refrigeration & summer cooling


Playing it cool L


With the warmer weather now on its way, we take a look at the refrigeration and summer cooling market. It’s a market which underpins much of the sales activity for retailers, and one which looks set to grow as the demand for fresh food continues to rise, so how are the manufacturers responding, and where do they see the market heading?


ucy Dunstan, Product Manager at Smeg UK, emphasises the importance of the refrigeration


market to the sector. “Fridges and freezers are an absolute necessity in the kitchen. While refrigerators may not follow trends like other appliances, sales figures remain strong and steady. It’s key that retailers consider how much floor space they are allocating to this category, given cooling appliances account for roughly a third of the MDA category.” Sara Bazely, Brand Manager at Indesit, sees a buoyant refrigeration market driven by technology. “Overall, the refrigeration market is growing in value terms, driven by increasing consumer demand for appliances that incorporate the latest technological innovations. The UK’s most popular cooling appliance continues to be the combi fridge


freezer and as combination appliances tick all the necessary boxes for the consumer, we expect combi fridge freezers to drive volume sales in the cooling appliance market. “The refrigeration market is also currently witnessing a strong and increasing demand for built-in cooling appliances. The rise in compact living spaces and open-plan kitchens contributed to the strong demand for built-in appliances, as consumers want to utilise their space in the most functional, co-ordinated way possible.” In terms of summer cooling, Danby’s John


Welbourn of Danby is similarly upbeat. “We are seeing strong demand for wine cooling products across all sub-sectors ranging from smaller footprint products like Danby’s 16 bottle unit through to more specialist premium dual zone products. We are also experiencing greater demand for drinks


chiller fridges (as opposed to specific wine coolers) as people spend more time at home entertaining, require more specific drinks storage or as second-tier appliances for summerhouses, outside dens and the like.” So with a growing market, what trends


are currently driving growth? Valerie Posner, Category Manager, Built-in Cooling, BSH Home Appliances Ltd, is seeing a move towards more built-in appliances, and also the introduction of smart refrigeration technology. “For cooling, built-in is bigger than freestanding and while it isn’t a rapid shift, there is a definite move towards built-in products. This is because people are buying their appliances with kitchens and kitchen designers tend to recommend built-in fridges and freezers to create a sleek look. “A key message for us is that food


stays fresher for longer when it is stored properly and the feature on BSH cooling products that helps consumers do that is sensor technology. Each of the fridges have probably eight to 12 sensors in them, which are constantly checking ambient temperature, the temperature of the food that’s going in, the temperature of the frozen food, and it adjusts to allow for these factors. So if you’ve just gone shopping and are putting in room-temperature food, the fridge knows to lower the temperature very quickly, otherwise the warmer food starts to make the other food perish.” Sara Bazely believes energy efficiency


is a key factor. “In recent years, there has been a real push towards appliances that are energy efficient. Modern technological innovations mean that cooling appliances are becoming more efficient than ever before. As utility bills continue to rise, consumers are increasingly becoming aware of the benefits of investing in ‘eco- friendly’ appliances, including the reduction


26 | www.innovativeelectricalretailing.co.uk May / June 2019


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44