refrigeration
is a growing area. Consumers are becoming savvier by the day when it comes to choosing a new fridge, freezer or fridge freezer, and A+ rated efficiency is now a strict requirement.” Reducing food waste is also a topic that is
garnering increasing attention. “The latest research from WRAP (Waste &
Resources Action Programme) reveals that UK households are throwing away 4.2 million tonnes of food and drink annually; or the equivalent of six meals every week equating to £12.5 billion,” explains Gino. “Consumers are becoming more and more
aware of food wastage, and as a result we’ve developed a new range of American style fridge freezers that keep food fresher for up to thirty days. Our EverFresh+ technology ensures that wilted salad and mushy tomatoes are nothing but a distant memory. The humidity controlled salad crisper ensures consistently high moisture levels, maintaining optimum humidity through small ventilation holes. This ensures fruit and vegetables stay as fresh as possible for longer, helping families to reduce the amount of food that they throw away.” Hoover Candy UK freestanding division
marketing director Steve Macdonald agrees that consumer priorities have shifted. “Modern living has led to a significant
increase in the health conscious consumer and as such more and more people are cooking with fresh ingredients,” he explains. “As a result of this we have seen food preservation technology creep up the buying agenda and developed our cooling products accordingly.” He continues: “Consumers have different demands and specifications when it comes to buying a new fridge/fridge freezer, however there are some features which we are seeing become increasingly popular. “With the rise in Wi-Fi enabled mobile and
tablet technology, the increase in consumers wanting Wi-Fi enabled kitchen appliances is unsurprising. We recently commissioned the Hoover Household Report 2015, which revealed 40% of Britons are interested in operating their appliances remotely via Wi-Fi and one in five said they would be encouraged to do more chores if their appliances had Wi-Fi.” To meet this growing demand, the manufacturer recently launched Hoover Wizard Wi-Fi, a complete range of Wi-Fi enabled kitchen appliances, all of which can be simultaneously controlled, monitored and managed via one app. Steve says: “Our A+ rated Dynamic NEXT Wizard HF 18XK WIFI fridge freezer forms part of the range and thanks to its advanced functionality users no longer need to worry about accidentally leaving the fridge door open, as they will instantly receive an alert via the app – it is this type of benefit that really sets the Wizard range apart. “Furthermore, the Hoover Household Report
2015 revealed that 59% of consumers have no idea how much it costs to run their household appliances, or how much energy they use.
Lec
Refrigeration specialist Lec has unveiled a new American-style side-by-side fridge freezer. The A+ rated, frost-free Lec AFF90185 is 90cm wide, 178cm tall and offers a huge 527 net litres of capacity alongside features such as LED lights, electronic touch controls and a Twist Ice Maker. Available in both white
and silver, the fridge has four moveable glass shelves, two salad drawers and five storage racks in the door, while the freezer three glass shelves, two drawers and five door balconies.
www.lec.co.uk 0844 2484149
With the Hoover Wizard app, users are able to monitor the energy consumption of their fridge freezer.” Manufacturers are likely to continue to invest
in improved energy performance, Chris adds. “The consumer focus on food preservation and increased energy efficiency means that manufacturers should also be looking at this area as a huge opportunity and looking at further innovation,” he explains. “But perhaps it is lifestyle changes that offer
the greatest opportunity for the market - as people become increasingly busy and visit supermarkets less often, we are seeing capacity creeping up the buying agenda. So products such as Britannia’s Montana, with a true American capacity of 23 cubic feet, are ideal for modern lifestyles. With today’s advances in airflow technology and insulation methods, it is also becoming possible to create larger capacities without increasing the external footprint.” Kathy agrees that improving performance
provides excellent benefits for retailers to convey. “Technology is of course capturing the interest of consumers, particularly in the area of food preservation, but any features that make life easier for consumers are an attraction,” she comments. “So total no frost products are proving very popular as they tick lots of boxes and telling a consumer they will never have to defrost their fridge or freezer is a big selling point! “Features only previously seen on higher end
products – such as LED lighting and electronic controls– are becoming more mainstream. In addition, the side-by-side market is continuing
July/August 2016
to grow in value as more new brands enter the market, lowering pricing while increasing the breadth of features on offer. This is also down to the capacity and internal features – such as bottle racks, ice-makers and dedicated fresh produce drawers – which are very appealing to consumers.” However, a large proportion of the market
remains driven by more basic considerations. “But, in reality, size and price will always be the key factors consumers consider when making a cooling purchase,” Kathy explains. “For busy households capacity is becoming more and more important, and larger capacity fridge freezers continue to perform well as consumers strive to get the biggest product possible into the space they have available.” The growth in built-in is part of a larger trend in the kitchen market, but new build housing has also
We always advise retailers,
both new and established, to invest time in training their staff. Confidence in knowing the product and its technology are paramount
been good news for large statement appliances. Owain comments: “The trend for side-by- side cooling is very much led by the continued desire for fully integrated kitchens where the consumer may choose one or two iconic
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