The last year proved to be very difficult for CIH which, in line with rest of the industry, had no control over many external economic factors, such as reduction of credit limits which has caused some members to retire early, said Robin Millwood, chairman of the buying group, speaking at the annual CIH Suppliers Luncheon. “It seems like CIH has become a property company with now having 20 first charges on members’ properties and many of these members have been solid supporters of CIH for years and have never missed a payment, but payment records and credibility do not appear to account for anything in today’s difficult trading environment.”

Electrolux, together with its brands AEG-Electrolux and Zanussi, has been ranked by the Brand Emissions Leadership project as emission leader in its sector in the first annual ranking of brands sold in the UK and their ambitions to cut carbon.

Indesit Company, energy supplier npower and RLtec, the smart grid technology company, are about to begin a UK trial of fridges fitted with grid-balancing technology.

The dynamic demand technology, developed by RLtec and Indesit research teams, helps to maintain the balance between supply and demand across the national electricity grid. Through 2010, up to 3,000 UK npower customers will be supplied with Indesit Company dynamic demand fridges and fridge freezers, free of charge, in what will be world’s first residential test of the technology.

Recent research published by Defra shows that some of the top selling household appliances may not be performing in accordance with claimed standards printed on the labels. Defra tested 24 of the best selling washing machines, 24 ovens and 265 different light bulbs. These tests were not full legal compliance testing, but simply a snapshot, testing individual appliances against their energy labelling.

Big tax rises will harm customers and damage recovery, warned the British Retail Consortium (BRC). Reacting to the Pre-Budget Report BRC chief executive Stephen Robertson said that substantial cuts in public spending must be the main route to bringing public finances under control, not tax rises which would damage demand, stifle recovery and undermine consumer confidence.

Fisher & Paykel Appliances has appointed Stuart Broadhurst as managing director and chief executive officer of the company. Since September 2009 Stuart was acting CEO of Fisher & Paykel when former CEO John Bongard announced his retirement. He commenced his employment with Fisher & Paykel Appliances in 1988 and has extensive experience in every aspect of the company’s operations.

It’s no coincidence that at the beginning of the new year, we are featuring two reports dealing with retail training. Firstly we look at what’s available from the leading electrical manufacturers in terms of product-related training.  Major brands which truly value independent channel are very flexible in delivering retail training, recognising dealers’ limitations in terms of time and staff availability. In addition to the showroom-based training, which is probably the best environment for familiarisation with ‘live’ products and their functions, they also conduct in-store training, not only during the day and in the evening, but also as breakfast sessions.

The Annual EEIBA powerBall, held in London’s Grosvenor House hotel, has helped to raise an impressive sum of £225,000 this year – to the tunes of the 1970s music.

Miele recently opened its experiential showroom in Cavendish Place, Central London.   The Miele Gallery London offers visitors a hands-on experience of a range of working cooking, cleaning and laundry appliances. Visitors can also test a washing machine programme on a favourite garment, and even put a Miele vacuum cleaner through its paces to test its performance.

British designed and manufactured, the new 90cm duel fuel range cooker from Belling, the Gourmet, is ‘A’ rated, has a single cavity and is available in a choice of black, red, stainless steel and pure white.

The new 90cm induction hob from Fisher & Paykel has five cooking zones with nine heat settings each. The advanced function of Power Boost uses more than 100% of the power to an element ensuring an intense and quick boost of heat. For casseroles or soups, for example, Auto Heat Reduce will quickly bring food to boil and then automatically reduce to a simmer. Gentle Heat provides a continuous low heat, ideal for delicate sauces or to warm up plates or food.

Roberts has expanded its Wi-Fi offering with four new models which give users access to over 10,000 internet radio stations.

The new STREAM 83i WiFi/DAB/FM RDS digital stereo radio (pictured here) is a portable retro-styled radio offering superb sound quality. The radio comes with multiple alarms, sleep and snooze timers and a three-way speaker system. It also offers DAB/FM and USB playback as well as a ‘LAST FM’ function, helping the user to create their own virtual radio station by recognising music preferences as they use the radio.

The Candy PVI 640CBA low absorption hob uses only 3kwh, less then half the energy of a standard induction hob. Micro-computerised controls, deliver optimum performance, adjusting and monitoring heat distribution to each zone.

Sennheiser Communications’ MM 450 TRAVEL is the best-of-breed communications music headset for the global traveller, claims the manufacturer.

It is a compact folding mobile phone and music headset with stereo Bluetooth 2.1+ EDR, supporting A2DP+AVCRP, and noiseguard active noise reduction for travel. It features invisible phone microphone for telephony and USB port for global charging.

The BDP7500 Blu-ray player from Philips delivers 1080p 24fps Full HD images and upscales standard definition DVDs to near Full HD quality.

Maytag’s new integrated washing machine, MWA0720IIA, is part of the Line Series, featuring a one-line LCD electronic display panel.  Made of stainless steel, the model is height adjustable to 30mm and offers accompanying doors in stainless steel, white, gloss black or furniture finish. 

The Individual Rack, designed by Loewe, is the ideal partner for the Loewe product range – TV panels from the Art, Connect or Individual product lines, or one of the numerous system components.

At the start of a New Year, it is always useful to review progress made in the previous 12 months. There may have been an economic downturn in 2009, but there was certainly no reduction in AMDEA’s activities on behalf of its members.

