsibility to the sector, and to the consumer, and to support the trade.

I think we’re extremely well placed to grow and go forward.

The skill is to work with the retailers to get the best out of the brands for the consumer. I look forward to the next few years and what that brings.

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Associate News

Mitchell & Brown unveils affordable soundbar and wireless subwoofer Mitchell & Brown has launched a new soundbar, complete with a wireless subwoofer.

Retailing for under £200, the Symphony BAR400 is said to be compact, attractive and easy-to-use, with 400W of amplification, 2.1-channel sound and HDMI ARC, digital, USB, AUX, and Bluetooth inputs.

Symphony BAR400

These make it simple to improve TV sound and equally suitable for playing music from a phone or smart device. Its Dolby Digital processing automatically creates 3D sound for movies, eliminating the need for complex options and setup.

“We are very excited to launch the Symphony BAR400,” said Mitchell & Brown’s operations director, Dan Brown. “We have worked very hard to create a simple-to-use and good-looking soundbar that delivers premium sound without the hassle of menus, settings and complex multi-channel configurations. In-store, simply plug and play the Symphony BAR400 with one of our TVs – or any other brand – and it delivers big, room-filling sound that

makes for a compelling trade-up sale.”

The Symphony BAR400 uses sound directly from the TV via HDMI ARC or optical connection to play sound from the content onscreen, no matter what source the customer is viewing.

Volume links to the TV remote control to make the experience seamless. Switch the soundbar off, and the TV goes back to playing sound through its own loudspeakers – ideal for late-night viewing, so as not to disturb family or neighbours.

For ease of use, the Symphony BAR400 comes with a robust remote control covering the main features, plus the ability to finetune the sound and bass output. A Bluetooth button, a large mute button and a jog-dial make this remote far more intuitive than many competitor products at the price, claims Mitchell & Brown.

A sleek, circular control panel on top of the soundbar allows quick volume adjustment, even if the user can’t easily find their TV remote control or their smart device when listening via Bluetooth.

The input button scrolls through its HDMI ARC, USB, Optical, Coaxial and AUX inputs, with voice notification and colour-coded illumination of each input. The subwoofer powers on/off with the main soundbar, so it can be hidden away behind the sofa if required.

“We have priced the Symphony BAR400 very competitively at £199.99,” said Mr Brown. “This RRP makes it an attractive option for consumers looking to upgrade their TV sound without breaking the bank. This price point is strategically set to maximise sales volume and profitability for our retail partners, and its class-leading ease of use fits perfectly with the Mitchell & Brown customer demographic.”

The Symphony BAR400 features a sleek contemporary design that fits neatly under any television setup on a table or stand, or it can be wall-mounted, thanks to keyhole mounts on the rear. The connection panel is deeply recessed to ensure cables and connections are hidden, however the Symphony BAR400 is positioned.

For more information on stocking the Symphony BAR400, visit www.mitchellandbrown.co.uk.

AWE appointed as distributor for Stealth Acoustics in the UK AWE is now the UK distributor of Stealth Acoustics – the US AV brand.

Visitors to this year’s AWE Expo, which took place in May, at the company’s show apartment in Epsom, were given a preview of brand-new products from Stealth Acoustics, which is known for its high-performance audio and video systems, designed with a sleek and minimalist aesthetic.

Its range of flat radiating invisible or hidden architectural speakers, with which Stealth is synonymous, was first launched in 2003.

Stuart Tickle, managing director at AWE, said: “Invisible and discrete speaker solutions is a growing marketplace, and one in which AWE has been keen to offer a class-leading solution for. To be frank, our no-compromise approach meant that we have had to wait patiently for the right partner and product, and Stealth Acoustics’ new Gen 8 models with a 17-year warranty, offers just that for our customers.”

12

Associate News

Vice-president of Stealth Acoustics, Brian Azzano, commented: “I couldn’t be more excited about our new distribution partnership with AWE in the UK. We’ve had a great run with our long-time friends and partners there over the years, but AWE is able to bring a level of scale and service to our brand that we feel is necessary for an ever-expanding product category such as invisible speakers.”

“AWE is a leading specialist distributor for some of the industry’s most prestigious brands. It’s unwavering commitment to exceptional customer service truly sets the standard in the industry. This is evident through AWE’s state-of-the-art show apartment, award-winning training programmes, and top-notch technical support team.”

He added: “We at Stealth Acoustics are thrilled to be included in AWE’s esteemed portfolio, and we look forward to a successful collaboration in bringing our cutting-edge, invisible speaker solutions to the UK market.”

Bira said that while it was good news, independent retailers still face challenges ahead.

Andrew Goodacre, CEO of Bira commented: “It is always good to see economic growth, especially as we have been calling for a focus on this in recent months.

“

While we are technically no longer in recession, for independent retailers it still feels as if they are in one Bira CEO, Andrew Goodacre

Figures released on May 10 by the Office for National Statistics revealed that the economy grew by 0.6 percent between January and March this year, officially ending the shallow recession the country entered in the second half of 2023.

“

Bira has responded to recent economic figures showing the UK has exited recession with the fastest growth in two years.

Bira News

UK economy returns to growth, but indies still face challenges

“However, while we are technically no longer in recession, for independent retailers it still feels as if they are in one. Retail sales are still declining and there is intense competition as large chains use their buying power to discount deeper and for longer periods. The cost of running a business is still too high, especially as businesses are not benefitting from the lower energy price cap for households.

“As we are now seeing growth, and all the experts are predicting inflation will fall further in April’s data, it seems even more remarkable that the Bank of England decided not to reduce interest rates. It is clear that interest rates did not need to rise as high as they have to control inflation, and we would like to see these rates fall now to further boost consumer spending.”

New Bira podcast reveals worrying rise in retail crime The debut episode of Bira’s new High Street Matters podcast has pulled back the curtain on the alarming rise in retail crime plaguing the UK’s high streets.

Hosted by journalist Steve Dyson, the hard-hitting premiere laid bare disturbing realities facing independent retailers.

Andrew Goodacre, CEO of Bira, unpacked the findings of its latest crime survey, painting a grim picture: “It’s really troubling to see the feedback from members. It’s startling to think that 96 percent of people who responded expressed a view that retail theft had gotten worse over the last 12 months.”

He added: “Retail theft has always existed. It’s been quite low key to some extent, but the scale of increase… and it’s not just the frequency of times that something is stolen from a shop, but also the volume and value that has increased remarkably....

“There is clearly now a more organised crime element that is fuelling the rise of the retail theft crisis that we are currently experiencing.”

Bira’s 2024 survey revealed 35.5 percent of shopkeepers experienced verbal abuse — with a concerning 66 percent not reporting it. Of those assaulted, a shocking 70 percent opted not to alert police, while prosecutors declined to pursue 57 percent of cases where officers did respond.

Neil Mackay, managing director and owner of Mackays of Cambridge, a DIY shop, recounted being repeatedly targeted, including a brazen heist by a 12-person gang earlier this year.

He said: “They walked in armed with cable cutters and cut all the cables on the power tools...cut the security tags off, so they wouldn’t set alarms off, then put the items in jackets and walked out with about £1,500 of power tools in less than three minutes.”

Mr Mackay, who has worked in the sector for 40 years, highlighted the escalating organised crime element.

He said: “There is an element of opportunist crime but it’s the organised crime that ravages our businesses and that’s how it’s becoming now.”

Listen to Bira’s High Street Matters wherever you get your podcasts.

For more information, visit: www.bira.co.uk/resources/ high-street-matters-exploring-retail-crime-with-bira.

Bira News

13

Euronics News

Euronics Showcase hailed as a success Euronics has called this year’s Showcase “a resounding triumph.”

The members-only event is run by CIH, the electrical buying group, which is part of Euronics. More than 50 brands exhibited over two days (Sunday April 21 to Monday April 22) at the NEC in Birmingham.

Paul Tyler, CEO of CIH, said: “We were thrilled by the overwhelming response to this year’s Showcase. The enthusiasm and engagement of our members underscores the importance of this event in building relationships, seeing the latest innovations and conducting business. I would like to say thank you to everyone who contributed to making the Euronics Showcase such a resounding triumph, including CIH staff, our members and suppliers.”

Paul Tyler

We were thrilled by the overwhelming response to this year’s Showcase.

The enthusiasm and engagement of our members underscores the importance of this event in building relationships, seeing the latest innovations and conducting business Paul Tyler, CEO of CIH

The event was a showcase of the latest trends, products and technologies with more than 50 brands supporting the show, including Beko; Blomberg; CDA; Liebherr; Haier; Hoover; Asko; Vax; Product Care Group; Bosch; Neff; Siemens; Rangemaster; Whirlpool; Hotpoint; LG; Sony; Smeg; Shark; Ninja; AEG and Samsung, as well as many others.

