CIH offers members more flexibility with twice weekly deliveries. CIH has offered its members more flexibility in the battle for sales. From the beginning of August all members have been offered twice weekly deliveries from the buying group's two central warehouses in Andover (Hampshire) and Wakefield (West Yorkshire).

Electrolux has launched its new easy to use website, www.electrolux.co.uk, which provides information on the company's new products, including the Global Design range.

The Fagor AAA-rated 1LFU- 19SX freestanding dishwasher scored top marks for water and energy consumption in the Good Housekeeping Institute's Expert Guide on dishwashers, which appeared in the September issue of the publication.

MIELE, has launched a 'Steam School' to help introduce the concept of cooking with a steam oven and to demonstrate the benefits of using this ancient cooking method. Steam ovens suffer from a common misconception that they can only cook fish and vegetables, when in reality a steam oven can do everything a microwave can and more, including rice, pasta, curries and puddings.

SINCE 8% of the electric energy in Europe is related to the use of household appliances, Electrolux is calling on decision makers in Britain and Europe to introduce legislation and incentive programs to speed up the replacement of energy inefficient appliances. A number of governments have already introduced such programs.

COINCIDING with Evoke- 1's fifth birthday, PURE has launched Evoke-1S, the third generation of Evoke product, which is an enhanced version of Evoke- 1 – the world's best selling digital radio. Since its launch in 2002, PURE has manufactured over 500,000 Evoke-1 family products.

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has welcomed the decision to freeze the official bank interest rate at 5.75% and warned the MPC to resist further increases in the near future. It will give retailers and consumers breathing space as disposable income growth is at a record low and savings levels have also declined.

Glen Dimplex Home Appliances has appointed Jonathan Casley as sales and marketing director with responsibility for all four of the company's household brand names: Lec Refrigeration, Stoves, New World and Belling.

Canon UK has appointed Susie Donaldson as product business development manager. She will be responsible for the Business Development teams across Digital Cameras, Photo (including Digital SLR), Video, Laser Printers, Inkjet Printers, Scanners, Calculators, Faxes and Consumables.

YOU will be reading this probably in the early days of September when the industry will again be gearing itself into a season of autumn promotions and new product activities with an eye for Christmas specials. There will, of course, be a lot of silly low price 'last minute' bargains which only spoil the game for everyone.

BEKO has announced its sponsorship of Watford FC for the 2007/8 and 2008/9 seasons. “Watford FC has an outstanding reputation as a true family club, with magnificent support within the community and BEKO is very much a family brand. We are also based in Watford, literally around the corner from Vicarage Road, “ commented Clayton Witter, managing director of BEKO (pictured centre right; next to him with a ball stands Huw Buckle, BEKO sales & marketing director).

Ivy Energy Saving launches Standby Buster with approval from the Energy Saving Trust. IVY Energy Saving has launched Standby Buster - a remotely controlled electrical socket that allows consumers to switch off multiple appliances from standby mode.

SAMSUNG Cameras has just showcased its new range of digital cameras, many of which, as standard, carry a number of advanced features. Building on the success of the NV Series, the company launched three new premium compact cameras: V8, NV15 and NV20 (the last being Samsung's first 12 megapixel compact).

The latest MP3 Walkman from Sony will automatically search and copy across music files from the 'My Music' folder once connected to a PC via the USB connection. The lightweight NWD-B100 weighs just 30g and is available as a 1GB model, which can store up to 660 songs, or as a 2GB which can hold up to 999 songs.

Tango Group is to distribute the world's first wind-up video player, thought up by wind-up radio inventor Trevor Baylis. The Eco media player can play back video on its 1.8in LCD panel and also supports several audio file formats, including mp3 and WMA.

The ActiFry is the first deep-fryer that can make a kilo of chips using just one small spoonful of cooking oil, says its maker, Tefal. This means that it can make chips which contain just 3% fat, rather than the average of 14% contained in chips made in a standard deep-fat fryer.

Following the current trend for domestic appliances sporting a black finish, Siemens has introduced its first black freestanding dishwasher. The 600mm SE26T652GB is triple A-rated for wash, dry and energy performance, and operates at just 49 decibels.

LG is adding a touch of glamour to the kitchen with its latest fridge freezer which is decorated with Swarovski crystals. The new models sport a floral Swarovski crystal pattern on the doors, along with additional crystal details on the handles.

Best-known for its expertise in coffee, Krups has introduced a range of innovative design-conscious kitchen appliances. The Kitchen Machine (KA950) is a powerful 1200W food mixer, which operates at a surprisingly low noise level. It has 12 speed settings and what's more, it comes with built-in scales, so that users can weigh the ingredients as they are added to the mixture.

Techlink International has introduced what it claims to be the world's first 50m HDMI cable. The 50m cable is guaranteed to 1080i and 720p high definition resolution and may achieve 1080p depending on the source equipment, says the maker.

