Building a brand to last feature: brand longevity


While some brands come and go – particularly in the fast-changing white goods sector - there are others that stand the test of time and show no signs of fading from consumers’ minds. The brand longevity enjoyed by some companies can last decades or even longer. One such brand is Stoves. Founded in 1920, next year will mark its centenary year.


But what is it about these brands that sustains them whilst others fall by the wayside? How do they survive ever-shiſting retail trends and the changing demands of consumers? Jane Rylands, Head of Marketing Communications at Glen Dimplex Home Appliances, looks at Stoves’ history and gives us her take on how and why Stoves has survived and thrived.


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hroughout the 1920s and early ‘30s Stoves developed a reputation for


manufacturing excellence, producing oil powered stoves and a range of camping stoves. Originally based on Scotland Road, Warrington, it relocated to its current manufacturing facility in Rainhill, Prescot in 1925 and began to apply its manufacturing expertise and access to quality materials to the production of cookers. “The most successful brands over the years


have been those who have had clear brand promises and kept them. Stoves, despite having had several different parent companies over the years, has remained true to its promises of superior build quality and innovation. “By 1937 it had developed an extensive range


of cookers and was exhibiting at the British Industries Fair, one of the most important exhibition centres in the UK, which would eventually become home to the National Exhibition Centre (NEC). Its ‘Newhome’ model quickly became a bestseller and Stoves responded in the 1960s by expanding the range and introducing several innovative firsts such as a self-cleaning oven lining - an innovation that was far ahead of its time. “In 1989, at a time of intense change in the UK


market, a small but ambitious leadership team staged a management buy-out with the aim of making Stoves Ltd “a world class player" in the arena of gas cooking. The team re-invested in the Rainhill factory and the company re-engineered and strengthened its range using the latest advanced market research techniques. Reiterating the Stoves brand promise, the MD at the time said: “In the 1920s and 1930s, cookers were built to last. They were simple, sturdily built and reliable. They are the values we want to continue promote.” “Stoves was also at the forefront of the built-in


cooking market, adapting its renowned New Home collection – which was first launched in the 1960s – to include built-in appliances,


so that by the mid-1990s the brand had the most comprehensive range of cookers on the market. A further £10m investment in the Rainhill factory led to an innovative new system where employees worked in small groups on individual products, rather than batch production to ensure a higher level of build quality – an approach the factory continues today. “Throughout the early 1990s, Stoves continued


to fight off competition from overseas brands because it continued to innovate, and although the General Election of 1997 knocked consumer confidence, the brand still made a record number of new product introductions. “Stoves acquired New World in the late ‘90s,


renaming itself the Stoves Group and continued to grow and innovate, particularly in the growing Range cooker sector. One of its first range cookers quickly became the market leader drew recognition from HRH Prince Charles. “Always looking for opportunities for expansion, Stoves’ success attracted the interest of its current custodian, electrical manufacturing giant, Glen Dimplex in 2000. Stoves remains part of the Glen Dimplex Home Appliances family to this day and, although Stoves’ products have changed over the years, the brand’s dedication, quality and desire to not just push boundaries but break through them, has remained as strong.


10 | www.innovativeelectricalretailing.co.uk


“Stoves products now include range


cookers, built-in ovens and hobs, freestanding cookers, hoods and splashbacks, as well as complementary appliances such as fridges, fridge freezers dishwashers and wine coolers. “Always focused on improvement, parent company GDHA invested £1.5m into its newest, British-made Stoves range cookers. The investment in the 26-acre Rainhill manufacturing site has ensured the introduction of a number of new added-value features including one-piece, tempered uni-cast steel frames on all range cookers. In addition to these improvements in build quality, Stoves is also leading the way in range cooker innovation once again, introducing the first range cooker with Bluetooth connectivity, adding the supersized ‘Titan’ oven to all 90cm models, which will offer an unrivalled 91 litre capacity and unveiling the flexibility of the Quad Oven Proflex Cavity Splitter, which converts a 90cm Stoves range cooker with a 3 oven capacity into 4, by allowing the user to divide the ‘Titan’ oven on demand. “To ensure the Stoves brand continues


to thrive beyond its 100th year, GDHA has recently made a further significant investment in the brand, with a full programme of activity throughout 2019 and a six-figure investment in consumer advertising and marketing.”


July / August 2019


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