Alphason has announced its plans for the company's first major programme of Road Shows which will cover 13 cities around the UK for five weeks, starting in mid-April. Under the banner of ‘We are listening', the Road Shows will give independents an opportunity to see the company's latest designs and comment on new products before they hit the marketplace. The company will also announce a new design partnership at the Road Shows.

With every brochure request, Britannia will be sending a DVD, designed to help consumers better understand the specification of its range cookers and the benefits of cooking with them. As well as giving consumers menu ideas, it also draws attention to the benefits of multi-functional cooking, telescopic shelves and the rotisserie.

The KPMG/SPSL Retail Think Tank has warned the industry that the current retail culture of constant discounting, sales and promotions is unsustainable and likely to lead to increasing numbers of insolvencies. Retail in the UK is at a turning point and requires a new set of strategies to survive.

A distinctive feature of this year's Domotechnica, the Cologne-based home appliances show, was an ambitious programme of seminars, including one on business opportunities from the older customer market. An impressive line-up of speakers, which included Dieter Hackler, head of the Senior Citizens Department at the Federal Ministry, called on the manufacturers, advertisers and retailers to change a perspective on the 50 plus market. "It is not only smarter but also essential to target this group as it gets bigger and economically stronger."

The hard-fought digital format war has finally been won by Blu-ray. Universal Pictures announced on 19 February that it would drop the HD-DVD format and shortly after Wal-Mart said that it would commit exclusively to the Sony product and no longer stock rival HD-DVD.

Having travelled a lot during the last four weeks and being able to talk to different makers and shakers in our industry, I have noticed a couple common themes in these conversations. I see both as considerable opportunities for the independent sector.

Having sold Roberts' radios for over ten years, electrical superstore, Purewell Electrical, decided that the iconic Revival was the perfect design for its new delivery van. Ian Griffiths, owner of Purewell Electrical, commented: "Roberts' Revival radio is instantly recognisable and customers are always delighted to see    the quirky van.  It puts a smile back on their faces as we drive by."

This year's Miele product showcase themed 'Designed for your senses' demonstrated the breadth and sophistication of the manufacturer's cooking product offer. The focus was on built-in cooking, the flagship of which was the Generation 5000 ovens that come in 60 and 90cm widths and feature Moisture Plus, a method that combines dry heat with steam. They have a number of practical features such as a wireless roast probe and pyrolytic cleaning.

With its latest product ranges unveiled at the Falkirk Wheel in Scotland, the BSH group demonstrated its green credentials and good understanding of modern customers' expectations. The new models of Siemens and Bosch laundry and refrigeration appliances not only incorporated the features which ensure their better performance but also reduce the use of energy and water, and guarantee lower noise levels.

Domena's new eco-friendly steam generator is made from ecofibres - a recyclable fibre that can be used instead of conventional oil-based plastic in ironing products.

Creative's latest MP3 player - the ZEN Stone Plus - comes with a built-in speakers and a free 'skin' with clip.

Vogel's has introduced two new motorised wall supports - The Glider and The Trimotor - which will be distributed by BBG Distribution.

Panasonic's new Blu-ray player is the first in the market to support Final Standard Profile, which allows new interactive functions.

The latest large capacity washer dryer from Servis is ideal for those with limited kitchen space.

PURE Digital's latest offering is the first radio to be endorsed by the Energy Saving Trust (EST).

Roberts Radio has expanded its eco-friendly range of DAB radios with the introduction of the Gemini 31.

Hitachi's new Ultra-Thin LCD TVs are 60% slimmer than conventional TVs, says the manufacturer.

Hitachi's recent showcase, 'Inspire Life Experiences', demonstrated the full scope of the company's technological expertise in CE, IT, medical systems, construction and broadcasting. In a specially constructed high-tech theatre, on semi-circular screens, the visitors were shown animations demonstrating Hitachi's technological advances bringing significant improvements to personal and professional life in the near future. These efforts are key for ensuring sustainability of the globe in the future, claimed the company.

Following the death of its HD DVD format, Toshiba is moving on with some exciting new products including its first high-definition camcorder.

Glen Dimplex Home Appliances has invested over £5 million in customer care over the last five years, and Paula, with her considerable experience in this field, led the transformation of GDHA's customer service. However, her introduction to this concept began in 1986.

Despite the current competitive pressures, the floorcare market continues to show healthy growth (there was a 4.3% volume increase in 2007, source GfK). Its good future prospects not only depend on continuous product development, but they will be aided of a number of emerging societal trends.

Compliance schemes, retail take-back, recycling, producer responsibility. What does this all bring to mind? Perhaps, the complexities - some would say horrors - of the Waste Electrical (WEEE) Directive. But no, I am actually referring to the latest Directive of this genre - the Batteries Directive.

