feature: connected appliances


technology now delivers real, problem-solving solutions to long-standing user problems to improve their wellbeing. Mass-market products such as Amazon’s Alexa and Google Home have made smart technology and connected appliances enter the market which has been a huge driving force in the increase in sales.” Given that the market for smart appliances


is growing, what trends do the major brands see for the coming year? According to Keval Shah, “Washing machines and dishwashers are leading the connected market, as these are the appliances that offer the best-connected functionality at the moment. Whether consumers can be tempted to purchase a suite of smart appliances depends very much on their circumstances. If they are refurbishing a kitchen, it would make sense to buy a suite of connected appliances to future-proof their home and create a ‘finished’ look. “One of the issues initially raised by consumers about connected appliances when they first launched, was that they didn’t make enough of a difference, or save enough time to warrant an upgrade. But now, we’ve seen other smart technologies take over the home, including everything from lights to heating systems, homeowners are open the idea and can see the potential of investing in smart technology. Appliances are very much part of the connected home now, our new AutoDose dishwasher is compatible with Alexa, and that’s been a huge selling point. Connected technology has got to be helpful and genuinely help


save time. We’ve found some of the most popular benefits are features such as our new AutoDose technology, which facilitates automatic detergent replenishment through Amazon Dash Replenishment, so customers never need to worry about keeping track of usage or remembering to reorder detergent. The dishwasher also alerts you when it’s time to top up and can store up to a month’s worth


24 | www.innovativeelectricalretailing.co.uk


of detergent at a time. We’ve also had great feedback regarding how useful it is to have the option to download new software as it develops, meaning your appliance remains current and in line with the new market trends. The ability to upgrade software remotely, and the capability to detect faults and report them back directly to engineers is also very useful, and particularly relevant to anyone making a distress purchase.”


July / August 2019


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