I ask Charles Gordon, the head of Bissell UK, how he perceives the UK market in comparison with the US and the European ones.

“The UK floorcare market is getting closer to the European model since the domination of the upright cleaner is diminishing; in fact in terms of volume there are more cylinders sold than upright cleaners. With multisurface floors becoming commonplace, customers are looking for more adaptable products. It means that there will be more cheaper cylinders and more innovation in this product category.

“Also the big retailers are now linked to the European markets, so there will be cross-overs from the pan-European side in terms of demand and deals.

“We have taken a more global view of Europe, and we are setting up our own companies in Germany and Russia. We are also conducting talks in Spain and France.”

New expectations

What are, therefore, the most significant societal trends which are changing the floorcare market?

“The consumers have much less time on their hands than they used to.” explains Charles. “Many women have part- or even full-time jobs. Also there is a new culture among the 28- 35 year olds who don't wish to spend much time grooming the floors as it was the case in 1950s and 1960s. Their priorities are elsewhere. Our task is to provide products which wash and clean carpets quickly and with minimum of fuss, so people can move on to more interesting things.”

Being different

In the fiercely competitive and crowded UK market, how does Bissell plan to maintain its current position and grow?

“Our task at Bissell is not only to follow but to innovate and produce strong points of difference,” clarifies Charles. Then he goes on to explain: “In the past we were successful with Lift-Off which combined the capability of an upright with a cylinder cleaner. We also introduced dedicated deep cleaners which allowed the consumer to do a thorough clean of carpets and hard floors. Moreover, as far as trade is concerned, BISSELL provided them with an additional opportunity to sell the 'software' – the cleaning solutions.

“Bissell wants to be known as a different brand. We want to maintain our integrity, performance and brand values. We are also planning to broaden the range of our products. This took us longer than we anticipated, mainly because we have moved the production into our own manufacturing facilities in China.”

The independent channel

Since the independent stores are often considered the front window of floorcare, I ask Charles what role independents play in BISSELL's distribution strategy.

“Independent electrical retailers are critical for us. We believe if we treat them well, they will stay with us for a long time. These guys are the bread and butter of the industry and it is important that we have their support to build up our brand.

“You don't get instant wins with independents in the same way as you could get while doing promotions in Comet or Currys and suddenly getting sales of thousands of units. But these are here today and gone tomorrow. While if you build the independents' base, it will be there for you for a long time.”

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