feature: floorcare


A clean sweep of the floor


In recent years, consumers have been moving away from corded vacuum cleaners in favour of their lighter, cordless cousins, and are now increasingly being tempted by even newer technologies, such as robotic vacuum cleaners (RVCs). In our third feature this month, we cast our eye over the floorcare market in the company of some of the major brands and ask where this key sector is heading.


C


atrin Davies, senior product manager at Hoover SDA, describes a healthy


market. “Cordless has become the number one choice for consumers. By the close of 2018, cordless models accounted for 52.7 per cent (in value) of the market; an impressive 7 per cent increase from the same figures in 2017. “Our strategy to develop multifunctional lift out models has generated tremendous results. For example, the H-Lift 700 (3-in1) ticks the boxes for a consumer who wants to do a whole house clean. These can be used as traditional vacuums for those who prefer an upright, but they can also convert into a handheld and corded stick model. The beauty of this product development is that the consumer gets all of the power of a corded model, with the flexibility of a corded stick, handheld and upright vacuum; so the consumer is in total control of their cleaning.” James Aldridge, MDA & SDA Buyer at CIH,


makes the point that while the floorcare market is growing, the market for cordless is nowhere near saturated yet. “The floorcare market has shown positive growth. We believe the market for cordless vacuum cleaners is now bigger than cylinder and upright vacuum cleaners and is growing rapidly in value. We expect that the growth in the market to continue over the next few years’, and of course there is huge potential as the majority of households still do not own a cordless vacuum cleaner.” Meanwhile, Geoff Johnson, Sales Director UK & Ireland at Witt Floorcare, sees definite


potential in the market for robot vacuum cleaners (RVC) here in the UK. “The RVC category has massive potential here, especially as the household penetration in the UK is below 0.5% in comparison to the US where it is 8%. Also in other EU countries such as Spain, Austria, Norway, Italy, France & Germany it is above 5%. The mature market expectation is circa 30% household penetration.”


26 | www.innovativeelectricalretailing.co.uk


With the overall floorcare market seemingly in good shape, then, what trends might savvy retailers pick up on and use to increase margin? Sophie Jones, Group Manager, Market and Shopper Insight, BSH, restates the importance of cordless vacuum cleaners. “Where previously the market was very much split between upright and cylinder vacuum cleaners, it is now dominated by cordless products. This is because consumers are largely looking for good performance and versatility — that is, products that are lightweight and are easy to move around, while being suitable for changeable surfaces and hard to reach places. Cordless vacuum cleaners tend to be lighter — great for those who struggle with heavier vacuums — and they are also easier to move around as users are not restricted by a cord or proximity to power sockets. “The Bosch Athlet cordless upright vacuum cleaner is an excellent case in point. Weighing just 3.7kg, features include the motorised all floor HighPower Brush that works at around 5000 revolutions per minute, meaning it achieves thorough cleaning results on all floor types. It also comes with an accessory kit for those hard to reach places like upholstery corners or the stairs. The kit includes an optional plug-in adapter with hose, a shoulder strap, an upholstery nozzle and a crevice nozzle. “Excellent battery life is another key


feature that consumers are looking for when purchasing a cordless vacuum cleaner. They want to be sure that it will last long enough to get the cleaning done — particularly important


July / August 2019


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