CONTINUING uncertainty in the global economy may turn the attention of multinational retailers to emerging markets, predicts Dr Ira Kalish of Deloitte Services' LP - market analysts.

AVF Group has announced it has become the world's first mount manufacturer to go carbon neutral. The company has calculated its carbon emissions and offset it by a number of projects, in which it will get involved, producing 'clean energy' from renewable sources.

THE Electrolux Group has terminated the dual Zanussi-Electrolux branding of its value for money range of appliances. From now onwards the company will be promoting the brand separately to a clearly defined customer audience.

REVIEWING its extensive 2008 range of consumer electronic and white good products at its recent dealer event in London, Samsung Electronics UK had a very bullish outlook on 2008.

Ofcom figures show that Freeview cumulative sales since the launch of Freeview in October 2002 now stand at 27 million, 10.2 million of which were sold in 2007 alone. With 86.7% of homes in the UK now receiving digital TV, Freeview remains the No.1 choice for the main TV set.

The board of the DRDB has appointed Tony Moretta to the role of chief executive. Tony comes with a strong understanding of digital media having worked as general manager of Broadcast at National Grid Wireless where he was responsible for the commercial side of the broadcast business.

HAVING recently learnt that AVF Group has become the world's first mount manufacturer to go carbon neutral, as the company has offset its carbon emissions by a number of projects producing 'clean energy' from renewable sources, I was impressed with the simplicity of this idea. Substantially reducing carbon emissions will be very difficult for most electrical companies since many of them have moved their manufacturing to the Far East and transportation of even the most energy efficient products is likely to offset their energy saving benefits. Since it is difficult to cure the causes we should at least deal with the symptoms.

GIANT posters displaying ambient noise levels in London, Berlin, Madrid, Brussels and Milan were created by blowUp media to promote a 'silent' washing machine from AEG-Electrolux. They were part of the European silent laundry campaign (run in April) that was to highlight noise levels in key European cities.

"THE kitchen has moved from being a functional space to a place of self expression," said Maria Strannegard, global consumer insight manger at Electrolux. Responding to this trend, Electrolux has developed the Inspiro oven, its first oven that automatically determines the right way to cook a dish to consistently achieve the desired result. It was inspired by the results of the company's pan-European research showing that people are spending more time socializing in their homes, while cooking is becoming a status skill and the kitchen a domestic theatre. Meanwhile their 'time budget' is shrinking while the ambition levels are rising.

"Progress is out; evolution is in." These were the words of Jozeph Forakis, strategic design consultant and one of the expert panellists at the European launch of Whirlpool's Green Kitchen - a kitchen eco-system concept that will help consumers to enjoy the benefits of adapting, reducing and recycling. The system works by integrating appliances to optimise the use of heat and water, which is said to increase energy efficiency by up to 70%.

Philips' new Eco TV has been designed to save power by lowering the backlight level, without compromising the picture quality, says the manufacturer.

The Andrew Collinge Once Through Styler, developed by the award-winning hairdresser, has been designed to style hair in as little time as possible, while still providing a professional finish.

Panasonic is continuing to back both LCD and plasma panels with its new Viera range of HDTVs.

Sovereign is doing its bit for the environment with the launch of its new 'green machine' - the EcoBin Waste Manager.

The STREAM 202 portable radio from Roberts Radio comes complete with DAB, FM and Wi-Fi.

American brand KitchenAid, best known for its iconic stand mixer, is expanding its range to include major domestic appliances

The Bosch Home Professional vacuum cleaner represents a new breed of    hi-spec cleaner, says the maker.

Small domestic appliance brand Team UKI has given the classic glass kettle a makeover, with the introduction of a new highly aspirational product.

The recent Indesit trade show demonstrated the company's ambitious plans for 2008 for all of its three brands.

CIH has recently opened up its membership and changed the fee structure to make it more affordable for the independents to join. The buying group has also started working closely with retra. They are rumours in the industry that CIH is planning to launch its own brand.

With much fanfare, the UK Government has introduced the Regulations which will bring into force the terms of the European Unfair Commercial Practices Directive (UCPD). The Directive was adopted in May 2005; the Regulations - known as the Consumer Protection Regulations (CPRs) - will come into force on 26 May 2008.

We know money is a necessary evil.  It plays a big part in all our lives.  It even inspired musical greats such as Pink Floyd who wrote Money ("Get a good job with good pay and you're okay") and ABBA who had to go two better with Money, Money, Money. 

Although GfK figures suggest that last year the washing machine market remained relatively flat having shrunk - 0.8% in volume to 2,815,400 units with value sales having dipped by -1.6% (January to December 2007; source GfK), the overall market value for 2007 looked good at just over £814 million.

De Dietrich is at the forefront of design with its DLZ614J fully integrated washing machine, which has a smart black fascia and stainless steel controls. It also has a blue LCD panel and an electronic clock with 24-hour delay start. A+ and A rated for energy and wash, it has a 6kg capacity, 15 programmes and intelligent sensors that monitor the size of the load, adjusting the water intake and duration of the programme accordingly

Its most innovative washing machine to date, Beko's Xpress model boasts a unique motor technology and three highly versatile Xpress wash programmes including a super short cycle of just 14 minutes. The 58- minute cycle can wash a 7kg load at 60°C while the 30- minute option can tackle the same sized load at 30°C. The 14-minute cycle can quickly refresh a 2kg load. It also features a Duo programme that allows you to mix colourfast synthetics with cottons as well as an extra rinse option and time delay function.

Siemens has launched its first pair of black laundry appliances with the WM14S79BGB washing machine and WT46S59BGB condensing tumble dryer. Both top-of-therange models boast the latest technology with LCD programme progress display and totalTextile Management. They also have a large 7kg capacity. The A+A rated washer has 15 programmes and a built-in stain removal system while the B-rated touch control dryer also has 15 programmes including a rapid dry option and anti-crease cycle.

The MAF2002AES stainless steel washing machine from Maytag has a new user interface where information is displayed in a single line on the LCD screen, controlled by a jog dial. It's A+AA rated and has a large 6kg capacity, 12 programmes and a Time Wash function, which allows the user to wash clothes as clean as possible in the time available. A programme time may be selected from 30 minutes up to three hours (with 15-minute intervals) and the machine will optimise the cycle to ensure the wash is as effective as possible for the time chosen.

The debate aimed to asses the level of customer awareness and understanding of the energy efficiency issues and what impact these issues have on retailers' business. It was also to provide insights on what the EST, electrical manufacturers and retailers could do  to communicate better the energy efficiency messages to all customers, and what support retailers need to achieve it. 

The domestic appliance market in the UK is a mature one, with most sales being made as a result of replacement purchases. Although those working in the industry would like to think otherwise, the sector does not hold popular consumer interest in the way that cars, motorbikes and even consumer electronics products do, which is supported by regular readership of specialist magazines. The popularity of home improvements and related TV programmes has helped to raise interest in the performance of major appliances, but we have yet to see 'What vacuum cleaner' or a similar title at news stands.

Last year it was widely speculated that the digital camera market would experience its first real challenge, as purchases for first-time buyers had peaked, and that 2007 would see a decline in sales. So, have the predictions come true?