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Attendees also explored the Euronics Store set-up area at the Showcase, featuring a comprehensive line-up of national campaigns for the year and an array of promotional tools designed to drive footfall and boost online engagement. Additionally, Euronics highlighted the latest innovations and consumer preferences shaping the industry.

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At this year’s Showcase, Euronics was also able to share the news that it is a finalist in both the Which? Retailer of the Year and the Which? Customer Service Brand of the Year.

This achievement follows the Euronics UK retail network being rewarded with a ‘Recommended Provider of Home Appliances’ award by Which?, who also placed the brand top in its Home Appliances Retailer performance table. Euronics also recently won a Feefo Gold Trusted Service Award.

Euronics News

There were also bitesize talks taking place in the ‘Euronics Garden’, and Euronics members also had the chance to meet Indie, the CIH Euronics Penguin mascot, and hang out in the Peng’win bowling alley.

The power of partnerships

The partnership provides Symphony with access to Sirius retailers supplying kitchen appliances, who want to start offering kitchens, bedrooms, and bathrooms.

In doing so, it has attracted more kitchen studios to become members of the Sirius Buying Group and convert to kitchen retail.

For instance, Symphony’s reserve and select exclusive product collections, which gives its retailers “unique access to elite brands”, is available by invitation only to members of Sirius.

Relationships in business make all the difference, and as a progressive company we ensure our partners have the same measure of integrity and loyalty.

Partnering with Symphony was a natural fit for Sirius, especially as we want to continue expanding our kitchen retail members to grow the group and develop the brands available.

Disruption Put simply, it is our role as one of the UK’s leading buying groups in the electrical appliance and kitchen retail sector to be able to react to and anticipate market disruption, so that the independent retailer can compete and thrive.

I am confident in saying that making the switch to Sirius has ultimately safeguarded the future of many UK showrooms we work with, and I know Symphony is committed to change and is dedicated to ensuring our network of UK members offer the highest standards to deliver a ‘right, first time, every time’ service.

Independents want to remain independent, and so enlisting a supplier partner is a great way to expand into new areas of trade, attract new revenue streams and offer a comprehensive product range with less of the risk.

Our role as a buying group is to set a high standard of retail, practice, innovation, and education and, ultimately, increase industry profits for our members.

Attract Symphony has been instrumental in our bid to attract new kitchen retailers to the group, spearheading retail conversions across a host of existing interior showrooms and electrical appliance retailers.

Through encouragement, retailers have started to allocate floor space to include five to 15 kitchen lifestyle displays, to attract new revenue streams and compete on the high street.

Using Symphony’s expertise and knowledge as market leaders in kitchen furniture has given our members the confidence to venture into a new area of business, take advantage of exclusive display deals and products and, most importantly, provide the opportunity to significantly increase the overall margin in their business.

So, how are our members supported through this partnership?

Many Sirius members have taken the decision to take Symphony on as part of their core offering, whether to help them start their journey into the kitchen furniture market or to become a new arm of their business.

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Partnering with Symphony was a natural fit for Sirius, especially as we want to continue expanding our kitchen retail members to grow the group and develop the brands available

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Symphony Group became a Sirius approved supplier in 2017 and since then, it has been fundamental in the creation of new opportunities for the group’s portfolio of members within the kitchen retail industry.

Sirius News

Steve Jones, managing director of the Sirius Buying Group, shines a light on its continued collaboration with fitted kitchen, bedroom and bathroom supplier, Symphony Group.

We continuously work with our suppliers to create exclusive opportunities for our members, so they have the best tools available to them. Symphony has been invaluable in us attracting new kitchen retailers to the group, spearheading retail conversions across a host of existing interior showrooms and electrical appliance retailers. We want to continue working hard for the independent and this heightened level of peer-to-peer communication has proved its worth.

Using Symphony’s expertise and knowledge as market leaders in kitchen furniture has given our members the confidence to venture into a new area of business, take advantage of exclusive display deals and products and most importantly, provide the opportunity to significantly increase the overall margin in their business.

Omnichannel Looking at the rest of 2024, Sirius anticipates the increasing importance of omnichannel retail, as a new generation of customers demand best in service, stock availability and personalised design from kitchen and electrical specialists, and Symphony will continue to be instrumental in this new phase of growth and development for members.

The aim of the Sirius Buying Group is to principally offer exclusive opportunities for its members to work together, secure increased margins, and build a more profitable business.

Symphony has truly influenced the opinion of the group among the kitchen retail market, and Sirius hopes through its continued partnership, it can continue to amplify its members’ profiles amongst suppliers and significantly, the consumer.

See Editor’s Interview with Steve Jones on pages 22-24.

Sirius Buying Group Email: siriusoffice@siriusbuyinggroup.co.uk Tel: 01395 277103 www.siriusbuyinggroupltd.co.uk Sirius News

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With Retra now part of Bira, we look at the support available to members, including advice on health and safety legislation and compliance requirements, and campaigning on important issues.

As the voice of independent electrical retailers, Retra is now part of the Bira Group – a robust organisation supporting independent shops, hospitality and service retail businesses throughout the UK. A core focus is providing essential advice and guidance to help members navigate the complexities of health and safety legislation and compliance requirements. Poor practices in this critical area can prove extremely costly and damaging for businesses.

Breaching health and safety law can result in hefty fees from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for the time spent identifying issues and assisting firms to get things back on track – currently £163 per hour under the Fee for Intervention (FFI) scheme. However, the financial implications extend far beyond just these charges.

There are risks of soaring absence costs due to workplace injuries, operational disruptions leading to lost productivity, a hit to revenues from reputational damage deterring customers, and likely increases in insurance premiums as a result.

Seriously Most seriously, major offences can lead to prosecution and eyewatering fines – averaging £145,000 last year. For small independent traders, such financial penalties could prove business-ending.

Thankfully, Bira (and therefore Retra) members gain access to free professional health and safety support from WorkNest, the specialist consultancy, to avoid these costly pitfalls and stay compliant.

This extensive service can be utilised for a wide range of needs and queries, acting as an invaluable sounding board for diligent independent retailers.

On a fundamental level, the WorkNest team provide expertise in conducting comprehensive risk assessments to identify hazards and determine the “reasonably practicable” controls required to mitigate risks across the specific environment and operations.

Interpreting and understanding obligations under the raft of UK health and safety regulations is also decoded through sensible advice.

Challenges Crucially, the consultancy extends to addressing new and emerging challenges facing modern retailers. This includes developing appropriate hybrid working safety arrangements for staff split between home and premises, implementing ongoing management protocols, and mitigating the potential safety impacts caused by staffing shortages or stretched resources.

More general queries can also be resolved through the service, alongside more extensive project-based assistance strengthening safety management systems, policies and documented procedures.

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Business Matters

For further information, please visit: www.bira.co.uk www.worknest.com

There is also support responding to any accidents, incidents or regulatory visits to ensure proper reporting and follow-up actions.

Jeff Moody, commercial director for the Bira Group said: “WorkNest specialises in identifying pragmatic, proportionate solutions that don’t unnecessarily disrupt or compromise day-today operations.

“Having this level of professional health and safety support on-tap as a membership benefit is invaluable for ensuring full compliance while maintaining a safe working environment for staff and customers.”

Committed However, the Bira Group’s mission extends far beyond just this consultancy service for members. The organisation is a committed campaigner and champion for the UK’s independent retail sector as a whole, across multiple fronts. Dedicated advocacy takes the collective voice to Parliament and key stakeholders to drive positive changes benefiting its 28,000 independent business members.

Current priorities include lobbying for more vigorous action to combat the rising tide of retail crime and violence impacting independents, pushing for legislative reforms to promote fairness and flexibility, reforming unbalanced business rates, and reducing excessive regulatory burdens that senselessly stifle independent traders’ ability to thrive.

Bira Group representatives are consistently engaged with government departments, regulatory bodies and industry forums to forcefully represent members’ interests.

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Major offences can lead to prosecution and eye-watering fines – averaging £145,000 last year. For small independent traders, such financial penalties could prove business-ending

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Business Matters

Staying safe and compliant

WEEE A recent example saw Jeff attend talks with Defra’s Graeme Vickery to discuss issues around reforms impacting the recycling systems for Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE).

Recommendations put forward emphasised the need for appropriate co-design and collaboration between Government, industry and retailers. It urged Defra to explore more cost-effective distributor return routes where incentivised, as potentially cheaper than kerbside collection schemes for producers.

There were also calls for comprehensive consumer research to understand preferences that can inform the optimum WEEE recycling methods for the UK. Jeff said: “We cannot allow the Government to place yet more heavy cost burdens on independent electrical retailers through WEEE reforms that primarily benefit major producers while firms apply immense lobbying pressures.

