May 2024 ertonline.co.uk


that and nor should we try to. We’re really encouraged by current market data; the £30- 40,000 and above region of the kitchen market is really growing and that’s where we are aiming. If you’re selling a full suite of ASKO appliances it’s highly likely they are being fitted into a whole new kitchen; we find that normally our customers have set aside their budget for the whole project, not just one or two replacement products. So in terms of how we remain relevant in the marketplace, for us it’s all about striving for excellence at every opportunity. Yes, our products come at a higher price point, but customers are investing in a product that’s built to last for 20 years; it’s that value for money argument – customers can get an appliance that, over time, will actually cost them less because it won’t need to be replaced. And we support that with a five-year warranty on everything we sell. In the meantime we’re also helping customers save in the shorter term too. Our refrigeration appliances come with all the latest features around temperature control and temperature accuracy so they can ensure they are working at optimum levels to ultimately save on energy costs and help prevent food waste.


Q: How do you ensure that ASKO remains a sustainable brand? MH: This is probably where we’ve seen the most change. We’ve got this current generation of customers coming through where the topic of sustainability is much more woven into their culture and it has created a certain mentality around how and where they buy products. Compare this to just a few years ago when people were just talking about sustainability for sustainability’s sake.


So people are investing in brands


like ASKO and associated kitchens and appliances because they are coming from a far more credibly informed background and they believe in our values. We spoke about this a lot at the KBB show; the key message for us is longevity – creating appliances that will perform as well on day one as they will in year 20. Sustainability is such a huge part of Scandinavian culture and it’s certainly part of ASKO’s DNA. Last year the brand was awarded the EcoVadis Silver Medal


for its commitment to


sustainability, which was a really proud moment for us. We always hold ourselves accountable, both in the UK and globally, to deliver solutions and appliances that align to our brand promise, which is to care about health, wellbeing, equality and sustainability.


Q: Can you tell us about any of your new products? MH: Last month we launched the new Elements Pearl Grey cooking range which sits just above our Craft Black Steel range; it’s a stunning product. We are just about to launch ASKO


Professional. We already have a big range of commercial laundry and dishwasher products, but we’re expanding that into a small selection of national independent retailers, which is really exciting. Then, there will be a lot going on in the first half of 2025 with a complete relaunch of our built-in cooking, refrigeration, dishwashing and laundry ranges. Not only that, but we’ve also got plans for a new Experience Centre in London! We’ve had this year of growth and establishment, embedding ourselves into the right retail channels, and now we are taking that to the next level with our new range of products and the Experience Centre as well.


Q: What’s the motivation behind the new Experience Centre? MH: It’s not somewhere that we will sell from but instead it’ll be an extension to our existing kitchen


21


Above: The ASKO Craft 5-in-1 Compact Oven Below: The new Elements Pearl Grey Oven range


partners’ showrooms – a place for them to use with their partners and customers. We have quite a global ambition around architecture, interior design and the premium house builder space, so we can envisage using it for that kind of inspiration as well. ASKO Global recently opened an Experience


Centre in China and it looks absolutely amazing. The Global team really views the UK, particularly London, as the design capital of Europe so the new Centre will be hosting customers from Germany, Italy, France and all over.


Q: In your new role, how do you plan to drive things forward and develop the brand in the coming years? MH: The big part of my role is to help create that environment and culture where the ASKO UK team is really able to thrive, and we’ve been building on establishing ourselves as a credible brand leader in the premium kitchen market. Right now we are focused on building the fundamentals. The more opportunities that we have to share our story and our product innovations is really key for us; we take our lead directly from our kitchen studio and electrical retail partners and in turn they are helping us to build up that positive brand awareness.


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