News GDHA and GE start a UK partnership
GDHA becomes an exclusive partner for GE appliances
GLEN Dimplex Home Appliances has become the exclusive UK partner of GE appliances. GDHA added the GE brand to its existing cooking and cooling brand portfolio of Stoves, Belling, New World and Lec. GE is one of the biggest companies in the world. Its consumer appliance division, worth in excess of $6bn, has a major share of the US appliance market. The brand however has struggled to consistently deliver growth in the UK. The GE division is led by Lec commercial director, David Garden, whose team has been credited with the revival of fortunes of the Lec brand since its acquisition in 2005.
David Garden explained to
IER why the partnership is set to be mutually beneficial. “GE now has a reputable and reliable UK partner with the knowledge, experience and,
most importantly, the existing customer base to make the brand a success in the UK. GE will also benefit from the strong after sales and operational support that GDHA understands is necessary to support a brand as strong as GE. For GDHA, it gives us incremental business in a sector in which we don't currently operate. It allows us to draw on our customer and consumer knowledge in order to drive the GE brand into independent retailers where it may not have been previously visible.”
He also described GDHA plans for GE: “We have launched the new range of American refrigerators in the GE and GE Profile brands, as well as the luxurious GE Monogram suite of appliances, and our initial objective is to drive distribution of these brands through displays in key
Results from the British Chambers of Commerce's latest Economic Survey suggest that the UK economy saw further growth in the second quarter of 2010. Key indicators on business conditions, such as employment expectations, investment plans, export orders, and domestic sales – in both the manufacturing and service sectors – made gains in Q2.
David Garden commercial director for GE and Lec
independent retailers. This will be on a fairly selective basis as we want our retail partners to have the opportunity to sell the features and benefits of these products within their geographical location. Product-wise, we are also introducing a brand new range of 1m tall 10kg GE branded washing machines as we see a great opportunity in the UK market for a premium laundry product with the recognised American brand behind it.”
retra calls the government to commit to radio switchover
A firm date for radio switchover is needed says retra Bryan Lovewell
TRADE association retra has issued a warning to the government that its reticence in setting a firm date for digital radio switchover is a dangerous move.
Speaking at the recent Intellect Consumer Electronics Conference in London, Communications Minister Ed Vaizey MP, said that the 2015 date for switchover remains a target the government aspires to, but he conceded a lot more work needs to be done before he can make a firm commitment.
Bryan Lovewell, chief executive of retra, says: “From retra’s point of view, postponing the 2015 date is dangerous, as members
could end up selling products to customers that could soon become obsolete. We have known that the 2015 date was a moveable feast, but this date should be adhered to.” Mr Lovewell argued that valuable lessons can be learnt from the digital TV switchover. “Once the dates for digital TV switchover were set, it galvanised manufacturers to get kit out there – specifying a time frame for switchover was key then and it is now.”
The market analyst GfK reports that the total durables market continues to improve month on month, showing growth of 5.8%, and all sectors are up in terms of value on May last year. The great success story was the consumer electronics sector. The major domestic appliances sector grew 4.8% whilst the IT sector grew 10.4% on May last year.
Most Britons are prepared to spend more for excellent customer service, according to a new survey by American Express. The research revealed that more than half (52%) of British consumers would pay more for good customer service and are willing to spend an extra 7% on average for the privilege. Over two thirds of consumers (70%) are also much more likely to give a company repeat custom after receiving good customer care.
Local shops across the UK are being asked to provide evidence needed to measure the impact of future increases in national minimum wage. ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) is encouraging retailers to return a questionnaire that probes the impacts of past increases on job creation, hours and investment in business growth. The findings will be the centrepiece of ACS’ submission to the Low Pay Commission later this year.
August 2010 The Independent Electrical Retailer 5
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52