“Retra and Bira Group’s role is ensuring the voice and interests of our indie members are forcefully represented, campaigning for equitable splits in cost responsibilities.”

Through its multi-faceted support offering – combining indispensable consultancy services with forceful advocacy lobbying – Retra and the wider Bira Group ecosystem empowers the independent electrical retail community to operate securely, safely, compliantly and sustainably in the face of challenges and an increasingly competitive market landscape.

Dealer Focus

Power to the People Award-winning, Dorset-based Retra member, Dacombes of Wimborne, is embracing solar power to help run its showroom and reduce electricity bills. Sean Hannam reports.

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Dealer Focus: Dacombes

A total of 99 solar panels, creating a 41kw system, were fitted

by Ringwood-based Empower Energy, which is responsible for the design, installation and ongoing maintenance. Five roof elevations were involved to fit the panels, so it was quite a complex project.

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I used to have to sit down before opening our monthly electricity bill. The increase in the last few years has been alarming

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When it comes to sustainability, Dacombes of Wimborne is powering ahead…

The Dorset-based, family-run Retra member uses solar energy to run the domestic appliances, TVs and home cinema products in its showroom, as well as its heating and cooling.

Based on Leigh Road, the business, which was founded in 1920, has worked with Low Carbon Dorset, a green grant initiative for businesses run by Dorset Council.

“With air-conditioning, lighting, TVs and displays, our electricity drain equated to having three kettles boiling all day long. I used to have to sit down before opening our monthly electricity bill. The increase in the last few years has been alarming,” says Matt Renaut, managing director of Dacombes.

With further energy price hikes on the way, Mr Renaut applied for a grant from Low Carbon Dorset, a process that took five months from the application to the project completion.

Matt Renaut

EV van chargers In addition to the solar panels, Dacombes now has two EV van chargers and a Tesla battery. It also uses a heat pump for all heating and cooling, along with energyefficient lighting and equipment.

Thanks to Mr Renaut’s efforts, Dacombes has been shortlisted for Best Independent Retailer Focused on Sustainability (Consumer Electronics) at this year’s IER Awards. The result will be announced in London on July 5.

Dacombes’ commitment to the environment doesn’t just stop with its shop – the business sponsors the annual Green Festival, which is organised by the eco group Planet Wimborne, and takes place across the town in October.

The retailer runs a competition, with one winner receiving a home upgrade – all their bulbs are upgraded to energy-efficient LED lighting.

Proactive “We take a proactive approach to promote energyefficient products and address customer concerns about energy usage and associated costs,” says Mr Renaut.

“We take pride in our commitment to sustainability and community support by recycling and repurposing televisions, donating some to charities, as well as running a TV rental service.”

He adds: “Our aim is total energy self-sufficiency, despite the substantial investment. We’re committed to a sustainable and responsible future, prioritising environmentally-friendly practices for long-term benefits to the planet, alongside significant savings to our business model.”

Sean Hannam: When you spoke in a panel session at last year’s Retra Conference, you said you’d been looking into grants from Low Carbon Dorset, and now you’ve completed the solar power project, which was brought about by your increasing electricity bills…

Matt Renaut: Yes, the bills were getting worse, and I had to do something about it. I’d been thinking about solar energy for some time – we’ve got quite a lot of roof space and the building faces south, so we get sun on the roof all day long. It was one of those jobs that I’d always wanted to do, and then I got talking to someone who asked me if I knew that there was a grant to help businesses to do that kind of thing, so I looked into it, and I got the guys from Low Carbon Dorset to come down.

SH: Was it an easy process to apply for the grant?

MR: You have to jump through hoops – it’s not difficult, but there was a lot of going backwards and forwards – but they want to help you and give you the money, as long as what you’re doing is legit. They’ve got a job to do… I had to make sure the cost of the scaffolding was included – we had it up for just over a week, there was a lot of it, and it took two days to put it up and a day and a half to take it down.

Dealer Focus

“Even in the poor weather we’re experiencing now, we’re still generating enough energy during the day to power our store during its opening hours,” says Mr Renaut.

“Phase two of our green energy initiative is to eventually have electric delivery vehicles, so we can reduce our carbon footprint further. I’m proud that we’re on our way to running an eco-friendly business.”

We had to close the store on a Saturday and a Sunday in February, because we were having a new power board fitted – we have three-phase electricity, which a lot of industrial units have, as it balances the load a lot better. The solar panels were installed while we were open – they started generating energy at the end of February.

SH: So, how’s it going? I guess things have picked up since the weather’s improved?

MR: This week, there was a day when we were 100 percent solar-powered – during a working day, if it’s not dark outside, we’re generating all of our own electricity for the business, and we have a battery that charges while we’re not using it. When it gets dark, the battery kicks in – between 8pm to 5am.

SH: Have you noticed how much money you’re saving when it comes to your electricity bill?

MR: It’s a bit too soon… I’m switching from British Gas to Octopus Energy, whose energy comes from sustainable sources.

SH: Is the solar-powered shop a good selling point for your customers?

MR: Yes – the staff have been telling customers that all the electricity and the air conditioning is powered by solar energy. The staff love it – I’ve given my manager and my logistics guy access to the app, so they see what the battery’s doing and set timers – they’ve got even more obsessed with it than me! When we’re closed, they want to get our energy use down to as low as possible – we’ve probably halved it. We have electronic switching, so I can tell from the app if any LED displays are on, and if we don’t need the air conditioning, it gets switched off – we’re a lot more energy-conscious.

SH: You also have two EV chargers and you’re planning to use electric vans to do deliveries…

MR: That’s the next phase, but the vans are expensive – even the small ones are 30 grand… It’s down to money, but the staff love the fact that we’re trying to be as eco as we can.

We try to do the best we can, but if it’s going to cost a lot of money… We’ve got to make a profit at the end of the day, but if you can do that and be as eco as you can, then it’s brilliant.

Dealer Focus: Dacombes

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Summer brings plenty of hot opportunities to engage customers with seasonal retail events, says Vicky Shilling, account manager at Quick Brown Fox PR. As a seasoned marketeer for high street fashion brands, I’ve witnessed first-hand the positive power of immersive experiences that captivate audiences.

From new product launches to re-introducing brands, the art of engaging marketing ‘live’ as opposed through media, has proven to be an effective tool in capturing attention, driving engagement, and nurturing lasting connections with consumers. That is equally true for major brands as it is for retailers with a local customer base and summer-ready products to showcase.

Witt gas-powered pizza oven

For example, our client, Witt, has an amazing, gas-powered pizza oven range with plenty of saleable USPs. But, with a market awash with a plethora of pizza ovens from well-known brands to unknown OEM models, how do you make your products range stand out from the crowd when there are plenty of other brands available to consumers?

With summer finally here, jumping on the back of a big sporting fixture, festival or a ‘day’ might be the perfect hook to bring in customers for your own event.

As I write this it is National Crouton Day, National Fruit Cocktail Day and Bike to Work Week…. among at least eight other celebrated days… so plenty to choose from, even without sport.

At the heart of every successful event lies the audience, so to draw the ideal crowds you need to offer something that draws the ideal audience.

Creative For example, high-end cuisine, creative food prep SDA, and premium outdoor cooking often appeals to AB1 demographic.

Here you would need the promise of delectable cuisine and memorable experiences… rather than a bag of air-fried chips while watching the big game.

For some extra enticement to attend, consider event-only discounts on the products purchased or bundles with free accessories. Most reputable manufacturers will help out with this if you are going to the effort of an event to showcase their products.

If they do not, it maybe time to look for a different brand…

Plan to craft engaging showcases that spotlight the performance and versatility of the product highlighted. Think live cooking demonstrations led by skilled chefs, or get the audience involved with workshops on how to use the products, again, which 20

Digital Marketing

should be supported by manufacturers involved. In the summer, hosting an event outdoors on a warm evening is ideal if you have or can borrow nearby space.

Buzz Inject a buzz of excitement around events by hosting competitions or cook-offs or give-it-a-go taster sessions. Invite attendees to participate in challenges that showcase the capabilities of the products you are showcasing.

We have been astounded how many people can knock up a great pizza but don’t yet own a dedicated pizza oven. Multiple prizes for ‘best of’ categories work best to share the kudos among your audience, rather than one big prize.

You could really amplify your outreach by partnering with local media outlets or associations pre-event. Not only to talk about what you will be doing at the event, but also promote the prizes and any local celebrities at the event.

A local restaurant chef might get involved to promote their business and offer a discount – a trick we have used to great success with pizza oven events and local Italian restaurants.