When news reached my desk that eaga had won the contract to administer the digital switchover help scheme, I confess to being a little surprised. 

To say that DAB started out with a bang in 2008, would be an understatement. The digital radio format has hardly been out of the newspapers or off the airways - although not always for the right reasons. After some positive news regarding DAB radio sales and listening figures (more on this below), there came an avalanche of negative publicity surrounding DAB, which has led some to wonder whether DAB's future is secure.

It's a DAB radio with an FM clock radio and iPod docking facility all in one neat package. It's compatible with most iPods and even charges the music player. You also get textscan, which lets you pause and control the text display, and there's a remote control that can be used to operate an iPod.

Recording off the radio couldn't be simpler thanks to the MP-Sound's seven-day EPG, which offers up to 12 timer recordings. Programmes are recorded onto an SD card, which can be played on the radio or a home PC. Music files stored on a PC can also be played on the radio. There's also a full screen display and PausePlay functionality.

One thing many iPod users miss is a radio and the iDab solves the problem. It's a plug-in DAB tuner specially designed for the iPod (it plugs into all types except the entry-level iPod Shuffle), offers ten pre-sets and comes in various matching colours.

A combined DAB/FM/Internet radio that offers up to 6000 online radio stations. It also has built-in Wi-Fi so users can stream radio programmes (and even the BBC's Listen Again service) from their PC to the Stream 202. Other features include 15 station pre-sets and DAB+ upgradability.

A combined DAB/FM radio which comes in a stylish wood finish (dark or light). There are 20 presets, plus a kitchen timer and headphone jack.

Training and competency is having a huge impact on the electrical market and retailers need to be fully conversant with the rules that now surround the sale of insurance on white and brown goods.

It is a well-known fact that the refrigeration market has recently experienced a sluggish growth overall, although some of its categories are clearly booming. "Therefore this makes it one of the busiest markets, with manufacturers trying to introduce new USPs. Items that were deemed as 'luxury' in the past are now seen as part of the standard product offering, for example ice and water through the door and LED lighting," comments Cathy Martin, assistant product manager, Refrigeration at Miele.

This unique side-by-side features an espresso coffee machine integrated into the door, dispensing Italian style espresso using the coffee-pod system. It also dispenses hot water for tea or American-style coffee, and has a water filter system. This model is equipped with Whirlpool's 6th Sense technology, anti-bacterial filtration, a fresh control compartment and LCD controls. It also features the 'easy cube - twist ice' method for making and storing ice cubes.

The drawers offer a total volume of 139 litres to allow differently packaged foods to be stored; loose salads and cheeses in one, meats, bottles of milk and jars in the other.  Touch controls including numeric LCDs make this appliance easy to use. The self-ventilated cavity system keeps food fresher longer and ensures it retains optimum flavour.  The removable racks and crisper drawers make customisation easy and simple. The drawers are A energy rated.

An internal water tank for ice making is a unique feature of this model as plumbing is not required. The water tank is located in the fridge and can hold 1.5 litres of water. A non-return valve in the bottom of the unit only lets the water out when the tank is positioned in the holder.  When ready, the ice is dispensed automatically into one half-sized freezer drawer. Approximately 1.5kg of ice can be created in six hours. Other special features of this model is an active air clean filter, which is fitted to the back of the internal shelving to absorb food odours.

This fridge freezer measuring H1638 x W813 x D673 (mm) is one of the largest cooling appliances currently in the UK. It is frost free yet has a AAA rating - proving the energy efficiency and frost free technology can go hand in hand. It is equipped with adjustable temperature control power on interior lights, and control lamps, and comes in an easy clean stainless steal finish.

In general, the air treatment market continues to put in a steady performance, down to several strong sectors such as humidifiers - an area which is growing, due in part to the introduction of technology such as Ultrasonic from Bionaire - and air purifiers, drawing in some good custom at the higher end of the scale.

Air purifiers is an area where consumers seem prepared to pay extra for features and Bionaire has found this with its BAP1550 tower model with permanent filter. The permanent filter doesn't need replacing; simply vacuuming every three months will keep performance levels up.

The PAC C110 mobile air conditioner unit from De'Longhi was recently voted Best Buy by Which? Magazine. It features a dehumidifier function, three fan speeds, 24hr digital timer and thermostat and electronic controls. The auto function automatically sets the fan speed and the operation mode according to the temperature in the room.

According to the latest GfK/NOP survey, consumer confidence has fallen to its lowest level in nine years in spite of the two recent interest rate cuts.  But concerns are more general than personal - a little less confident about their own finances, but much less confident about the economy as a whole, given the housing market slowdown, high fuel and energy prices, and concerns about higher taxes and rising food prices.