Analogue radio broadcasting began in the UK almost 90 years ago, and the last bastion of consumer analogue technology, is still claiming over 70% of radio listening. Television broadcasting will have gone over entirely to digital in 18 months, while TV recorders and receivers have already done so. The progress of digital radio, introduced to the UK in 1995, has been somewhat rocky for technical and financial reasons...

Changing lifestyle patterns and the popularity of cheap European travel has introduced an increasing number of Brits to the world of fine wines and stimulated their interest in storing wine at home.

Fulfilling your obligations under the Sale of Goods Act entails some serious business decisions about the type and scale of your Service & Repair operations: whether to directly employ engineers in-house; to run a team of field engineers; or to contract out to third-party companies. Whatever you provide, you need reliable service management software.

Wiltshire-based independent retailer H J Knee reports that its new electrical superstore in Trowbridge has attracted new customers from a wide area.

H J Knee was founded by Henry John Knee and the business remains family-run; Jonathan Knee, a great, great grandson of the founder, is the company’s general manager. “We are really pleased with our new store and it’s been busy everyday since we opened,” he says.

Cylinders are fast becoming the nation’s favourite style of vacuum cleaner. But there is still plenty of competition. Sarah Selzer reports

2010 was a good year for the home appliances sector as a whole and an excellent one for BSH, marking an end to the negative trend of the previous year. Many countries which saw their revenue slump in 2009 returned to their former growth,” said Dr. Kurt-Ludwig Gutberlet, chief executive officer of the BSH Group opening the annual press conference in Munich.

Every month in Good Housekeeping magazine a double page spread is devoted to the latest appliances tested by the GHI.  In February 2011, 13 washing machines were put through their paces.

Back in 1924 when the Institute was founded, after years of relying on domestic servants, ladies were faced with their own housework for the first time. Promising to make light work of household tasks, the first motor driven appliances arrived on the scene, but which ones were worth the expense?  Easing the burden of the laundry, an electric clothes washer sounded just the thing but without unbiased, expert help who would advise them? Women turned to Good Housekeeping for invaluable, honest advice on all matters household.

The modern TV set has evolved significantly in the last couple of decades, from a roughly square cathode ray tube in a box to widescreen, then flatscreen and high definition. Today’s TVs are not only defined by size and shape but the technology providing the image.

Plasma remains arguably better value at sizes beyond 40 inches and has advantages for 3D, which again works best on bigger screens.

At the end of March, the UK Government and Ofgem (the energy market regulator) published their overall strategy and timetable for the installation of 53 million so-called ‘smart meters’.

As well as making it easier for householders and small business to gauge how much energy they are using, energy suppliers will be able to read these meters remotely and offer variable tariffs.

SEBO was founded in Germany in 1976 by Claus Stein who was a chief designer at Vorwerk, an industrial vacuum cleaner company. Claus Stein intended to design a heavy duty domestic leaner – using the engineering expertise of his parent company.

Indesit Company welcomed 650 retailers at its 2011 product launch in London to preview some of its 300 new products and to announce a £10 million advertising spend to promote its flagship brand.

In a ‘period’ setting of the 1960s, 1970s and 1990s kitchens the company demonstrated the evolution of Hotpoint appliances and the brand’s continued presence in British homes, helping it to win again and again the accolade of the most trusted DA brand in the UK.

The T2400, Freeview+ HD PVR, released by Icecrypt, a brand of Turbosat International, has a 2TB hard drive. It not only boasts all of the features of Freeview+ HD – the ability to pause, rewind and record live TV – but builds on them with multimedia functionality.

Panasonic’s two new 3D-compatible Blu-ray Disc recorders, the DMR-BWT800 and the DMR-BWT700 for Freeview+HD, feature twin HD terrestrial tuners, which enable customers to record two digital broadcasts in full-HD at the same time. They also allow users without a digital TV to watch a digital broadcast and record it simultaneously.

The new pet and carpet specialist vacuum cleaner (BSGL3205GB) from Bosch has been designed to be highly effective.    

It features a powerful 2,000 motor and a metal telescopic tube that allows the user to adjust it to the most convenient sweeping height. The cleaner also has Bosch’s AirClean 2 filtration and its Airsafe system: the hermetically-sealed motor, filters and seals work together to completely control airflow through the cleaner.

The ovens in the Gorenje 2011 built-in range have an increased capacity and even better energy rating.

The single ovens in the new Pure collection have a 65-litre capacity and an improved energy rating of ‘A-20%’. This allows the consumer to save up to 25% energy on an appliance bought over 10 years ago.

Whirlpool’s new range of washing machines, featuring a similar specification and design to the company’s high end machines, will have a mid-range and competitive market positioning.

The eight-model line-up features 6kg, 7kg and 8kg capacity with up to an A+ energy rating offering strong selling points for retailers. The 8kg models include LED control panel and the company’s 6th Sense intelligent technology.

The 2011 built-in AEG Neue Kollektion refrigeration range consists of five cooling products that have been designed to create an integrated American-style effect in the kitchen.

It allows customers to design their own configuration of fridges and freezers – in line with their needs and kitchen space. The AEG Neue Kollektion fridges and freezers combine state of the art design with cutting-edge technology such as LongFresh drawers and LCD Touch control system.

To strengthen its position in the cooker hood market, Britannia Living has boosted its range with six new additions. The ‘BEST from Britannia’ range now includes a selection of 30 premium ceiling, pendant, wall mounted, downdraft and island models. Each one combines the very best of style, functionality and quality and is competitively priced.

Maytag’s new fridge freezer combines design sophistication with large capacity. With its black glass and stainless steel door panels and sides the model is the perfect showcase for a contemporary kitchen.

BSH Customer Service has introduced an online booking system for its customers seeking service assistance for the company’s products.

BSH customers can now book appointments at any time of the day or night via the brand websites: www.bosch-home.co.uk/bookonline; www.siemens-home.co.uk/bookonline; www.neffcustomerservice.co.uk/bookonline.

Samsung has announced an exclusive agreement with David Beckham to be its global brand ambassador for the London 2012 Olympic Games. Beckham will play a key part in raising awareness of Samsung’s sponsorship of London 2012 as a Worldwide Olympic Partner.

I recently received a letter from Devon-based independent retailer, Tristan Cook, owner of Sparkworld ltd, who, feeling very strongly about the demise of the high street, has written to Vince Cable.  Mr Cook considers the internet to be the main culprit contributing to the slow death of the high street as we know it. He argues that the current business set up of internet traders does not maintain a level playing field for all retailers.

Glen Dimplex Home Appliances has launched a new in-store support initiative for independent retailers selling GE Appliances to help communicate the benefits and features of its side-by-side refrigeration products to consumers.

It provides extra training, signage and point of sale materials to those retailers displaying at least three products. 

The UK economy will slowly emerge from the recession in 2011, but growth will be patchy and slow, according to the CBI’s latest economic forecast.

Despite a squeeze on household income, and public spending cuts, the CBI expects this year’s GDP growth rate to be 1.7%, marginally lower than the previous forecast of 1.8%. Growth of 2.2% is expected in 2012, down slightly from February’s forecast of 2.3%.

Indesit Company will be running its training roadshows again this year, giving retailers the opportunity to learn about Indesit and Hotpoint’s extensive range of new products (see page 12 for a full report from the Indesit 2011 product launch). The company’s training team will be visiting 14 locations across the UK and Ireland from 30 May to 6 July and, in all, more than 1,000 retailers and their staff are expected to attend.