MAY/JUNE 2020
The Magazine of The Electrical Goods Industry www.gcmagazine.co.uk
INSIDE:
Don’t accept average
COOKING & FOOD PREPARATION COVID-19 has had a serious effect on electrical retailing, but as shops re-open for business we look at how consumer behaviour and priorities have been changed by lockdown, and identify some of the upsides for the cooking and food preparation sector. Nothing will be easy, but there are clear opportunities for retailers in the post-COVID era
GEORGE COLE GETS CONNECTED George Cole speculates on the return of 3D – but not as we know it – and examines the new developments in High Definition TV that require learning a whole new set of technical terminologies
De’Longhi No 1 in Espresso Coffee Makers TV FOCUS Some of the new products pushing the boundaries of domestic TV viewing
De’Longhi has mastered the art of coffee preparation with the unique Italian know-how for artisan coffee. With a De’Longhi bean to cup, consumers can bring Barista quality to the home, serving the perfect coffee taste and all at the touch of a button.
FROM THE BENCH Alan Bennett with “everything you need to know” about subwoofers
THE WORD Including a roundup of our industry’s response to COVID-19
Discover the range at: www.delonghi.com
CONTENTS
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Editorial Comment
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The Word In and around the industry
10 Product Gallery 12 Cooking and Food Preparation Feature
GC finds upsides in the changed behaviour of consumers during lockdown, and examines how opportunities for the cooking, food preparation and coffee machine categories have been created by the nation being forced to stay at home
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Teka WISH HLB 860P DualClean www.teka.com
Editor in Chief: Marlinda Conway 01420 886 33 marlinda@gcmagazine.co.uk
Advertising Sales: Sally Milburn 01892 677 745 sallym@spacemarketing.co.uk
Editorial & Publishing Director: Terry Heath 01420 886 33 terry@gcmagazine.co.uk
16 George Cole Gets Connected Is domestic 3D viewing set to make a comeback, but in a radically altered form? And why we all need to learn new jargon as the search for higher and higher definition produces new technological advances
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Subscription & Circulation Enquiries: 01420 886 33 info@gcmagazine.co.uk
Graphic Design & Production: Will Dobson artwork@gcmagazine.co.uk
TV Focus A look at some of the TVs available now in the UK
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From the Bench
Alan Bennett explains how the subwoofer works to match the sound of the domestic “cinematic experience” to the pictures
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EDITORIAL COMMENT
It’s not helpful to talk about “the new normal” when “normal” itself changes radically and continuously
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very generation seems to believe that the way of life it understands and has become used to is “normal”, and that change is disorienting, frightening and perhaps disastrous. It can be all of these things for various people at various times, but even a brief glance at history shows the only normality is change. It used to be “normal” for a journey from Winchester to London to take a couple of days. Or a journey from London to Belfast to take a week. Most people had to live within walking distance of where they worked. Then someone came up with a slow, noisy, dangerous, unreliable and expensive thing called a “horseless carriage” that looked like it wouldn’t catch on. Yet in 2020 everyone has one, it’s normal to travel from London to Belfast by horseless carriage in a day, and millions of people commute tens – or hundreds – of miles to work every day. In 1903 a couple of brothers in North Carolina managed to keep a fixed-wing heavier-than-air craft in powered flight for 12 seconds, covering 120 feet. Did they imagine it would become “normal” for millions of passengers, hundreds at a time, to be routinely and safely zipping to every corner of the world every day; so normal, in fact, that being temporarily prevented from doing so is seen as a major deprivation? Within living memory, computers had their own vast rooms in big companies, with special geeks running them who you had to ask to “process your data” for you; results in a couple of days, maybe. It’s now normal for everyone to carry everywhere with them more computing power than NASA had to put a man on the moon, that can find the answer to any question in a matter of seconds.
The point is that “normal” never stays normal for long, and the most normal way to think, especially for businesses, ought to be constantly trying to prepare for a future you know will be different from now. Nobody would ever buy a washing machine or fridge online, until they did. With this perspective, the COVID-19 pandemic is a temporary situation which, in the long term, will leave only a small trace on the economic and social progress of the world. It may make some things happen more quickly, some more slowly, but it has no fundamental impact on broader trends. It would be insensitive to call it a “blip”, because its human cost in lives and livelihoods is beyond calculation and can never be recovered. But everything else – the wider economy, international travel, social interaction, education, all of the temporary problems – is fixable and will be fixed. That’s little comfort for those of this generation who have lost people, businesses, livelihoods in a matter of a few months. But epidemics – influenza, bubonic plague, cholera, Ebola, Sars – rarely have anything like the longterm effects that are achieved by inventors, entrepreneurs, thinkers, engineers and businesspeople. It’s up to those businesses still standing, or able to get on their feet again, to create the “new normal”, not because of COVID-19 but because it’s the way things work. Our industry, like others run by resourceful and adaptable entrepreneurs and businesspeople, will have to do its bit to make sure the new normal is better, and that in the fulness of time it is inevitably replaced by another, better, new normal. That’s just normal.
