New research has revealed that an increasing number of consumers intend to cut back on their Christmas spending this year in light of the current economic situation and pressures on domestic budgets.

The GfK Consumer Products and Retail’s Savvy Shopper study found that over a third of consumers (36%) claimed they would be cutting back, 10% more than last year.

Retailer association retra has backed calls for an internet tax to create a level playing field between bricks and mortar and online retailers.

Bryan Lovewell, retra’s chief executive, said the issue of a possible internet tax was discussed in-depth at a recent retra management meeting.

The members of the independent buying group CIH are the stars of its Christmas marketing campaign.

The first burst of the new CIH advertising campaign took place in November, and it will continue for two weeks from Boxing Day onwards. It includes a new TV campaign, new point-of-sale, online activity and a window display competition.

Beko has brought celebrity mum and TV presenter Kirsty Gallacher onboard to back its nationwide Beko Mums United campaign to engage mums in their child’s sporting activities.

Do we still have in Britain electrical companies that not only design their products but also manufacture them in this country? And without importing all components from the Far East? Well, a Yorkshire AV furniture manufacturer Off the Wall proves that this is possible. The company’s founders and directors source all components from local suppliers and exercise total control over the design and manufacturing of its products.

Chinese manufacturer Haier continues to strengthen its position in the UK.

The company has just opened its new offices in Westgate House in West London. The 353m² offices and product showroom offer easy access for its trade customers and give the Chinese brand adequate room for expansion.

With its latest stands British manufacturer Off The Wall has responded to the demand for larger TVs, making them compatible with panels up to 55in. The DUO model (pictured) has a cantilever design and its cabinet features a soft opening glass door behind which two AV products can sit side by side. The space above can be used to house a soundbar or centre speaker. The MONO is a low open frame design with a suspended middle shelf and space below for two large AV units.

Waterproof, shockproof and dustproof, the compact Philips ESee camcorder will not only capture priceless video memories in full 1080p HD picture quality, it will also survive the most adventurous of days out. And with an eight megapixel sensor, it also takes high quality still photographs.

Maytag’s new twin bottom mount fridge freezer, the MTBM 40CIIX5, is a solution for consumers who need additional storage space without compromising on the overall aesthetic. This no-frost model has fully cladded stainless steel doors and cabinet, and offers a super storage capacity of 40 cubic feet (its dimensions are: H1943 x W1835 x D670 mm. That equates to 812 litres for the fridge and 306 litres for the freezer – significantly more storage space than offered by a traditional fridge freezer or three-door fridge freezer.

Combining touch screen operation with cutting edge technology, this Nikon compact digital camera, the stylish COOLPIX S6150, offers intuitive operation and excellent results. The NIKKOR wide-angle 7x zoom lens and 16 megapixel image sensor combine to deliver very detailed photos that make great enlargements.

Dimplex has introduced a new creamy-white gloss finish with the Chevalier, the latest addition to its Optiflame range of fires. The Chevalier has classic cast iron stove styling with a contemporary design that features large picture window doors that can be opened to reveal the real coal or log burning effect fuel beds. Like all Dimplex Optiflame and Opti-myst fires, the flame effects can be lit independently, which makes it ideal for minimising energy costs and providing a warming focal point fire.

Whirlpool has introduced a new limited edition of its MAX microwave oven as the flagship product of the company’s 100th anniversary. This versatile cooking appliance (which cooks, grills and crisps) has a very distinctive design. Its unusual rounded back makes it an ideal appliance to be positioned in a corner. It is compact on the outside but has a 13-litre interior capacity that fits plates up to 28cm in diameter.

PURE’s Contour 100Di is the maker’s latest compact and stylish dock for iPod, iPhone and iPad with integrated digital radio, powerful audio, an internet radio and music streaming Apps for i-products. At an SRP of just £99.99 it is an ideal Christmas gift that can be used with the free PURE Lounge App, which enables the user to access thousands of internet radio stations, podcasts and ambient sounds, as well as millions of music tracks via the PURE Music subscription service.

British loudspeaker brand Ferguson Hill has introduced the FH009 home theatre system, sporting the maker’s distinctive transparent Perspex horn-shaped speakers. The work of founder Tim Hill and ARCAM rCube designer, Dr Bradford C Backus, the FH009 has a chic design while offering a dynamic and clear audio performance.

The independent service engineer is facing very tough times. At the annual conference of DASA, the industry’s trade association, the sector’s experts and suppliers reviewed ways of improving its profitability and suggested ways of modernising its service offer. Anna Ryland reports.

AV furniture manufacturer, Off the Wall, has challenged the established model of modern manufacturing. Anna Ryland went to Bradford to find out how the Made in Britain approach can prove to be a real asset.

Off the Wall is a rare breed on Britain’s manufacturing landscape. The company sources all the components locally and maintains total control over its design and production process. The ultimate goal of its founders it to change the perception of audio visual furniture from low-value add-ons to the TV panel to products that have a purpose and quality of their own.

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the IBA awards we have improved the format of the event and are excited to announce that it will now span across two days.

Creating a shop window display that will attract customers to your store is a skill that every retailer should master. Lynne Swatton, sales manager at Linsar, advises on how to lure customers in...

The focal point of a shop, no matter how large or small, is its window. This is the face that the shop portrays to the outside world. This is where you reveal your identity – the very essence that makes your shop unique.

More than most industries, it seems, electrical retail needs to keep on reinventing itself to survive, and – thankfully – we have manufacturers that are renowned for their ability to innovate. In any market, there is only a very small percentage of early adopters that will kick-start a trend, so what retailers need is for a new technology to become mainstream.

Economic factors and EU regulations are increasingly forcing customers to make green choices. But they have to be convinced that long-term savings can only be achieved with larger investment now. Anna Ryland investigates

TV screens are set up in the factory for the competitive environment of your showroom and window, with fierce, over-bright and over-contrasted pictures. If the out-of-box setting was made correct for home viewing, sales would dive. Today’s TV sets are capable of giving excellent pictures, but only after readjustment for the very different conditions in the viewer's home.

Healthy margins from accessories sales have been on offer to independents for a couple of decades, but many still seem to do little more than dip their toe in the water of this potentially business-saving sector. Are accessories manufacturers finally losing patience over what they perceive as ‘accessories apathy’? Stephen Delany reports.

By John Hutchinson of Hutchinsons HiFi & Vision

What is the most significant issue for the industry at present?

Of course, the internet! Turn it off if you want shops on the High Street.

Fatuous manufacturing and distribution bosses in our industry keep telling us that only 20% of business is done online. Customers still want their retail fix in stores. To listen to that argument is to totally miss the point; customers are still getting their retail fix in my shops, showing huge amounts of interest in all the different models and combinations, taking hours of our salespeople’s time.

As its European home appliance manufacturing base expands significantly, Korea’s LG is aiming high with its white goods ambitions. Ian Calcutt reports from Poland.

The European Directive promoting the collection and recycling of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) was first published in 2003 and became law in theUKin 2006.  The EU legislation is currently being revised and Douglas Herbison,  AMDEA’s chief executive, considers the potential changes.

The independent service engineer is facing very tough times. At the annual conference of DASA, the industry’s trade association, the sector’s experts and suppliers reviewed ways of improving its profitability and suggested ways of modernising its service offer. Anna Ryland reports.