After the day, ensure you immediately send a short story and some great images to your local newspaper, ideally written before and tweaked on the evening, then sent the following day with images.

Encourage attendees to share their experiences on social media using event-specific hashtags to amplify brand visibility. For example: #WITTSlicecofSummer.

While we have focused on cooking and food-prep here, the same framework would work equally well for sports evenings to showcase a TV or a festival evening to highlight audio and streaming products.

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With summer finally here, jumping on the back of a big sporting fixture, festival or a ‘day’ might be the perfect hook to bring in customers for your own event

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Digital Marketing

Turn up the heat…

Solar-powered There are a host of outdoor gadgets the work well when the sun is shining – from electric scooters to battery-powered speakers, and solar-powered chargers to full outdoor cinemas.

Once all the fun is over, it goes without saying that you will want to see how well the event performed; was it worth your time, energy and investment? Tracking key metrics such as event attendance, engagement levels, and leads generated must be done to evaluate the success of your outdoor event and fed back to supporting brands.

And never forget you customers and potential customers that came along. Capturing contact information from interested attendees to follow up after is the obvious, but ensure you follow up with a thank you for attending and maybe an offer.

Finally, collating all social content, press coverage and comments is a great way to reflect whether on your time and energy poured into a summer retail event have been well spent.

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5

Y ears Y ears

GROUP GROUP

Editor’s Interview 22

Editor’s Interview: Sirius

E X C L U S I V E

In his first interview for Alert, Steve Jones, managing director of the Sirius Buying Group, shares his thoughts on the market and the challenges and opportunities out there, and tells Sean Hannam how more needs to be done to promote the benefits of energy-efficient products and smart domestic appliances.

Steve Jones has been managing director of the Sirius Buying Group for three years – he took over the role in 2021, but, prior to that, he’d worked for the business for 16 years.

He started out as administration manager before progressing to commercial manager – in 2016, he was appointed as commercial director of Sirius, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2021.

Sirius is one of the major buying groups in the electrical home appliances and kitchen industry, with almost 200 members.

Sean Hannam: How’s business and how are you finding the market?

Steve Jones: I think the market is still trying to level out and there are a lot of different factors at play – this year is particularly challenging. The housing market has significantly slowed down – we’re not seeing people replacing or upgrading products at the moment – and then there’s the impending election, which stops consumers spending and affects their confidence. Until that gets resolved, I think everyone’s going to be in limbo for a little bit.

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Sustainability is something we all have to pay the right amount of attention to, but, at the end of the day, consumers are only going to pay what they can afford

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As far as the Group goes, last year we had another successful year, which was good – I think we weren’t that different to others out there, in that the first half was quite good and then we saw a drop off in the second half.

That’s the opposite way round to what we normally see.

All in all, it was relatively successful, and we delivered what we set out to do for the members, so we were pleased with that.

Last year was our joint best for improvement in membership – we had 20 new members. We are now at 195 – we’re knocking on the door of 200, but we always say it’s quality over quantity. We’re not looking to just take on anybody – we want to continue to deliver value to the suppliers and be a valued partner to them.

Editor’s Interview

‘This year is particularly challenging – the market is still trying to level out’

SH: But are you actively looking for members if they’re the right ones?

SJ: Yes – and we’re still looking to expand in the kitchen studio market. We’ve got an increasing number of members that are hybrid, and I think that’s a trend that we’ll continue to see in the independent electrical retail market.

SH: In recent times, you’ve taken on Waterline and the Electrolux Group as approved suppliers…

SJ: Yes – Waterline was to cater for our members who are expanding into kitchens and have a need for worktops and flooring. They’re a great partner for us.

It’s also great to have Electrolux on board – they were the only major domestic appliance manufacturer that we weren’t dealing with.

SH: What are the main challenges you’re seeing in the appliance sector?

SJ: We’re very fortunate that we’ve got a replacement market as the backbone of MDA, which we’ll always have to fall back on, but there are certain areas that are particularly challenging – built-in is significantly down and so are some areas of cooling – they make up quite a big part of the market.

There are also supply challenges – with the Red Sea, there’s always something, isn’t there? Laundry is doing quite well this year, but I feel it’s hitting a glass ceiling because of supply issues – it’s not anybody’s fault, but if you look at the growth in tumble dryers… it probably wasn’t anticipated, so you’re on the back foot and trying to get up to speed.

SH: Is sustainability an important issue for consumers?

SJ: If you remember from the AMDEA conference [last year] – I’ve got a bit of a thing about sustainability…

It’s something we all have to pay the right amount of attention to, but, at the end of the day, consumers are only going to pay what they can afford. I think at the moment we’re in a place where people like the idea of paying more for a more energy-efficient appliance but there are two things: one, when they get that appliance, are they actually using it in the most energy efficient way that they bought it for, and where does the education message sit around to make sure they are, and, two, can they afford it? When people are not so confident about spending their hard-earned cash… What would you do? ▶▶ Editor’s Interview: Sirius

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Editor’s Interview

SH: What about the Government offering people on lower incomes a subsidy to encourage them to buy energy-efficient appliances?

SJ: I think there probably should be some extra support – particularly at that end of the demographic scale: people who can’t afford to do it. In the distress purchase and replacement markets, they are probably the ones who have older appliances and can’t afford what we want them to have in terms of sustainability.

Arguably, should there be more attention given to supporting those people? I don’t know the answer to that question, but it should definitely be looked at.

It’s the right message, but, from a selfish perspective – our members and our sector of the industry, which is still significant – I hope that doesn’t got lost in translation and I hope they don’t forget the retailers and the independents that helped to get their brands where they are today. It’s all well and good saying that, but actions speak louder than words… What are they going to do about it, and what security can they give our members and our sector that with all this innovation and resources that they’ll be able to get their hands on, that they want us to be part of that journey?

SH: The joint resources and innovation are important, as well as just the combined might of the brands…

SJ: I think that’s what’s quite exciting – and coming from different areas of the world… It’s a bit of a competitive race, isn’t it? Who can get there the fastest? Smart appliances probably haven’t grown as much as lot of people would’ve liked or anticipated, but then there are challenges with that in terms of people’s personal security.

SH: And there’s still a big education job to do… Most appliances have some sort of smart tech, but it comes down to how smart do people want their appliances to be. Some people who have smart appliances probably don’t know all the things they can do with them. There is a strong message about sustainability with smart appliances, when they’re part of a home network…

SJ: And there’s an education piece around that as well – and how you do it. I’m coming at it from the perspective of our members and who their typical customer really is – it tends to be the older demographic and are they interested in that? And if they’re not, how do we get them interested? That sits at the manufacturers’ door.

Steve Jones at the Sirius International Conference in Gibraltar, 2022

SH: We’ve seen a lot of consolidation in the MDA market – Whirlpool and Beko (Arçelik) have merged, and a few years ago we saw Haier buy the Hoover Candy Group. Is that a good thing?

SJ: Competition is good for the market, isn’t it? But then, on the other side, if you get two large manufacturers come together, that both have strengths and weaknesses, they can take advantage of each other’s resources – that can only be good for innovation, and it creates more choice for retailers and consumers. So, which side of the coin do you want to look at?

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Last year was our joint best for improvement in membership – we had 20 new members.

We are now at 195 – we’re knocking on the door of 200, but we always say it’s quality over quantity

“

If we take Haier’s acquisition of Hoover Candy, which happened quite a few years ago, this year is probably the first year that we’re seeing them come to market as a joint force, but that’s never easy and there are challenges there… but it’s allowed them to have a good, better, best proposition in terms of Candy, Hoover and Haier, so I think that’s good.

Arçelik and Whirlpool? That’s a completely different kettle of fish, but I’m optimistic about it – if you look at Arçelik’s mission and what it says it wants to deliver, then that can only be good for delivering sustainable living in everyone’s homes.

24

Editor’s Interview: Sirius

Waterline is a Sirius approved supplier

SH: Where do you see the opportunities for your members to grow their businesses?

SJ: Sustainable living is a big message – we’re seeing good growth but it’s coming from a relatively low base. I think there’s a lot of mileage yet to be had and there’s quite a bit more independent retailers can do to support it in-store and get their customers interested in it – that’s a big opportunity, as is hybrid retail.

To be able to sell your products in a kitchen setting in your business is very appealing when customers come in-store, because it’s easier for them to picture them in their home, and it lets them know that they can get the complete package from you – and there are add-ons, like flooring, lighting and worktops.

We’re trying to find other areas for our members to tap into which are a natural progression and evolution from what they already do.

SH: So, are you optimistic for the rest of the year?

SJ: Cautiously optimistic. For this year, we need to hang on and do what we can, but most projections are that there will be a bit of a glimmer of hope towards the end of the year, and hopefully we’ll move back into some growth in 2025.