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Marlinda Conway Editor in Chief
Terry Heath Editorial & Publishing Director
Will Dobson Creative Director
James McIntosh Consumer Consultant
George Cole Consumer Electronics Consultant
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RETAIL JOBS DOWN 14% IN FIRST QUARTER OF 2020 THE LATEST ELECTRICAL GOODS INDUSTRY NEWS
RETAIL SALES UNDERGO SECOND WORST FALL IN 25 YEARS
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ay 2020 proved to be yet another bleak month for retailers as the temporary closure of non-essential stores continued under Government restrictions, but online retail continued to reap the benefits of the resulting vacuum. According to the BRC-KPMG retail sales monitor, total sales fell by 5.9%, a less drastic decline than April’s 19.1%, but nonetheless the second worst recorded since the monitor began in 1995. Online non-food sales increased by 60.2% against growth of 4.4% in May 2019, with the penetration rate increasing from 31.4% to 61.9% year on year. Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the BRC, said many retailers will be anxious to see whether demand returns to high streets when non-essential shops reopen.
“Weak consumer confidence and social distancing rules are likely to hold back sales,” she said, adding: “there are concerns that if Government support is withdrawn too quickly, shops and businesses will not survive.” “Some doors may not reopen at all,” commented Paul Martin, UK Head of Retail at KPMG. “COVID-19 has acted as an accelerant in the shift towards having less of a physical presence, not least due to the obvious need to radically reduce costs for survival. “We’re also witnessing historically high levels of sales transacted online – currently over 60% – and while this will ease as more stores open, consumers have formed new habits that will see the online channel continue to be more prominent going forward.”
UK CONSUMER CONFIDENCE NEARS HISTORIC LOW G
fK’s third COVID-19 flash report containing data gathered between 20th and 26th May showed the UK Consumer Confidence Index decreased by a further two points to -36, just three points shy of the historic low of -39 recorded in July 2008. Joe Staton, GfK Client Strategy Director, said the fall was “against a backdrop of falling house prices, soaring jobless claims, and with no sign of a rapid V-shaped bounce-back,” the only positive in the figures being a 6-point rise in the Major Purchase Index, indicating latent demand among shoppers. “As the lockdown eases it will be interesting to see just how the consumer appetite for spending returns in a world of socially-distanced shopping and the seismic shift to online retailing, alongside worries of a fresh spike in COVID-19 cases as relaxations increase.” In February this year, the consumer confidence index stood at -7. By April it had reached -34. Now, this latest flash report shows it nearing the depths recorded during the financial crisis.
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etail job numbers dropped by 14% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2020 in what is said to have been a “tumultuous start to the year” for the industry. According to a report from CV-Library, which claims to be the UK’s leading independent job board, the fall was the sixth highest of all the sectors analysed, and a quarter-on-quarter decline of 24.6% is even more grim for the industry. Applications for retail vacancies also fell, down 24.3% on Q1 2019 last year, but pay in the sector increased by 5.8% year-on-year and 3.3% quarter-on-quarter. Lee Biggins, founder and CEO of CV-Library, said: “It really has been a tumultuous start to the year and it’s having a massive impact on retailers and the wider economy. “While measures are being put in place to protect companies and their employees, the reality is that both Brexit and the coronavirus pandemic will have long-lasting effects on the UK labour market. Unemployment rates are set to soar in the coming months and this could be financially devastating for UK professionals.” Biggins added that it is difficult to predict how the labour market will perform in the next quarter, “but sadly, it doesn’t look promising,” he commented.
CORONAVIRUS OBLITERATES HOPES OF IMPROVED RETAIL HEALTH FOR FORESEEABLE FUTURE
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he UK’s retail health worsened considerably in the first quarter of 2020, with the impact of COVID-19, the key driver, extinguishing previous hopes of any recovery. According to the KPMG/Ipsos Retail Think Tank (RTT), retail health fell by 3 points to 71 – a new record low for the index, which is a quantitative and qualitative assessment of demand, margin and cost. An even more seismic drop of 9 index points, taking the RHI score to just 62, is predicted in the second quarter, greater than the fall recorded in the shadow of the 2008/09 financial crisis. “The nation’s lockdown, and its impact on demand in particular, has sealed the fate for many retailers, especially those deemed non-essential,” said the RTT. Paul Martin, RTT co-chair and UK head of retail at KPMG, said: “If looking at total sales in the UK over the first quarter of 2020, nonfood retail was on a -1% trajectory in both January and February. However, from mid-March onwards, the decline was far more severe as anxiety around COVID-19 started to rapidly rise. The lockdown only came into effect on March 23rd, but non-food retail sales fell by anything from 50%–100% thereafter, dependent on whether the retailer in question had any stable online operations or not.” Martin pointed out that the lack of consumer engagement was mirrored by footfall figures during the quarter too. A record decline of 14.2% recorded in February was superseded by a fall of 51.3% in March at stores which remained open. Looking ahead at the prospects in the second quarter, RTT economist Ruth Gregory of Capital Economics, said: “We think that the lockdown implemented to contain the coronavirus will trigger a peak-to-trough fall in GDP of around 25% in the first half of this year, which would dwarf the 6% drop during the 2008/09 financial crisis. Retail sales could fall by as much as 30% in parallel.” “Even when restrictions are lifted – whenever and however that may be – it’s unlikely we’ll see a return to normal by any means,” said Tim Denison, co-chair of the RTT and director of retail intelligence at Ipsos Retail Performance.