The central hub of the BSH customer support system is the Customer Service Centre in Kettering, dealing with all four of the company’s brands – Bosch, Siemens, Neff and Gaggenau. Opened in 2006, it includes a contact centre handling engineer visit requests, replacement spare part sales, customer liaison and product advice. It also provides a centralised location for phone calls, letters and emails related to customer service, and works closely with the BSH HQ in Milton Keynes. Other back up staff, based in Kettering, provide support for field service engineers and IT services.

The digital switchover reached an important milestone at the end of 2009, when the North West region began the move from analogue to digital on 4 November, with the process due to be completed on 2 December. It’s important because, it’s the first major urban region to make the change, and includes cities such as Manchester and Liverpool. Around seven million viewers in this region are estimated to be affected by the switchover. On the face of it, the digital switchover is progressing well. According to Ofcom figures for the end of September 2009, the number of households with TV sets that could receive digital TV was 89.8%, with an average of 2.4 digital capable sets per household.

In a difficult economic climate some companies adopt the ‘slash and burn’ approach to staff training. This often causes damage to relationships with customers at a time when competition is fierce and high satisfaction levels are vital to survival. A recent poll conducted by the Institute of Customer Service found that 30% of organisations surveyed have cut investment in customer service training, and 21% have laid off customer-facing staff in 2009. At the same time the Institute’s research shows that companies with a reputation for service excellence and committed frontline staff have a 24% higher net profit margin than same-sector rivals who do not enjoy similar standing.

Last year Alphason put in place more marketing initiatives and innovative product launches than ever before to help our retailer customer base weather the recessionary storm.

Our award-winning and highly successful Viewsmart programme of TV accessories – from AV furniture to cables – went from strength to strength as more retailers signed up for this margin-making initiative. We knew it would work and we’ve proved it.

BISSELL’s ReadyDry quick-dry carpet cleaner is a prime example of meeting consumer needs – and we’ve other new developments for 2010.

Entering a new decade, retailers should focus on consumer needs – family, pet, eco-conscious considerations for floorcare advantage in-store.

The last year has proven to be an interesting market for warranties at retail point of sale, particularly as it has fared very well in the otherwise turbulent retail environment. In fact, one could say it has fared well because of the turbulent markets.

The last year has proven to be an interesting market for warranties at retail point of sale, particularly as it has fared very well in the otherwise turbulent retail environment. In fact, one could say it has fared well because of the turbulent markets.

There’s no disguising the fact, general market conditions have been difficult over the last twelve months. Despite this, I’m pleased to report Armour Home has performed beyond our expectations. Due in no small part to our continued investment in new products, new technology, new people, new premises and, of course, training – we have seen record numbers of trainees this year.

Despite the challenging economic climate, 2009 was another successful year of innovation for Hoover Candy Group.

Under the Hoover brand, we introduced the Dynamic 10 washing machine, breaking the capacity barrier at the time with its 10kg load. Typical of the products we’re committed to bringing to market across built-in and freestanding, the Dynamic 10 answered demand for energy efficient products that delivered on performance and style.

The beginning of 2009 marked a bold move by Philips to address the continued challenges of the TV sector in the UK – continued commoditization that has eroded retailer margins, limited differentiation and lost sight of real consumer benefits.

To lay the foundations for a more profitable and consumer focused business, Philips confirmed that it was dramatically reviewing its TV strategy to focus on key partners that shared the vision to create value in a sea of black boxes.

“Among our biggest achievements in 2009 was LED TV. Consumers have been asking for a justification to spend their money and LED TV was a product that excited them. This was a product which was needed in the recession as it kept value well at the higher end of the electronics sector.

Throughout 2009 Miele has maintained its focus on innovation and the continuing development of efficient appliances with enhanced performance. Earlier in the year Miele launched its T8926 Heat Pump Dryer – an innovative tumble dryer with reduced energy consumption.  Both environmentally friendly and economical, the Heat Pump Dryer has an ‘A’ energy efficiency rating.

2009 has been a challenging year for most industries in the UK and whilst the outlook for 2010 is much brighter, it is vital that manufacturers and retailers take the time to reflect on the lessons they have learnt over the last 12 months.

If any benefits have come from the recession, it is that companies are monitoring their spending more closely and focusing on core areas of their businesses.

First of all I  would like to thank all our trade partners who have supported Videocon since our brand launch in July of this year.

 2009 has been a challenge for us all, and some would question launching a brand during these difficult times.  However, as a testament to the hard work and dedication of the team at Videocon, and of the quality and design of our LCD range, the launch has been a great success. Our mission to make the desirable affordable has had a fantastic start, sometimes against all odds.

The GfK Retail and Technology works with retailers and resellers in more than 80 countries worldwide. The GfK data platform, Star Track ensures that manufacturers and industry leaders receive comparable information at an international level. GfK market experts offer fact-based consultancy on brand share and channel performance at both country and international level.

The most important asset of any business are its employees. It is also the one most difficult to manage and retain. Their loyalty (‘longevity’) to a great extent depends on their professional satisfaction – their ability to do their job well. In retail, this is mostly down to their sales skills which, although they can be mastered through years of practice, can also be taught and learnt – as with any other discipline.

Though the Bank of England believes the economy is now 'bumping along the bottom' and the final quarter of 2009 should at last record a return to growth, for many businesses any such upturn will come too late.  The Local Data Company reports that one in ten retailers closed their doors in the first nine months of 2009.