For more on Sirius, see page 15.

A Sustainable Appliance Future This year’s general election is likely to result in not only a new government, but also a big influx of new MPs to the House of Commons.

The new government will face a raft of economic and geopolitical challenges, which include ensuring that the UK continues its progress towards carbon net zero and developing and implementing legislation to replace EU regulations.

The election gives us the opportunity to introduce a new tranche of MPs to the modern appliance industry and its priorities.

These priorities align with what the next government and MPs will have to focus on; the transition to net zero, supporting a more circular economy and ensuring that UK consumers are not disadvantaged as we diverge from EU regulations.

AMDEA chair / Beko UK and Ireland MD, Teresa Arbuckle, with Chi Onwurah, Labour MP for Newcastle upon Tyne Central

Prioritise The appliance industry has changed over the past 14 years.

Manufacturers have been and continue to prioritise sustainability; bringing more water and energy efficient models to the market, and prompting the energy and water labelling benchmarks to be revised in 2021.

As the UK appliance market matures, the industry is shifting towards adopting circular economy principles, further facilitating repairs and the use of appliances by more than one owner. Recycling at the end of life is now a necessity and many manufacturers are looking into ways to also use recycled materials in construction or packaging.

The election gives us the opportunity to introduce a new tranche of MPs to the modern appliance industry and its priorities

“

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Manufacturers are increasingly utilising smart tech to improve consumers’ experiences and detect faults, and AMDEA is partnering with City, University of London to research into the potential of new technologies.

However, the industry faces many challenges including: the cost of living crisis, the ever-changing regulatory landscape in the UK and EU, the issues around the safety of non-branded and preused appliances and spare parts bought online, and in ensuring that there are enough qualified engineers and technicians to do safe repairs and refurbishments to support the growing secondhand market.

Relationships AMDEA has been building relationships with key government departments for a long time to advocate for the interests of the appliance industry.

Through our strong relationship with our members we can represent their needs as new legislation and standards are being developed.

Our job is to help decision makers understand the importance of the appliance industry in achieving our mutual goals, and what the appliance industry needs to ensure that it continues to progress on the path to a sustainable, environmental and economically successful future.

This is why, for the first time, we have gathered 20 of our top recommendations for policy makers and parliamentarians under three pillars; transitioning to a net-zero and circular economy, maintaining the free flow of appliances across borders at no extra cost to consumers and safeguarding consumers, in our Roadmap to A Sustainable Appliance Future.

AMDEA’s roadmap was launched at a reception at the House of Commons to an audience of 100 MPs, Peers and stakeholders just before Easter.

During brief speeches to the busy room, myself and AMDEA chair, Teresa Arbuckle, CEO Beko UK and Ireland, stressed why the appliance industry matters and highlighted several key asks:

The Road To Net Zero

AMDEA, the UK trade association for manufacturers and distributors of domestic appliances, has published a roadmap to sustainability, which supports the move to net zero and a more circular economy. Paul Hide, AMDEA CEO, tells us why.

1. Include appliances in future Green Home grant schemes to encourage low-income householders to buy the most energy and water efficient new appliances thus supporting the delivery of net-zero homes.

2. Reduce VAT on repairs and spare parts to encourage extended appliance lifespans and ‘repair rather than replace’ behaviours.

3. Provide incentives for R&D and technology innovation that speed up the development of more sustainable appliances.

4. Safeguard consumers through effective and robust policing of online marketplaces, ensuring that online purchases are as safe as purchases made on the high street.

5. Ensure consumer-facing messaging is consistent with the appliance industry’s to provide consumers with accurate information on how to achieve cost, energy and water savings (as currently promoted through AMDEA’s Know Watt’s What campaign).

6. Any new labelling on appliances should be clear and simple, whilst avoiding unnecessary duplication or information overload which only confuses prospective purchasers.

7. Continue to collaborate with the appliance industry to design workable and internationally compatible regulations, legislation and standards.

We are proud to launch our manifesto and we encourage government to work ever closer with the appliance industry to design workable regulations and legislation that can achieve our mutual goals of providing safe, efficient and technologically advanced machines at reasonable prices for UK consumers.

To read AMDEA’s manifesto, A Roadmap to A Sustainable Appliance Future, please visit: www.amdea.org.uk/wp-content/ uploads/2024/03/AMDEA-Roadmap-Manifesto-2024-FINAL.pdf.

The Road To Net Zero

25

Haier wants to use AI and connectivity to help drive sustainability and achieve its social responsibility targets.

Antony Peart, director of brand communications in the UK and Ireland for Haier, Hoover and Candy, explains how.

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.

“

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

“

The Road To Net Zero

Smart Thinking

Commitment We have 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 lifecycle.

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

Connected Our hOn 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 hOn 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: • A 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.

• On-demand manuals and over-the-air (OTA) updates reduce the number of spare parts needed.

HOn connectivity can allow users to prevent 65 kg of food waste per family, equal to about 22 daily meals and save approximately 100Kwh of energy per year through its usage suggestions and features that help users choose the best options for energy and water consumption.

Agenda 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&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.

•

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 to transform our packaging in other product lines to 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.

•

26

The Road To Net Zero

Bringing second life to products – In line with extending the lifecycle 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.

Cooling Feature

Cool Customers

Miele KFN 4795 AD freestanding fridge-freezer

The cooling market is tough at the moment, but sustainability, energy-efficiency and large-capacity models are key messages on the shopfloor. Sean Hannam reports. experienced growth on a year-on-year basis – an achievement that currently has us surpassing forecasts. We’ve also demonstrated our resilience by managing to grow in markets. One of the key strategies that has contributed to our success is our decision to launch new multi-door models in the last year. This move not only diversified our product offering, but also gave our customers a wider range of options to choose from.”

“

We have seen a good start to the year despite the tough market. Our refrigeration appliances have done particularly well and we expect to see this continue in summer

“

Most retailers and manufacturers that Alert has spoken to recently are telling us that business in the home appliance sector is slow – reasons for this include the cost of living crisis, a lack of consumer confidence, an economic uncertainty due to the impending general election, and a slowdown in the housing market.

Speaking elsewhere in this issue (pages 22-24), Steve Jones, managing director of the Sirius Buying Group, says: “We’re very fortunate that we’ve got a replacement market as the backbone of MDA, which we’ll always have to fall back on, but there are certain areas that are particularly challenging – built-in is significantly down and so are some areas of cooling – they make up quite a big part of the market.”

So, let’s home in on the cooling market, and see how it’s faring.

Miele GB’s brand manager, Rebecca Evans, says: “We continue to see the built-in market performing better than freestanding, as consumers continue to strive for handless kitchen looks.”

Premium Italian brand, Smeg, says it’s doing well, even though the market is challenging. Product manager, Matthew James, tells us: “Here at Smeg, we have seen a good start to the year despite the tough market as a result of the current cost of living crisis. Our refrigeration appliances have done particularly well and we expect to see this continue in summer.”

BSH is also seeing good sales, as Caner Duran, head of the business unit for cooling, explains: “BSH has consistently

Smeg product manager, Matthew James

So, what are consumers looking for when they’re buying cooling products? “Consumers are energy-conscious and looking for appliances that are more sustainable,” says Miele GB’s Ms Evans. ▶▶ Cooling Feature

27

Cooling Feature

“Miele’s cooling appliances are built to last with sustainability in mind, plus have innovative technology which optimises food storage temperatures to ensure once stored, the food will last longer. We have also seen increased demand for large cooling appliances.”

seeking customisable layouts that can accommodate their unique storage needs. Additionally, features such as wine racks and other accessories are becoming increasingly sought after, adding another layer of complexity to the market.”

Sustainability BSH’s Mr Duran also highlights sustainability as a key area: “Sustainability is a multifaceted concept, often associated primarily with energy-efficiency. However, within the appliance industry, the cooling category stands distinct from laundry or dish care.

“The energy ratings in cooling were updated two years ago, which explains the scarcity of high-rated products in this category, because products that would have previously been an A, for example, were now rated a lot lower.”

Debate He adds: “Turning to the debate between built-in and freestanding appliances, current market trends suggest an increase in the popularity of built-in appliances. Unlike freestanding appliances, which come in a multitude of forms, the options for built-in appliances have traditionally been more limited. However, this dynamic is changing with the introduction of taller and larger builtin models. The availability of these new models has spurred growth in the built-in appliance market, offering consumers more options than ever before.”

Miele launched new built-in and freestanding cooling models in April and May this year, entirely focused on improved energyefficiency. The new line-up features energy ratings A-E, while the majority of the market are F-energy rated, it says.

