• Start from asking where your customer lives. In a small house, flat or bungalow a compact cylinder or a lightweight upright would perform best.


• Do they have a mix of carpets and hard floors? Steam cleaner would be a great help in this case.


• Do your customers have pets or suffer from allergies? There are plenty of ‘pet’ models on the market with good turbo brushes. For allergy sufferers bagged cleaners are an ideal option.


• Don’t forget about accessories. While bags are still present but offer diminishing future opportunity, additional brushes and cleaning formulas are good sources of additional revenue. Place all accessories close to the vacuum cleaner – this will ensure they remain at the forefront of customers’ mind.


cleaners are one example of this. Still a premium product, improvements in design and all round performance mean it is an increasingly attractive option,” argues Nick Osborne, product manager, Floorcare, Samsung UK & Ireland. Charles Gordon issues a word of


warning: “While robotic vacuum cleaners feature innovative technology, such as sensors which prevent the appliance falling down stairs, and they go back to their base to be charged up. These are great if you have a flat where you want a quick clean going on when you are at work, but not so good for heavy duty cleaning.”


Cylinder vs uprights and bagged vs bagless


Meanwhile the battle for customers’ loyalty continues between the makers of cylinders and uprights, and bagged and bagless products.


Sales statistics show that bagless cleaners are becoming the more popular option because of their convenience, and sales in both upright and cylinder bagged models are down. Upright models have historically been the more expensive and having the larger share of sales. 2011 has seen bagless uprights drop slightly in volume but rise 8.4% in value. Cylinder bagless cleaners have


improved in both volume (3%) and value (8.7%) and their volume sales are higher than uprights (by about half a million units), although in value uprights still have the largest share. This performance from cylinders is characterised by strong sales at the premium end of the market, with prices up an average of 11% across both bagged and bagless models. Cylinders are lighter and easier to manoeuvre and clean harder to reach


areas like the stairs or the car, although uprights are now equipped in a range of tools to do exactly this. Uprights, although heavier than cylinders in general, require less effort to move around the floor, they are easier to store and they don’t have additional hoses that come with cylinders. They also benefit from a larger dust capacity.


Meanwhile bagless cleaners save a consumer from spending money on bags and the inconvenience of running out of them. However bagged vacuum cleaners allow for a more hygienic disposal of dust and they are an ideal option for allergy sufferers. For example, Miele vacuum cleaners are not only equipped in the advanced filtration system but they also have the unique HyClean dustbags retaining the majority of dust particles.


Product development In response to consumer demand for lightweight compact products that could be used for instant cleaning, a number of manufacturers launched a new generation


Morphy Richards Never Loses Suction Lift Away Bagless Upright cleaner


of hand-held sticks. For example the new AEG ErgoRapido 2 in 1 BRUSHROLLCLEAN is cordless making it quick to use, although it is equipped in a powerful motor and cyclonic cleaning system. The handheld attachment is ideal for cars, cleaning crumbs from the furniture and spills on the work surface. As colour is coming to its own in floorcare this year, the new ErgoRapido comes in seven different colours to make a statement. Also Samsung has developed the FlexSlim hand stick that works as both an upright cleaner and a detachable hand- held vacuum. A different concept catering for similar needs has been launched by Morphy Richards. “Our Never Loses Suction Lift Away Bagless Upright Vacuum Cleaner is the first vacuum cleaner in the UK to boast a lift away detachable canister combined with Never Loses Suction technology. Providing a versatile two-in- one solution and powerful pickup performance, the product provides a premium solution at a price point that


Bissell Power Force turbo cleaner


Thomas multi-usage carpet and hard floors cleaner


June 2012 The Independent Electrical Retailer 23


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