refrigeration “Customers are also increasingly time poor
so don’t want to shop as often as they used to. Appliances that keep food fresh for longer feed into this trend, but we’re also seeing demand grow for larger capacity fridge-freezers so even the biggest food shops will fit with ease. “Design continues to play a key role in
customers choosing cooling appliances, with customers wanting a premium look and feel. The fridge-freezer is the largest appliance in the kitchen, so people want it to be a statement piece. We’ve noted a definite lean towards stainless steel and black steel. Also, unique to Bosch is the ability to customise the fridge- freezer with our VarioStyle models. This allows customers to switch the door fronts and completely change the look of their kitchen whenever they want.” Stuart Netscher adds: “Technology remains
Good quality design and innovation will never go out of fashion
still the second most popular appliance to be purchased in the last three years, therefore the category will remain an extremely important part of the household appliances market.” Sara Bazeley, Brand Manager at Indesit, sees a slight uptick in volume sales. “The refrigeration market is growing and in 2017, volume sales of refrigeration appliances increased by one per cent, to reach 3.8 million units. The driving force for the increase in sales was the launch of innovative models and new technologies. “There is a strong demand for stylish built-in cooling appliances. Although freestanding models account for the vast majority of volume sales, built-in formats record a stronger growth, particularly in fridge freezers and fridges.” James Picollo, Whirlpool Cooling Category
Manager, also sees growth in the market. “Strong demand for built-in appliances continued throughout 2017. Although freestanding models continued to account for the vast majority of volume sales, built-in formats recorded the strongest growth, particularly in fridge freezers and fridges. The rise in compact living spaces and open-plan kitchens contributed to the strong demand for built-in appliances, as consumers look to utilise their space in the most functional, co-ordinated way possible. “Increased housing prices and faster growth of smaller households are driving the demand for more compact designs, while growing food and beverage consumption by couples with children is underpinning demand for
larger-capacity refrigeration appliances to accommodate their less frequent but more bulky grocery purchases. “The refrigeration appliances market is now
worth £1.04 billion, a significant increase of 25.4 per cent in value since 2012.”
Market trends So, with the market seemingly in good shape, what key trends have the manufacturers identified? Maurizio Severgnini is looking to home cooking. “As the trend for home cooking continues to grow larger capacity models are coming into their own. As consumers are more health focused and spend their time cooking from scratch, there’s a greater need for fridge freezers with larger capacity. “Built-in appliances have continued to be popular over recent years. In line with this, Bertazzoni’s REF60BI, which is the first built-in fridge freezer from the brand, is a great choice for consumers who want a large format appliance that blends in perfectly to their cabinetry.” For Koulla Henry, Acting Category Manager,
Freestanding Cooling at BSH Home Appliances Ltd, freshness and preservation remain key. “For both retailers and consumers, food freshness and preservation remain of the utmost importance and is a big focus for us. Features on our fridge-freezers such as humidity and temperature control aim to keep food fresher for up to three times longer, cutting waste and saving money.
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a key driver within the cooling market, so “Total No Frost” products, appliances with external electronic controls and connected appliances are all growing in prominence. Food waste continues to be an important theme and so innovation in cooling technology is very focused on increasing the life of chilled products and preserving freshness. In addition, the continued growth in popularity of integrated cooling products has seen some of the high-end features usually seen on premium freestanding appliances being applied to integrated appliances.” Meanwhile, Steve Macdonald, business
director, Freestanding Division at Hoover Candy UK, highlights innovation as an important factor. “Innovation, in particular, personalisation, is the driving force behind key trends across all sectors of the market, everything from Total No Frost functionality technology to smart fridge freezers with artificial intelligence (AI), which are now beginning to reshape the market. “Customers are becoming more and more
aware of appliances that offer features beyond traditional functionality that integrate easily into, and therefore improve, their day-to-day life. For example, a door open alarm or smart notification avoids food wastage. AI can even take note of fridge contents and notify users when produce is approaching its expiry date, a feature that’s available in Hoover’s new AXI fridge freezer.” Sara Bazely believes that appliances can improve consumers’ quality of life. “As consumers’ lives become ever busier, appliances that make life easier and household duties less of a chore are also increasingly sought after. Indesit prides itself on developing products that ease the pressures of modern-day life and its range of adaptable chest freezers are designed with families in mind. “Chest freezers are popular with consumers
who like to bulk buy, or freeze large amounts of pre-prepared meals for a constant all-year- round supply. The Indesit range of chest freezers combines generous capacity with practical innovation and, thanks to the Cool Switch
February / March 2019
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