August 2023
ertonline.co.uk
The TT47 Table Top Fridge Q&A
Q: It’s a difficult time for many at the moment, so how’s business been for you? AT: It has been a very tricky year overall so we knew we just had to hunker down and focus on what we’re good at. And for D.A.D that’s our own brand and the products we have exclusive distribution agreements for; we are fortunate that Iceking has performed very well during the market downturn. We’ve got control over everything – right
from the manufacturing, the shipping and the pricing, to distribution of course – and we even managed to design some new products as well. Iceking has thrived in this market and it’s supported us during a difficult time. The independents are under a lot of
pressure; the bigger online players can afford to slash their prices and give on the margins, of course the smaller independents can’t do that. We will always support the indies as best we can because they’ve been good customers of ours for a long time. The COVID years were good for D.A.D, so
naturally at some point you can expect a bit of a downturn. The replacement market for appliances has been consistent, but now I think people are more likely to just keep using older appliances if they can. We still get very mixed views from retailers – some are seeing significant upturns, others are still quiet. It’s difficult to predict where sales will come in from one week to the next, but we are starting to see some green shoots coming through now, so I get comfort that there is some recovery ahead.
The key thing for us is that we’re focusing
on the products that we know will sell, we’re managing our stock levels and we’re putting offers out there at competitive prices so that retailers can continue to attract consumers.
The IK5050FF Fridge Freezer
Q: D.A.D is partnered with The Appliance Recycling Group, so any scrap products can either be repaired for a second life or broken down into recyclates to go back into new appliances. How does this fit in with your overall sustainability initiatives? AT: We are much more focused on sustainability these days; we have implemented energy- saving lighting, we’ve got solar panels on our roofs, and charging points in the carpark. Most of our
logistics are outsourced to XPO and
they’re very committed to sustainability so we’re doing what we can to support their initiatives. Then of course at a consumer level our products need to provide better energy
The RZ245W.E Freezer
Q: How do you make sure you stay on top of market and product trends? AT: I think D.A.D is good at listening, and we have the ability to make quick decisions and make changes, particularly with our own brand. We can have an idea of a new product and within a few months the products are in our customers showrooms. With Iceking, we know we’ve hit a sweet spot in the market; we get feedback that there is a gap in the market for certain products, so we order them and they are often pre-sold even before they arrive.
Q: Do you have any new products coming that you can tell us about? AT: We have a range of new products arriving in August and September; a tall frost-free fridge- freezer which has completely outsold our expectations; a range of 60cm under counter refrigeration; and we have reinvigorated our chest freezer offering – D.A.D were historically the go-to company for large capacity chest freezers. All the products come with a two- year guarantee like the whole Iceking range.
consumption to ultimately help the consumer be more sustainable in their own home. There’s been so much activity in the media
recently about energy efficiency, for example how cheap an air fryer is to run versus a microwave or an oven, so we’ve got to engage with this and make sure we’re stocking the products that people want.
I got an air fryer myself in lockdown; I’m a massive fan of them! The peak demand has probably passed now – there was a huge requirement for them, but that has reduced now a lot of households have already purchased one. The market is flooded with air fryers now and people can get very cheap versions anywhere.
Q: In this tough climate, there can be a few issues caused by how some brands choose to operate, for example selling direct to consumers. From a retailer’s perspective this makes this even tougher. What are your thoughts on that? AT: It’s a difficult one. Some manufacturers are set up to sell direct and of course it’s certainly more competition in the marketplace. However, the overwhelming feedback we get is more about competition from online retailers; they sell at a price which is usually a lot cheaper than the likes of our typical independent retailers. And that’s the struggle because consumers are so price-focused these days. But they don’t get that personal service online. If they want that independent advice, or to discuss installation options or repairs, they can go onto the high street and get that information face-to-face. This should always be promoted as the benefit of actually going out and purchasing in a store environment. >>
15
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