Stoves is offering four special edition versions of its popular Richmond 1100mm dual fuel range cooker under the 'Flavours' banner. The 1100DF cooker is available in Papaya (burnt orange), Jalapeno (red), Sushi (teal green) and Aubergine (dark blu/purple), with all colour options finished with chrome door handles.

IN the set up of a supermodern London apartment Philips demonstrated its latest product innovations, designed and built according to the principles of 'sense and simplicity' which has become the company's guiding motto.

In the March issue of IER, I reported on what at that time we were calling the ‘Time to Go’ campaign. This was a programme co-ordinated by our European Trade Association in Brussels, CECED. The aim is to encourage the early replacement of domestic appliances on the grounds of savings in energy efficiency.

A few years ago, washing machines were regarded as purely functional products and customers were only interested in the number of programmes, spin speed and price. Things have changed, however, and with the current interest in energy and water efficiency, not to mention exciting advances in technology and design, they are looking for a lot more.

Electrolux has introduced a tumble dryer that reduces the time taken to do the ironing. Its Iron Aid EDI96150 condensing model features special steam cycles that reduce and remove wrinkles and folds, cutting the average ironing time in half. It even has gentle programmes for wool and silk and a Refresh steam cycle for dry-clean-only clothes that simply need a refresh. It has a 6kg capacity and electronic sensor control that will sense when clothes are dried to the required level.

Hoover is making a big splash in the premium market with the introduction of a highly stylised collection of appliances. The matt black VisionHD 8kg washing machine is designed with a larger, raised porthole for easy loading and unloading and a central programme dial suitable for left and righthanded users.

This washer features a steam boost option, which helps remove tough stains, yet remains gentle on fabrics, and a steam sanitisation option – a final treatment of steam at the end of the washing cycle to sanitise fabrics. It also has Steam Refresh Cycle – 10 minute steam program to refresh clothes – helps remove smoke and other odours. The washer has 8kg load capacity and A+AB energy rating. The 6th Sense intelligent technology guarantees most efficient use of water and energy.

The iconic Indesit Moon SIXL145S washing machine has an innovative interface and coloured door. It also features an integrated, self-cleaning dispenser inside the door that delivers detergent directly into the heart of the wash, giving up to 50% more cleaning power. With four programmes, it also does the thinking for you as it detects any detergent that remains in the wash and automatically goes to a rinse cycle if needed.

Trevor Meredith and Ian Biles have successfully run a custom installation business and an AV store – FutureHome – in Wokingham for five years before they embarked on a joint venture with Samsung. Prior to this, Ian was an engineer in the audiovisual industry and Trevor worked in network installation. FutureHome offered complete solutions to the customers. “We concentrated on selling a concept rather than being brand driven, even before we started selling Samsung,” comments Ian. “We focused on the quality and functionality of products.”

The last year has seen the introduction of the second generation High Definition (HD) formats Blu-ray (developed by Sony) and HD DVD (developed by Toshiba). The sector is now gathering pace, largely due to the rapidly growing popularity of HDTVs, with a handful of manufacturers having now released hi-def disc players into the market.

The miserable British weather might not be good news if you retail barbecues or air conditioning. But as a way of bringing forward sales in the 'winter warmers' area of heating and related products, long may it continue. This has been particularly welcome, as the mild winter last year left many manufacturers and retailers with excess stock from the previous season – and many hoping for a prolonged cold winter this year.

Tipsy fan heater is a self-righting model and a good example of the move in recent seasons to focus on design innovation as a distinguishing feature. The Tipsy has a rounded shape with weighted base, allowing the product to automatically right itself if knocked over - ideal for busy traffic areas in the home or where there are children and pets.

The desire for energy efficiency was a main factor behind the expansion by Morphy Richards of its energy efficient nano wires range of underblankets. The new Washable Fleece underblanket features ultra slim nano wires which are apparently more efficient that standard wires, costing from only 2p per night to run compared to 77.3p per night to run central heating.

Design plays a key role in the three-strong 'designer' series of Oil Filled Radiators. Convenience too is high up on the list of features, as the product features a 24 hour timer with three heat settings and adjustable thermostat. Other features include overheat safety cut out, cord storage and carry handle, and a designer finish of black and silver.

The manufacturer claims that this is the first “believably real” electric fire. This is achieved by using patented technology to create a full depth real fuelbed in a slimline model. Dimension initially comes in three models, including a contemporary 'hole in the wall' version.

A couple of years ago, I suggested Comet's new service-led strategy looked like an attempt to emulate John Lewis. Comet's then managing director Simon Fox was not keen on the comparison, stressing that the specialist's range was far more extensive and its service better: “Our benchmark is not John Lewis, it's a long way past that.”