Haier Cube 70 Series 7

He adds: “One of the critical dimensions of sustainability is the lifespan of a product. Ideally, a sustainable product should be designed to serve its purpose for 10 years or more. Recognising this, BSH has taken a proactive step by extending its warranty to five years. By providing a longer warranty period and robust support from a team of over 300 dedicated engineers, customers can make purchases with an assurance of quality and longevity. We have also extended the amount of time we keep spare parts for large appliances from 10 to 15 years.

“However, sustainability transcends the product itself. It also encompasses the production methods deployed and the materials used in manufacturing. Our goal is to make these environmentally friendly products more financially accessible, thereby promoting their adoption.”

Large capacity is also high on consumers’ wish lists when they’re shopping for cooling appliances, as Mr Duran explains: “One of the most prominent trends is the increasing preference for larger capacity units. This trend is driven by consumers’ need to store a variety of products, from everyday groceries to special occasion items, all while ensuring their freshness. This demand for larger capacity appliances is significant and continues to shape the market today.”

Bosch has recently launched new A and B-rated cooling models and is in the process of a comprehensive upgrade of the entire Siemens range, to include A and B-rated products.

Design On the design front, Smeg’s Mr James tells Alert: “Style and design have always been key features for cooling appliances. There is a demand for products to not only deliver professional quality food at home, but also harmoniously match individual kitchen designs.

“Alongside the demand for energy-efficiency, consumers want reassurance that their cooling appliance will be cost-effective, reliable, and expertly provide preservation of their food.”

BSH’s Mr Duran highlights the importance of design, saying: “Aesthetics play a crucial role, especially in the kitchen appliance replacement market. Consumers are increasingly interested in the external design of these appliances, seeking sleek and modern units that complement their kitchen decor. They are also interested in the flexibility and arrangement of the internal shelves, 28

Cooling Feature

Connected Connected home appliances, including smart fridges, were predicted to take the world by storm a few years ago, but, it’s fair to say that consumers have been slow to adopt them and truly understand the benefits.

Miele GB’s Ms Evans tells Alert: “Connected appliances will continue to be the focus in any new product innovation coming through in the coming years. Demand will continue to rise as the benefits become more mainstream. We will see increased use of AI technology and a general shift towards automated processes across all sectors.”

Comments BSH’s Mr Duran: “At present, the demand for connected cooling appliances is limited. In comparison to other smart devices such as ovens, they don’t currently offer the same breadth of practical benefits. Diagnostics, for instance, can be carried out on these interconnected systems and other features that are available include the ability to change the temperature settings remotely and activating a holiday mode, which allows the appliance to function in a more energy-efficient manner while the user is away.”

Bosch KFN96VPEAG Series 4 French door fridge-freezer

The market may be tough at the moment, but what are suppliers’ predictions for the rest of the year in cooling?

“We expect to see key features, such as energy-efficiency, sustainability and preservation, continue to be explored and developed within the cooling market,” says Smeg’s Mr James.

“We also expect a continued demand for reliable and high-quality appliances that preserve foods to a professional standard and are cost-effective to own.”

The final word goes to Miele GB’s Ms Evans, who tells us: “The premium segment is outperforming the market, as consumers trade up. Consumers will continue to seek efficient appliances with sustainability at the forefront of decision making. Quieter appliances will also continue to be popular, as more consumers spend additional time at home with hybrid working patterns.”

X SERIES 11 WASHING MACHINE

ULTRA FRESH AIR

Up to 12 hours of ultra freshness.

Haier’s Ultra Fresh Air technology helps to freshen clothes and dry the environment for up to 12 hours after the cycle has finished, avoiding the growth of mould and bacteria inside the drum. Maximum performance with minimum consumption, thanks to energy class A -40% which helps to minimize environmental impact. The TFT digital screen means that you can always have everything under control and thanks to a large drum diameter it can accommodate larger loads. The X Series 11 laundry range is featured in Haier’s multimillion pound advertising campaign for 2024.

Discover a connected tailor-made experience thanks to hOn App

Haier.co.uk

Smart Home Feature

Part of the Show Apartment at AWE HQ in Epsom, Surrey

‘ There is still lots of business to be had…’

There is good growth in the smart home / custom installation sector, but the mid-market is tougher than it was. Sean Hannam reports.

The smart home market in the UK is estimated to be worth £2.9 billion according to a recent study (2023 Professional Smart Home Market Analysis) by custom installation trade association CEDIA. Four categories in the smart home sector are expected to grow in the next 12 months: home cinema, media rooms, outdoor AV systems, and lighting/shading.

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The blur between home and office, has seen the emergence of a new design trend – “resimercial”, which, as the name suggests, blends elements from both residential and commercial design projects

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CEDIA says that there will be good growth in the market in the year ahead, with more than 37,000 professional integration businesses designing and installing integrated smart systems for consumers across the country.

But the sector isn’t without its challenges, as Stuart Tickle, managing director of custom installation and CE / AV distributor AWE, tells Alert: “The mid-market of custom install is harder than it was post-Covid. There is still lots of business to be had, but the likelihood is that business professionals, with a mortgage and kids, have less disposal income than they had before.

“There was a period post-Covid when people spent more time at home and recognised the value of it, and interest rates were low, so some people could spend money fairly freely, so 30

Smart Home Feature

business was on a significant up for a number of years. That has now definitely gone.”

Looking ahead to the rest of year, Mr Tickle says: “There are factors that are out of our control that are going to influence things, but there are opportunities in electrical retailing – someone who was going to spend money on a whole home might now be doing it room by room.”

He suggests that retailers look at areas like media rooms and media walls, and flexible spaces in the home.

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, many homes have changed – the boundaries between work, leisure, and family life have blurred. CEDIA says this has ushered in an era where the home is not just a place of respite, but also a workspace, a school, a social hub, and more.

According to Forbes, as of 2023, 12.7 percent of full-time employees work from home, while 28.2 percent work a hybrid model.

The blur between home and office, has seen the emergence of a new design trend – “resimercial”, which, as the name suggests, blends elements from both residential and commercial design projects.

Offices are creating more home-like spaces with comfortable seating options, plants and décor, and warm lighting and colour palettes.

In the home, commercial elements like desks, monitors, and more are now essential for daily living, says CEDIA. Beyond the design, there are many products on the market offering the same type of high-level network and cyber security commonly found in office buildings. It’s not enough for homes to look more like office spaces, it’s also important that they perform like them too.

Smart Savings

Sustainability is one of the buzzwords in the tech sector, but it’s also a key message when it comes to connected home appliances and is likely to be one of the main reasons consumers buy into smart white goods – an area, which, hasn’t really taken off in the way that many brands predicted it would do.

“Consumer interest is often focused on the sustainability features of our smart appliances,” says Rebecca Hobson, connected home lead at BSH. “For example, we have consumption bars within our Home Connect app for washing machines and dishwashers. When a program is selected, the app provides a description of it, along with two bars indicating the estimated water and energy usage.

This feature allows consumers greater control over their energy and water usage.”

She adds: “We anticipate that the consumer’s environmental consciousness will only continue to increase. So, sustainable features, such as our consumption guides for dishwashers and washing machines, will become increasingly important.

“Consumers will also continue to want to make their lives easier. Program assistants, such as Easy Start for our Home Connect-enabled washers and dryers, allow consumers to input what they are washing and will suggest the optimal programme for their laundry. Helpful features such as this encourage people to use the best program for their load, rather than just using the same program they always do.”

Siemens SX97T800CE iQ 700 fully-integrated dishwasher

Over at Miele, the premium German brand also sees sustainability as a trigger for consumers to invest in smart home appliances.

Brand manager, Rebecca Evans, tells Alert: “Sustainability is a consideration within the consumer purchase journey. With the Miele@home app, consumers can also check and actively monitor energy consumption during dishwasher cycles, receive app notifications when the fridge door is left open or the temperature changes to minimise food waste, and preserve the energy being used by the appliance, plus be assured with Miele ovens rapid heat up there’s no need to pre-heat before cooking, and the precision temperature accuracy reduces the risk of food waste by ensuring even cooking every time.”

On the take-up of connected appliances, she says: “Miele is seeing an ever-increasing utilisation rate of connected appliances, as it becomes ever more important in our digitally connected world.

“Connected appliances provide added value for customers.

For example, networking with the Miele app brings many benefits. In the future, AI-powered solutions such as AI Diagnostics, which was unveiled at IFA last year, will allow us to save on service costs by directly accessing the device’s issue.”

She concludes: “The market has been challenged by the current climate, however, we continue to bring new smart innovation to the market, focusing on sustainability and energy-efficiency.”

Smart Home Feature

Could sustainability be one of the reasons consumers finally buy into connected white goods?

Sean Hannam reports.

