RECENT industry monitors reflect the gravity of recessionary pressures and their impact on the economy and the retail sector.

After reading a feature on upselling by Christine Knott of training firm Beyond The Box in the July '08 issue of IER, Rodds Electrical asked the company to create a programme that would show staff how to up sell and cross sell in their own stores.

Two AEG-Electrolux products have been awarded the prestigious IF Design Award 2008 in Hannover, Germany. They were the AEG-Electolux S75598KG food centre with wine cellar and the AEG-Electrolux AN91250-4i A+ frost free integrated freezer.

Helping the retailer to meet their customers' wide range of installation needs, whitebox installations - an online TV installation booking service - offers a range of TV services, which can be quickly and easily arranged by independent retailers at a time that's convenient for the customer.

There has never been a better time to update the showroom and get some of the very best appliances on display at a fraction of normal prices.  All Amana appliances including refrigeration, wine cabinets and range cookers are part of a 50% display deal until 31 March 2009.

There has never been a better time to update the showroom and get some of the very best appliances on display at a fraction of normal prices.  All Amana appliances including refrigeration, wine cabinets and range cookers are part of a 50% display deal until 31 March 2009.

By the end of 2008, Freesat, the subscription free satellite television service, had achieved over 200,000 sales since its launch in May 2008.  Total sales of Freesat doubled in the final quarter of 2008 against the backdrop of challenging times on the high street.

Gaggenau is expanding its dedicated customer service team in line with the increased retail sales of the brand. John Mattin has taken up the newly created role of national service manager for Gaggenau.  John has extensive experience of customer service having worked for BSH Home Appliances for over 24 years.

You may have noticed that over recent months we have published several articles with actionable advice to help the independent retailer survive these uncertain times. I refer to the series on merchandising and store redevelopment and the reports on improving sales skills for retail staff, such as cross selling or upselling.

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2009, held in Las Vegas, previewed a wide variety of new technologies, including the world's first TV with an integrated Blu-ray player from Sharp, the first touch screen watch phone from LG and some innovative OLED technology from Sony. To read more about these products as well as the latest advances in 3D TV technology, see the full CES 2009 report on pages 14 and 16.

Who are you?

Every few years, IER magazine, in partnership with BISSELL, conducts a reader survey to examine what the independent electrical retailer in Britain is really like.

Denon is set to launch the world's first universal Blu-ray player - the DVD-A1UD.

Along with Blu-ray discs, the new deck will also play Super Audio CDs (SACD), DVD-Audio, DVD-Video and CDs.

De Dietrich's new collection of freestanding kitchen appliances all feature ICS (Intelligent Control System) sensor technology.

Sagem's latest digital TV recorders are equipped with USB ports to enable users to record programmes onto an external hard drive in order to free up more space on the internal memory.

Sony's new VAIO P-series is an ultra portable PC weighing in at just 638g and only just bigger than a standard envelope in size.

Designed to match the trend for glossy black TVs, the Mirage stand from Optimum features a gloss black top and doors with grey tinted glass.

Electrolux is brightening up the mundane task of housework with its new range of colourful Powerplus cylinder cleaners.

The latest kitchen range from Hotpoint sports a distinctive black gloss finish.

The Black Collection includes the innovative Quadrio fridge freezer which features two doors to the fridge as well as two doors to the freezer.

Despite the economic downturn reportedly taking its toll on visitor numbers, this year's Consumer Electronics Show appeared to be as lavish as ever. Based in Las Vegas, the world's largest consumer electronics show attracted 2,700 companies, including 300 new exhibitors, while an estimated 20,000 new gadgets were unveiled. Final visitor numbers had yet to be released at the time of going to press, but initial estimates put the figure at more than 110,000 attendees.

Available on Samsung's new Series 7, 8 and 9 LED, LCD and plasma TVs, the Internet@TV feature can be used to access web content and services such as Yahoo! News, Flickr and YouTube. Based on the Yahoo! Widgets engine, the content can be accessed either using the built-in Ethernet port or by using an optional Wi-Fi USB dongle.

