HOUSEWARES INTERVIEW- RKW FEATURE
The SmartStart Collection
Simon Oliver, RKW commercial director (home and outdoor living), spoke to Housewares Magazine about the business’ new range.
Combat the Crisis A
Arun Bhatoye, head of marketing at Hisense UK, highlights the support businesses can provide consumers amidst the challenging cost-of-living crisis.
s the cost-of-living crisis continues to pinch consumer incomes, businesses are having to adapt to a shift in buying habits.
Housewares Magazine: What was the reason for the launch of the range?
Simon Oliver: RKW and Tower are always looking to innovate, striving to spot gaps in market, strengthening Tower’s cookware product offering as a key player in the sector. SmartStart was launched in January 2023 in time for Pancake Day as the latest cookware innovation by Tower, with a temperature sensor built into the non-stick coating of the frying pan, to indicate the perfect cooking temperature. The collection features Classic, Gourmet, Forged, and Ultra Forged ranges, with 24-32cm frying pans. This launch is designed to help consumers save time and energy during a time of economic uncertainty, as the temperature sensing technology alerts consumers when they can turn down the hob temperature when not needed, ultimately saving energy in the kitchen.
HM: What are consumers looking for in their cookware? How are you catering to consumer demands with this range? SO: Consumers are ultimately looking for quality, long-lasting cookware. This is because consumers have shifted their spending habits inside the
24 | January/February 2023 24 | January/February 2023
Consumers are looking for energy-efficient, cost-efficient products, and it is the responsibility of the business to make their customers aware of which products fit these criteria. Arun Bhatoye, head of marketing at Hisense UK, says “Here at Hisense, we have always championed manufacturing products that are affordable yet high- quality, and this is more important than ever as we head towards the winter months amidst a national cost-of-living crisis. Right now, it is our number one priority to help the nation to understand how to best use their appliances to continue with their necessary household chores and reduce their bills as much as possible.” Founded over 50 years ago, Hisense is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of televisions and home appliances. Hisense has a core range of televisions and cooling appliances alongside a portfolio of cooking and laundry products featuring hobs, hoods, ovens, dishwashers and washing machines. Educating the consumer Bhatoye says “As energy bills soar to an all-time high, monitoring our gas and electricity usage has never been more important, and so consumers are looking for alternative solutions to cut down on their energy usage – and in turn, their energy bills. This doesn’t mean that consumers aren’t buying, but the path to purchase is much more considered. Customers
home, according to a 2022 report from Mintel, in order to save money during the ongoing cost of living crisis. RKW are catering to the needs of consumers with SmartStart, a cookware range with superior Aeroglide non-stick coatings, up to 15x stronger than other standard non-stick coatings. This makes SmartStart cookware stronger and longer lasting than other products on the market, making it better value for money. The Aeroglide non-stick coating also requires less oil, resulting in healthier cooking habits. SmartStart temperature sensing technology takes the guess work out of cooking for consumers, providing a way to make busy lives simpler. Better cooking results are achieved every time, just like preheating a conventional oven. The SmartStart range is also suitable for both hobs and the oven, as well as being dishwasher safe for a fuss-free experience. As with all Tower cookware, SmartStart utilises sustainable materials where possible, with recyclable product and packaging (excluding handles on Classic, Gourmet & Forged).
HM: What makes your offering stand out? SO: There is a clear trade up across the collection within the ranges from suitability for various hob types, to non-stick coatings and handles, as well as price, so there is a feature to suit every consumer demographic. The exclusive SmartStart Aeroglide non-stick coating are up to
15x stronger than standard non-stick coatings, providing unrivalled non-stick properties as well as being super easy to clean. The Ultra Forged SmartStart range heats up 25% faster than standard induction bases, thanks to its innovative Inducto base. This is perfect for saving consumers time and energy in the home.
HM: Where will you be stocking the range? SO: The SmartStart collection by Tower will be available in all good retailers - bricks & mortar stores, as well as available online from January 2023, in preparation for Pancake Day on February 21.
HM: How will you support retailers following the launch of the range? SO: RKW are pleased to announce the investment in further new product development to support and strengthen the overall SmartStart collection.
RKW will also continue to support retailers with extensive omni- channel marketing campaigns, backed-up by best in class in-store and e-commerce assets which are available to those who require them.
look to invest in appliances that achieve the best results whilst using the least amount of energy, to help with cutting down bills. During the cost-of-living crisis, retailers and suppliers should be looking at ways in which they can help educate and inform their customers on the best appliances for their individual needs, and support them as much as possible to find the most cost-effective solution. Here at Hisense, energy efficiency has played a large role in product development as we look to new launches in future years. “It’s likely that any appliance which doesn’t need to be switched on for a long amount of time during usage, for example a microwave or toaster is the most efficient small appliance, as it only uses energy whilst it is switched on. It’s also very much dependent on usage – every household is different and has different needs. For example, single-person households may have a large capacity oven and batch cook to make the most of their oven being turned on, whilst larger families might opt for a larger capacity washing machine to bundle loads together. Generally speaking, tumble dryers tend to be the most expensive appliance to run, so switching up this part of your laundry routine to drying your clothes on a traditional clothes horse or drying rack is an easy way to help cut down your energy bills. Of course, defining what the most expensive appliance to run will ultimately come down to usage habits. If you have a larger household, it’s likely to be more cost-effective to invest in a larger capacity washing machine, so that you can fit more clothes in one load,
housewareslive.net
housewareslive.net
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