Haier unveils ambitious new plans for the smart home sector

Haier has launched a new company, which is called Haier Smart Home UK & Ireland, with the intention of becoming the leading player in the smart home sector.

As part of the move, which was announced at an event in London earlier this year, the business also launched a connected smart appliance system that runs on solar energy.

Called the Smart Cube, it includes an inverter, battery storage, an EV charger and heat pump controller all stacked in one unit. The system harvests solar energy to run an entire household’s products.

Speaking at the launch event, Jim McEwan, chief commercial officer for Haier Smart Home UK & Ireland said: “Today marks the start of Haier Smart Home UK & Ireland. In line with our goals, all our products will be connected to the hOn app by the end of 2025.”

Mr McEwan also outlined a project called Haier Boost. This he said, will see the company invest in the brand to make it the “undisputed leader in the smart home.” He explained that the business is investing 400 percent more in its media strategy to ensure that Haier becomes a household name.

Mr McEwan said: “We want to inspire consumers to buy our products. We are continuing to invest in green technology

and we were awarded the Terra Carta seal of approval for sustainability. We have spent € 350 million on factories in Europe over the last four years. They are efficient and all our factories are at least part powered by solar. What we offer is the best energy solutions for the consumer.”

Haier’s Smart Cube can be installed in users’ homes and works as an inverter and battery for solar power, which is then converted to energy and used to run connected home appliances, which can be controlled through the company’s app.

Solar energy collected from the Smart Cube can also be used to power a home-EV charger.

At the event, attendees got to view some of the latest products from Haier Smart Home that will be coming to the UK this year, including the ID oven Series, which uses AI to learning people’s habits and tastes, and the X11 Washing Machine with Ultra Fresh Air technology, which prevents bacteria and odours for up to 12 hours.

Other products that were on display included the matching X11 Heat Pump tumble dryer with built-in fragrance dispenser, and the Haier Cube refrigerator, which is said to preserve fresh food for twice as long as conventional models.

Smart Home Feature

31

From stunning and expensive large loudspeakers to some more affordable funky streaming products, the High End show in Munich had a lot to offer.

Richard Stevenson wandered around – in a pair of Chelsea boots…

This edition of What’s Hot comes from the often-whacky world of the High End expo in Munich. It’s an annual get together of the world’s premium audio brands for four days in Munich’s MOC to showcase their wares to distributors, retailers, and consumers alike.

Easily Europe’s largest audio show, this year’s event attracted over 11,000 trade visitors from around the globe, plus a similar number of consumers on its two open days. There were also 588 press and media visitors over the four days, although as many were supposed ‘influencers’, I use the term ‘press and media’ loosely.

The show, having long ago over-filled the main demo suites and now offering them only as dead-brand’s shoes each year, has expanded across the road to another hotel, and is joined by a separate hotel show, Hi-Fi Deluxe, in the Marriott, a short cab or shuttle bus away.

ESD Super Dragon loudspeakers

Given that the world’s key audio distributors attend this event, even brands not exhibiting had private viewings, functions and meetings in nearby venues. I would guess 90 percent of Europe’s audio brands were there, but they were not necessarily visibly on show in the MOC. So, is hi-fi’s death by connected smart speakers and multiroom audio overstated? Certainly, the packed halls of the MOC suggested that hi-fi was thriving, but it is a confusing show to draw any meaningful conclusions about the market overall.

Demo Virtually side-by-side in the rows of larger demo rooms, you can have brands showcasing relatively affordable audio, like Dali’s new Rubicon 2 series from £1,600 to £4,000 a pair and with an LCR model at just £875.

A short stride away was ZenSati, purveyor of esoteric audio cables, and showcasing its all-silver mains cable loom that would offer consumers little change from €300,000. Yes, I did say ‘mains cables’... the short bit from the plug socket to the audio device.

Yet, asking around various UK manufacturers or brands with significant UK presence, the overall market sentiment was ‘it’s tough.’

Energy prices, inflation, reduced standards of living, a war in Europe and the Middle East, and impending political elections at home and in the US have put significant pressure on consumer spending power, or at least the desire to spend in this climate. But 32

What’s Hot: Audio

the picture is not clear-cut across the hi-fi landscape.

Polarisation The polarisation of the market into budget and high-end, with a giant Polo hole in the middle market, has become further accentuated.

Middle England has been watching its pennies as mortgage rates and fuel/energy costs soared. The bottom end of the market has taken the biggest hit, however, as inflation has put unbearable pressure on disposable working-class income, often reducing it to zero or less.

With audio making very few technological leaps in the last decade or so, the sector has little incentive to upgrade existing systems or invest in simple performance upgrades over a smart speaker that does the job of playing music.

The only sector of the market looking really healthy is very much in the Munich show’s name – the high-end.

Those with large disposable incomes still have large disposable incomes. Covid lockdown furlough, salary inflation, and rising house prices are ensuring the well-heeled become as high-heeled as the Paul McCartney Chelsea boots I was wearing at the show.

This market starts at around £3,000 to £50,00 per component and doesn’t have a sane upper limit, or any limit at all in fact.

Japanese brand ESD took the biggest room in the show to demonstrate its £800,000 (each!) carbon-horned, Super Dragon loudspeakers and added over £1.5m worth of ancillary electronics and equipment to drive them. It was stunningly impressive visually and sonically, even if you would need a room the size of a tennis court to enjoy them.

“

The packed halls of the MOC suggested that hi-fi was thriving, but it is a confusing show to draw any meaningful conclusions about the market overall

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What’s Hot: Audio

Munich makes the people come together

At a slightly less ‘footballers’ wives’ / Euromillions-win level, there is a lot of marketing currently riding on trickle-down technology from the brand’s flagship models, perhaps because genuine innovation in audio is rather thin on the ground.

The perception being that the higher the price of the flagship, the better the trickle-down products will be.

Offering a £20,000 flagship loudspeaker is not really cutting the high-end mustard these days, and most big-name brands (KEF, B&W, Fyne Audio etc) are ensuring the RRP of their flagship models compete for the same amount of disposable income as a decent German car at around £40,000 RRP. These are real speakers at the top of actual ranges that sell, not unique models or one-off concepts.

Wowed While the plethora of six-figure systems at Munich wowed both trade and consumer audiences, with some hilariously bad

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

Experience The Munich High-End show is also a great place to experience the slightly bonkers end of hi-fi – from ESD’s multi-million-pound loudspeaker system to Transrotor’s seemingly endless supply of mad turntables, and speakers of every shape and size, but mostly XXL. Chord’s new integrated amplifier looked great in the company’s signature quirky casework, but truly, the most out-there product

designs must go to Italian company IXOOST Artistic Audio.

The brand makes loudspeakers and systems out of, or inspired by, highperformance and luxury car parts. The company’s AMG Performance Luxury Audio is the world’s only audio product to bear the AMG brand, and looked sensational. (Although as an AMG owner, I may be biased).

“High End 2024 was a complete success for all involved and has proven that the industry is Meridian DSP9 loudspeaker (left) and more alive than ever,” Ellipse wireless streaming speaker summarised Stefan Dreischärf, managing director of the expo organiser.

“For the international professional community, High End 2024 is an annual must-attend event that most do not want to miss. Additionally, audiophiles, music lovers, and tech enthusiasts appreciate the fair because it offers the entire spectrum of the audio world.”

I really can’t argue with that. Happy listening.

What’s Hot: Audio

exceptions, it was some of the more generally saleable systems that caught my eye and ears.

Top of that list was Meridian’s funky little Ellipse streaming speaker, easily scooping the award for creating the biggest sound from the smallest box. At just over 400mm wide, 220 deep and just 165 tall, it managed to produce a sound uncannily like a large pair of high-quality stand mount speakers.

The brand’s digital trickery never fails to amaze, and I can easily see the Ellipse’s curvy eye-shaped box sitting under a TV, acting as both an impressive soundbar and a room’s primary music system.

At around £1,900, it’s not for every customer, but rarely have I discussed speakers at Munich in the press room with such universal praise from fellow journalists.

Stalwart of the affordable loudspeaker market, Q-Acoustics, unveiled its new 3000c range, featuring a cabinet with the brand’s signature rounded corners and its Continuous Curved Cone mid/ bass driver.

Pricing has taken a bit of a hike over the older 3000 Series, with the range starting at £329 for the smallest bookshelf model.

Elac, Project and Sennheiser all showed off a raft of new products that sounded great on demo and were more in tune, financially at least, to Retra retailers’ audience, and Canada’s Totem continued its run of making affordable hi-fi products that sound several times their price.

More Clarity around training Clarity, the trade association for the UK hi-fi industry, has announced new training and mentoring programmes for its members.

The support was unveiled at the organisation’s annual conference in May, which was held at Dolby UK HQ in Soho, London.

