Intelligent cooking appliances
Intelligent solutions, wise investments
Is a recession the right time to sell best in class cooking appliances? Anna Ryland investigates.
E
ven the most experienced retailers admit that the current trading conditions are very tough and the Christmas season is unlikely to deliver the usual volume of cheer to the electrical stores. Can you hope, therefore, to be able to tempt customers with cooking appliances that represent the best that the industry can offer? The manufacturers whom we
approached argued that the current market conditions prompted customers to adopt long-term thinking to home investments. “The deep recession has created a new type of thrifty consumer with different values – products must be reliable, perform well and be built to last. Consumers may be willing to pay a bit more for technology that helps save time and resources. The current economic climate is having an effect on our leisure time too, with fewer visits to restaurants and more emphasis on entertaining at home and cooking from scratch,” says Steve Macdonald, marketing director, Hoover Candy. Kevin Johnson, sales and marketing
director of V-Zug, adds: “People are entertaining at home these days more than ever before thanks to the exposure of a huge volume of cooking programmes and high-profile celebrity chefs.”
There is also a great revival of interest in home improvements. “The fall in the house building market, the hike in VAT, petrol and tax, and the threat of unemployment mean that many of us are choosing to stay put and invest in our homes. The mantra is ‘improve rather than move’ and with this, eating-in is very much in vogue,” says Juliana Sado, Whirlpool brand marketing manager. “Time is precious to everyone. Advancements in appliance technology allow us to complete tasks more efficiently while products are enjoyable and easy to use,” stresses Sophie Davidson, Electrolux product manger, Build-in Hot. “Primarily we hope this will mean more emphasis on cooking from scratch, getting the best from good quality, fresh ingredients but this does not mean less emphasis on convenience. ‘Food on the run’ will still be important as our busy lifestyles dictate the occasional need for a ‘quick food fix’,” adds Mike Jarrett, sales director of Neff. Moreover, “technology is getting cheaper so appliances that pack in a lot of features but don’t break the bank are going to be very attractive,” adds Ian Moverley, Hotpoint brand director.
36 The Independent Electrical Retailer January 2012
Intelligent ovens “Flexibility, versatility and multiplicity of use are central to the way consumers use the modern kitchen,” comments Hoover’s Steve Macdonald, and these three words encapsulate the direction of product developments in cooking. Modern ovens incorporate electronic
programming and sensor technology that guarantees excellent results even for the least able of cooks. The AEG Culisense oven offers many advanced functions, including the innovative AutoCook. The Culisense oven is equipped with a database of recipes and advanced sensors which can detect the weight and volume of the food to be cooked - calculating the right cooking temperature and time. The top models in Amica’s latest Platinum oven collection come with a multifunctional management system – the i-Cook Timer, equipped with six touch sensors on an illuminated panel for intuitive control. The
Hover Ghisa hob
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