distributed in the Nordics, USA, Australia and 50 other markets worldwide. Mr Wilson said that in positioning terms,


ASKO sits above the BSH brands – Bosch, Neff and Siemens – and below Miele. “We are very much targeting the brand to independent retailers,” Mr Wilson said. “ASKO is a brand that needs to be displayed, touched and felt by a consumer to understand it. “It’s not a product that we particularly want to be just a box that’s moved, because the name needs to be built and the image and reputation. “The independents do take care of displays


and they’re probably the most knowledgeable about each of their products and they really want to understand the products they sell.” ASKO appliances are designed in Sweden


and produced in Slovenia. Every product in the range comes with a five-year warranty. “It is two-year standard, three years extended


upon registration,” Mr Wilson said, “One of the things I felt was really important from a premium appliance was a five-year warranty, which should give retailers and consumers peace of mind.” Mr Wilson said that the biggest talking point in the ASKO range is the Duo Fusion Hob, a double flex induction hob with a gas wok burner integrated. “This is for customers that want induction, which is clean and simple to use, but they still insist on having gas,” Mr Wilson said. “I’ve got a retailer that only sells this hob and he says he will sell two of them a month throughout the year; it’s quite a unique item, and the hob is priced at £1,400.” In Q4 this year, ASKO is introducing Celsius


Cooking. “With Celsius Cooking, consumers are less


likely to over-boil or undercook their food,” he said. “You can’t burn your food; as food gets hotter in the pan, it reduces down to maintain


July 2022


that temperature.” Mr Wilson said ASKO washing machines use a


Quattro suspension system. “This is a unique yet simple system consisting


of four shock absorbers that transfer the vibrational energy from the outer drum to the bottom plate of the machine,” he said. “In fact, the entire construction stands inside the casing and spinning at even maximum rpm can be achieved virtually free of vibrations. We use exactly those components in our commercial machines and now we’re using them in our domestic machines.” Mr Wilson continued: “We’re the only washing machine manufacturer in the world that doesn’t have a rubber seal; we have a steel seal across the range. Rubber seals get dirty and stained and are difficult to clean.” ASKO’s Drying Cabinet is, basically, a 16-metre washing line, contained within a freestanding airing cupboard. Mr Wilson said: “An electrical retailer recently


sold two of the stainless-steel Drying Cabinets, which retail at £3,600 each. I only bought a few in on the simple basis of how expensive they are and wasn’t too sure they would sell. “There’s only a few on display and the


enquiries we get is amazing and we just need to get production of them going. Come autumn/ winter 2022/23, we should have a number of different drying cabinets in stock because that’s the time when they’re most likely to sell.” Mr Wilson said that one of ASKO’ greatest


products is the freestanding three-zone wine cooler, which recently won the IF Gold award for design.


“On the control panel, you can scan the label of the bottle of wine and, via the Vivino app, it will tell you what food to have with the wine and what temperature it should be stored at,” Mr Wilson said. ASKO dishwashers come with what’s called


an eight-steel trademark. Mr Wilson explained: “Eight of the components that are commonly used as plastic, we use steel. The base, the spray arms, the filter, they’re all stainless steel, for sustainability, but also for longevity of the products and it being a premium product.” ASKO exhibited at this year’s Euronics


Showcase, which Mr Wilson said was a good event, as it gave him an opportunity to speak to retailers about the offering. “Many of them said it’s too expensive for them; others said it would work in their stores,” he said. “We’ve had Euronics in to see the products in the showroom and there are a number of Euronics retailers that are interested in the brand, and we’re working with Euronics to see what the best route is for them. “There’s a lot of Euronics dealers that have


kitchen displays, and some of them are beautiful kitchens and expensive kitchens – these would suit ASKO products. “There are also some fantastic appliance-only


retailers that sell, very high-end products and ASKO would fit into those as well.” Looking at the commercial package, Mr


Wilson said that terms will be very much down to what retailers are prepared to display. “It’s about displaying the products first and the more categories you cover, the better the terms that are going to be,” he said. “I’m very passionate about ASKO, the


products and the brand, and I want people to share that passion.” ASKO provide stands to retailers on a free loan basis, and Mr Wilson reiterated the importance he places on independent retailers. He said: “It’s about having it on display, having


customers come and touch and feel it, and having product knowledge behind it – the independents do that better than anybody else.”


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