The world's first portable Blu-ray player, the DMP-B15 sports a compact 8.9in screen. The portable product is Profile 2.0 compatible so it will support BD-Live functionality. Although it enables users to play their Blu-ray discs on the move, its 1024 x 600-pixel resolution means that it can't support full HD images. It's expected to launch in June/July in the States with a price tag of $799 (£550).

Manufacturers of electrical and electronic equipment that distribute and sell their products in EU Member States are now all too familiar with the WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) and RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) Directives.  Published in 2003, these directives restrict the use of hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment and promote the collection and recycling of such equipment.  In order to comply, manufacturers have had to manage changes in their supply chains and make arrangements for administering product take-back via producer compliance schemes.

Over the past year, there has been a concerted push to offer consumers an increasing amount of high-definition product and content. Sky now has almost 30 HD channels to choose from, and SkyHD has been joined by Freesat, which offers 140 TV and radio channels, some of which are in HD. Sony's PS3 console includes a Blu-ray drive and prices of dedicated Blu-ray players have been falling as new features like online service BD Live are arriving. More and more Blu-ray titles are being launched.

First launched at the 1950 Ideal Home show, the Kenwood Chef has become indispensable in many kitchens worldwide. This ‘all singing, all dancing' machine, created to make life easier in the kitchen was designed and developed by Kenneth Wood and Kenneth Granger. Kenwood is the #1 brand in Kitchen Machines and Food Preparation overall.

In the picturesque city of Ely, famous for its 900-years-old cathedral, very modern solutions for electrical retail have been developed by Cromwell Business Systems for the last fifteen years. Set up in 1991 in Halifax, Yorkshire, the company originally designed business applications for 30 consumer electronic retailers.

Everything must have eco credentials these days, and the domestic kitchen appliance sector is no exception. In fact, this is one area where technology has really taken off, allowing us to cook, cool and clean with a clear conscience.

Brand new from Siemens is free-standing condenser dryer model WT46W560GB. It uses 40% less electricity than the lowest value energy consumption for top class ‘A' and it's ‘A' rated for the entire life of the appliance.  It also has the quietest heat pump dryer on the market at just 63dB with the best condensation rate of 85%.   This guarantees short drying times and lower energy consumption, making it the most highly energy efficient dryer around. 

 ‘A' rated and affordable, the New World 90DO is a built-in electric double oven available in Stainless Steel and White. It features a main fanned electric oven, dual circuit grill and top conventional electric oven.  The bottom oven offers plenty of cooking capacity with two shelves which can be positioned in 15 different ways. A three button electronic programmer offers easy control.

Washing machines use up to 18% of energy consumed in a home, with 90% of electricity used to heat the water. Gorenje was one of the first to introduce a 30 degree wash programme across all its models. With water consumption as low as 39 litres, Gorenje washing machines also use the lowest amount of water in the market. Gorenje believe in long lasting appliances, which is why we provide a 5 year parts and labour guarantee   on two of our models

Belling has reduced the cost of going green with the launch of the Belling Price Busting Induction hob. The PBI60 is an easy to clean 60 cm black ceramic induction hob with intuitive touch controls, 9 power levels, a cooking timer and child safety lock.

Elica the world's No.1 are the brand exclusive to DR Cookers Hoods, they also manufacturer cooker hoods for many other recognised brand names. Elica have pioneered Cooker Hoods for over 30 years and have a growing customer base who rely on them for the wide range of stock and that all important after sales service.

The majority of customers do not understand the technology of extractor hoods and its benefits. They buy kitchen hoods mostly on their appearance, assuming that the high price ticket attached to the latest designer hoods is a guarantee of first class performance regardless of the specifications of the kitchen in which it is to operate.

Recent months have seen the biggest downturn in trade that most of us have ever experienced. When an established livelihood is under threat a good resort is diversification, and just now an excellent opportunity presents itself to independent dealers: the business of TV aerials and satellite dishes, their supply, erection and servicing. As the digital switchover gains pace and as the Freesat TV platform expands there's a lot of potential business out there.