Clarity board member, vice-chair and founder of LoneStar Consulting, Darren Sherriff

Clarity plans to hold shopfloor sales workshops covering demonstration skills and theory, including what it is that makes people buy and how you sell value versus cost to consumers.

As well as tackling shopfloor sales skills, Clarity will also introduce business training, including mentoring for retailers.

This area was highlighted by Clarity board member, vicechair and founder of LoneStar Consulting, Darren Sherriff, who explained the proposition: “It’s extracting the knowledge out of the retailers themselves – a lot of them already have their ideas but they may not know how to implement them.

“We’ll be working with retailers to find that sweet spot in their business and to take it to the next stage – what are they missing and what haven’t they quite got right?

Aimed at both retail and installer members, Clarity will also offer in-person technical and demonstration training courtesy of board member, Wayne Hyde, who is technical manager at Custom AV Distribution (CAVD).

Speaking at the event, Paul Laville, Clarity board member and managing director of T21 Group, which specialises in training, said retailers need to update themselves on new technology and the changing shopping habits and expectations of consumers, which have been affected by factors such as economic pressure.

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

What’s Hot: Audio

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For further information, please visit: www.forbes-rentals.co.uk

Award-winning business, Forbes Rentals, which turns 100 in 2026, is seeing more consumers renting home appliances, for both economic and environmental reasons. Head of brand and content management, Hannah Forbes, explains how it’s committed to quality and a circular economy.

As we navigate through another year of economic uncertainty and environmental consciousness, the rental industry stands tall, offering a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to traditional ownership models.

At Forbes Rentals, our rental solutions deliver multi-awardwinning service support whilst adapting to the evolving needs of our customers.

Since our company’s inception, almost a century ago, we have evolved considerably, and we are highly responsive to changes in customer demand.

Working on a nationwide basis, we now offer a wide range of home and electrical appliances, as well as mobility scooters; all of which are delivered, installed, set-up, demonstrated and serviced by our in-house team of engineers.

With another robust year under our belt, rental services continue to gain momentum, as consumers shift their focus from ownership to usage.

The allure of monthly payments over hefty upfront costs has never been more apparent, especially in the midst of a cost of living crisis.

Additionally, heightened awareness of the climate crisis has prompted individuals and businesses alike to seek more environmentally-friendly options, further driving the demand for rental services.

Through our social media platforms and our email broadcasts, we offer regular competitions for our customers and keep them informed of the latest products, technological advances and current promotions. We find that customers may initially come to us for one product, but that their accounts expand to multiple units over time, as they embrace rental as a lifestyle choice.

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Amidst economic uncertainties and environmental concerns, the rental industry continues to thrive, offering a viable solution for individuals and businesses alike

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Associate Insight: Forbes Rentals

Forbes Rentals continues to deliver on affordability and sustainability

Kevin Herring, CEO of Forbes Rentals

Expanding Horizons through Acquisitions Another hallmark of our success over the past year has been our strategic acquisitions. Regardless of the scale of the business, each addition has seamlessly integrated into our operations, bolstering our offerings and extending our reach.

With a history dating back to 1926, we’ve honed our processes and, alongside our organic growth, continue to be highly acquisitive, always ensuring a smooth transition for any new entities.

Strength in Infrastructure Central to our business is our robust, service-driven infrastructure.

With our experienced head office staff, our highly adept in-house marketing team, and our expensive fleet of skilled engineers, we maintain full control over our operations.

Our nationwide service response ensures prompt assistance wherever our customers may be, supported by local-based tracked vans that expedite response times and streamline engineer callouts from our head office.

Committed to Quality and Sustainability At Forbes Rentals, quality and sustainability are at the forefront of everything we do, and refurbishment is at the very centre of our operation.

We meticulously select our products to ensure that we offer the best in both performance and efficiency to our customers. Our choice of manufacturers is guided by environmental, social, and governance practices, aligning with our commitment to responsible business practices.

Channelling Organic Growth Forbes has a very active in-house marketing team, who adeptly manage our social media, as well as producing engaging and informative content for our blog, email campaigns and annual brochure, as well as for industry press.

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Associate Insight: Forbes Rentals

Embracing Change with Agility As we approach our centenary and look to the future, we remain committed to adapting to the ever-changing landscape of the retail and rental industry. We remain a family business, focused on combining our well-established company principals with innovation, sustainability, and customer satisfaction.

Through continued investment in our people, processes, and technology, Forbes is committed to supporting a more sustainable and user-centric economy.

Kevin Herring, CEO of Forbes Rentals, says: “Amidst economic uncertainties and environmental concerns, the rental industry continues to thrive, offering a viable solution for individuals and businesses alike. The market is expanding, as people are increasingly looking to lease everything, from cars to furniture to clothes.

“Forbes is proud to remain a key player in this movement, delivering quality, sustainability, and service excellence to our valued customers.”

Retra associate member Calculus explains how it’s using AI in its software to provide benefits to retailers.

AI can now do complex tasks, such as natural language processing and predictive analytics, very accurately and efficiently.

The consumer electronics sector has witnessed a surge in AI integration. Today’s smartphones are equipped with AIdriven assistants capable of understanding and executing voice commands and carrying out image manipulation, such as removing objects from a photograph.

Home automation systems learn from user behaviour to optimise energy consumption, while wearable devices utilise AI to provide personalised health monitoring.

MDA may use AI to optimise wash cycles, or to automate cooking programs.

Home appliances The type of AI being used in these home appliances is typically a simple learning system, which is looking to learn and apply patterns.

For example, a washing machine may use the rate at which the water level rises for a given weight of load, to estimate the type of fabrics in the load. It can then combine this with data from the manufacturer on the preferred wash settings for different fabrics, the machine can then automatically set those settings for the current load.

Other types of AI can be used to help the retailer directly. You may have experimented with Microsoft’s Copilot system, such as in the Bing search engine, or embedded into many of its products.

These systems are based around large language models (LLMs), which are systems trained against a huge set of data.

With the training, the system learns what, for any given input, the most probable outputs should be. With the vast data set, the LLM then appears to “think” about your request, before writing its own answer.

This type of AI can be used for content generation – a common example is to ask it to draft you an email or letter, or to write a sales description for a product for your website.

Email: sales@findesolutions.com Tel: 01892 342 900 www.findesolutions.com

Although the output may need some tweaking, it will usually create a good starting point for you. A significant concern with an LLM is that of data privacy. By its nature, the model is built to output content based upon what it has seen before.

Many models learn from the inputs you give them, meaning that anything you give it as input may later appear in the output for you, or someone else.

While in many cases this is desirable – it helps the model constantly improve and get better at meeting your requests – if the data you are supplying is confidential or protected by GDPR, this creates a significant risk.

Benefit At Calculus, we see the real benefit of AI to retailers as not just a general large language model trained on data from the internet, but one which has more specific industry knowledge.

The systems excel at summarising information provided to them, but by providing additional context to that information, what they generate can be further improved.

Our new NCompass AI module builds on our own tailored model, and adds data unique to each specific retailer, keeping this in a private model accessible only by that retailer.

This allows the behaviour and output to be customised and tailored to our unique industry, and to help ensure the behaviour suits the task at hand.

For example, your engineers may be using our mobile app to record the work done during a service call. NCompass AI will automatically generate a summary of this, tidying up spelling and grammar mistakes, and preparing a simple overview of what has been done.

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We see the real benefit of AI to retailers as not just a general large language model trained on data from the internet, but one which has more specific industry knowledge

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Artificial intelligence (AI) stands as potentially one of the most significant technological revolutions of our time.

Its journey began in the mid-20th century, with the advent of machines designed to mimic human cognitive functions.

Over the decades, AI has undergone a metamorphosis, evolving from rudimentary algorithms to sophisticated machine learning and neural networks.

For further information, please contact:

Associate Insight: Calculus

AI: Integration and Personalisation

The information that you choose to include, or not include, in this summary, will vary depending on what that summary will be used for – NCompass AI will produce both a summary suitable for a customer invoice, and a separate summary used for internal reporting.

It can do this because it has the additional understanding of the structure of the data being fed from the system. Building on this knowledge, the model can also write content such as web descriptions, using and learning based upon industry-specific terms.

Automate NCompass AI also uses machine-learning to automate tasks such as categorisation. Similar to the approach that a washing machine may use to learn the best settings for a wash, this process learns how you may wish to categorise content – such as products on your website – and automatically carries this task out for you.

It will combine both its knowledge from existing training, with data it learns from any adjustments you make to the decisions its takes, to continually improve over time.

We are only scratching the surface in both the capabilities and possible uses for this rapidly-evolving technology.

Associate Insight: Calculus

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