– independent retailers that crack the code on giving great advice, following up and offering a good range of products, will always exist.” Mr Harding said that Electrolux will launch a


partnership programme with the independent retail trade later this year. “Another sign of the investment is that we


supported the Euronics Showcase, where we won the best design and experience award for our stand,” Mr Harding said. “If we can create experiences in the retail


space, that’s something that the independents can do uniquely, which is really hard to mirror across all the channels. This will give them a healthy future and give us a great partnership. “The partnership programme will be an


updated package, including terms, range and the support that’s on the ground. Terms will be based around display, demonstration and in- store experience.”


independent retail. “We’re listening to feedback from the independent retail channel as well to make meaningful changes so that we can better service that sector – as we recover from the stock challenges that we’ve been facing, we’re ready to capitalise.”


He said that independents have opportunities


to display and sell AEG and Zanussi, with updated ranges, offers and support mechanisms. Mr Harding said: “It’s my belief that the independents are going to play a crucial role in the future. I look at my background in fast moving consumer goods and I can remember the growth of the supermarkets, for example, 20 years ago, which put great pressure on the independent retailers. “But even to this day, there’s great


delicatessens, absolutely fantastic off licences July 2022


Driving sustainability Mr Harding said that, as a global leader, Electrolux has got a tremendous opportunity to eliminate the barriers that help consumers make sustainable choices. “We’re committed to keeping sustainability as


a key focus over the coming years and decades,” he said. “Recently, we’ve totally reorganised how our entire business works with sustainability. We actually have a sustainability board, and it ensures that we have the right programmes, objectives and the ambition level is correct to achieve long term goals. “That board meets four times through the year


and we’re already showing how crucial it is in driving our strategy forward.” Many consumers cite sustainability as a


key attribute that they look for in brands and products, which Mr Harding said is reflected in the research that Electrolux commissions. “It indicates now that over half of our target consumers do consider themselves climate


conscious and believe they can have a positive impact on the environment,” he said. “The flip side to that is that almost 30% of consumers don’t quite understand how they can do that, or have knowledge about the appliances to help make them more sustainable.” As a manufacturer, Mr Harding said that


Electrolux has got a really key role to play. “For example, our 9000 series washing machine has a water softener built-in, which is a proprietary technology,” he said. “That means you can wash on lower temperatures at 30 degrees, and you can use less detergent because the water is softened, and your clothes will last longer. “On dishwashers, we’ve introduced a user


interface called Quick Select, where instead of having lots and lots of buttons and eco modes, there’s a very simple slider that allows the consumer to select which programme they’re going to use on the dishwasher. It intuitively demonstrates the trade-off between being more sustainable and time.


“I think lots of consumers think that a quick wash must be more sustainable, but actually a quick wash uses more energy. Of course, the consumer needs a quick wash, so it’s about giving them the choice and demonstrating those choices that they can make.” Mr Harding said that Electrolux is working


hard on developing sustainable packaging to replace “I believe all consumers want to be more sustainable,” he said. “Sometimes as a consumer, it’s hard to understand how you can be sustainable and the small choices you can make, such as washing at 30 degrees, actually has a really big impact. If everyone moved to washing at 30 degrees, it would have a really big impact on the climate. “Independent retailers have a golden


opportunity to differentiate in terms of what they provide to a consumer. We can bring unique experiences and theatre to stores, working in partnership with the retailers.”


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