special report: spring fair


‘A definite ‘home-making’ vibe in the market’ B


Opportunities in small domestic appliances are oſten to be found while treading the boards at the NEC’s Spring Fair. Gregor Muir went along to talk to some suppliers about their offerings


y offering decent margin and quick to respond to consumer trends, small domestic appliances (SDA)


have seen a greater penetration in the market in recent years. Tradeshow Spring Fair, held in Birmingham from February 1 to 5, offered some manufacturers and distributors an opportunity to display their latest wares. Distributor and manufacturer RKW enjoyed a busy show, according to sales director Mark Lobar. The company manufactures some of its own brands, and distributes for others, with an offering covering small electricals and floorcare products from Morphy Richards, Swan, Tower, Carmen, Vax, Pifco, Russell Hobbs and, more recently, Breville. Mark believes the show offers an


opportunity to generate new business, as well as to grow incremental business. Since its acquisition in early 2014, Tower has been one of the key focuses of the company, he adds. Its offering includes slow cookers, a smoker, kettles and toasters, soup makers and the Vita Blend blenders which Mark says have been particularly popular.


Coffee makers is one SDA category which has enjoyed exceptional growth in recent years


range of SDA to offer more choice for retailers and consumers. Among the products now provided by the brand are coffee makers, kettles, toasters, sandwich makers, steamers, blenders, mixers, rice cookers, slow cookers and juicers. Sachin commented: “Kitchen preparation


has really grown. We trade on quality and price, and we’ve taken our core range and added trends and tweaks to appeal to consumers. We’ve done a lot of thinking about how consumers actually live, and developing products to fit in with that.” For example, the company has added


Spring Fair provides opportunities for retailers to take a look at some of the latest products and trends to hit the market


Alongside the housewares half of the business, RKW aims to offer a one stop shop for retailers on kitchen preparation, Mark adds. It also covers other areas of SDA, not necessarily considered by traditional retailers, such as its new range of haircare product from Carmen by Samantha, a collaboration with reality TV’s Sam Faiers, of which Mark has high hopes, and he adds that the company intends to continue to build on its new brands. Sabichi director Sachin Bagga explained how the company has built upon its core


alternative sizes to some of its products in response to consumer restraints about available space. This includes a 1.5l rice cooker to go along with the 1.8l version already available, and a smaller multi-purpose chopper. Sachin added: “We’ve had this nice equipment, but some of it has been larger than people could have in their own kitchen, particularly in cities where space in the home is so limited, so we’ve worked on improving the ergonomics and giving people with smaller kitchens the choice.” The market in general for SDA has been


impressive, Sachin said. “Our juicers and coffee makers have done phenomenally well,” he explained. “Cold press juicing has been huge. There is a definite ‘home-making’ vibe in the market, and we’re all about inspiring homemakers.” EPE Group included a wide array of brands on its stand at Spring Fair including Kenwood, De’Longhi, Braun, Nespresso, AEG, Russell Hobbs, Crockpot, Breville, Lavazza, Bosch, Tefal, Philips, Ascaso, Graef, Bugatti and Kärcher.


The company says it aims to be the leading


distributor of branded small domestic appliances, and the UK’s ‘first and only choice for branded SDA’. EPE Group managing director Noel Pamment said: “The SDA market is growing fast and EPE Group, with its strategy of only stocking branded small domestic appliances and floorcare, is growing at a faster rate. We have grown organically, taking market share from our competitors.”


I would encourage


independent electrical retailers and cookshop owners to look at their product mix. The branded SDA market is a good market to be in, as every main SDA category is growing


Investment and marketing director Harry Singh added: “With a strong portfolio of branded small domestic appliances, EPE Group is looking to grow its business. I would encourage independent electrical retailers and cookshop owners to look at their product mix. The branded SDA market is a good market to be in, as every main SDA category is growing.” Noel continued: “EPE Group is the UK’s first and only choice for branded SDA. Our portfolio is backed by a brand promise that promotes awareness; retailers and consumers alike trust brands. Like every year at Spring Fair, we have a wide selection of offers which will allow retailers to make excellent margins and be head-to -head with the big boys.”


8 | www.innovativeelectricalretailing.co.uk


March 2015


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