THE LATEST ELECTRICAL GOODS INDUSTRY NEWS
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KBBG CREATES BUSINESS SUPPORT PLAN FOR INDEPENDENTS The Kitchen Bathroom Buying Group, part of DER KREIS, created a Five Point Business Support Plan to benefit independent kitchen, bathroom and bedroom retailers in reopening showrooms to the public, with suppliers backing the plan committing to: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
CIH SUPPORTS MEMBERS IN REOPENING STORES
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uying group CIH announced extensive support for its members to help them reopen stores in compliance with COVID-19 Secure guidelines from 15th June 2020, including the supply of PPE and COVID-19 marketing materials. CIH said it would deliver one free-of-charge starter PPE kit to every store, this containing face masks, gloves, floor tape and protective face shields manufactured by LG. Special BSH hand sanitiser units may be ordered and supplied according to members’ needs. A suite of CIH COVID-19 marketing collateral, including door and window posters has been provided for retailers to communicate the key in-store health & safety measures to customers, and members also have access to resources and information on a range of topics such as the Government’s recovery plan, Retra’s support services, advice on safe working practices and suitable Sneezeguard protection equipment for retail installation. The buying group said it is “continuing to work with Government bodies, suppliers, credit insurance providers and Euronics International for the long-term good of its members and their local communities in these difficult times.”
Continue to offer credit facilities to independent retailers Sustain prices until the end of the year Maintain stock levels and pre-lockdown delivery schedules Introduce special offers and promotions exclusively for independent kbb retailers Where there is a DER KREIS bonus scheme for members, the first tier of target will be cancelled to ensure that sales achieved throughout 2020 will receive at least the first level of bonus payment
“Nearly all of our suppliers have agreed to the plan, offering significant support for our members and independent kbb retailers,” said KBBG Managing Director Bill Miller. “We appreciate agreeing to the Five Point Business Support Plan is asking a lot of our suppliers at a very difficult and uncertain time; however, commitment to our plan will give a boost for independent retailers at a time when they need it the most.” KBBG has also offered support to qualifying members by paying their 2019 bonus two months early, and has teamed up with one of its suppliers to offer a range of solutions to meet the needs of members in achieving the necessary COVID-19 preventative measures to protect staff and customers.
SEE GCMAGAZINE.CO.UK FOR THE STORIES BEHIND THE NEWS... Currys PC World launches live video shopping and blueprint for safe shopping Hughes to reopen 12 of its largest stores John Lewis announces shop reopening plan Streets of silence as consumers go underground Further clarity needed for stores to reopen Coronavirus Statutory Sick Pay Scheme launches AGA Rangemaster to re-open factories Full service resumes as Caple reopens for business John Lewis factory to make gowns for NHS Hisense Europe cuts 2,200 jobs due to economic impact of coronavirus KBBG Annual Members’ Meeting postponed AO.com launches TV ad and “local heroes” daily giveaway Sirius offers members help in upping web presence AMDEA members pledge support for key health workers Commusoft releases free remote diagnosis app for installers
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HOW MUCH IS TRADITIONAL RETAIL SUFFERING FROM COVID-19?
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IT’S RETAIL, BUT NOT AS WE KNOW IT, ACCORDING TO NEW SURVEY
“Shoppers want online access to a full omnichannel suite of retail services and, where shoppers need to visit a physical store, queueless shopping is essential”
As retailers in England readied stores for reopening on June 15th, a survey by online scheduling and customer engagement platform Appointedd provided a glimpse of what the public expected a safe return to retail to look like.
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he poll, undertaken during the first week of June, showed store capacity to be vital in the return to physical retail. Although 65% of people expected the shops to be quieter than normal, 79% said they would be more likely to visit those that limited the number of visitors in-store and 75% would rather book a guaranteed entry time rather than join a queuing system. The figures pointed to a clear shift in how comfortable people feel entering physical stores at this time: 55% said they didn’t expect to return to their normal shopping habits when non-essential shops reopened, and 25% went as far to say that they didn’t think they would ever return to the same level of in-store shopping. Concerns around shopping safely in-store were of high priority. When asked how shops can make
customers feel safer, hand sanitiser (84%) and capacity management (71.5%) were placed highest, with PPE ranking at 25%. Shoppers signalled that they are ready to engage across a number of channels, even within a single transaction. 76% said that they would like to reserve or buy an item online and then book a guaranteed click & collect time, and 20% of respondents indicated they would be interested in attending a virtual shopping experience on Zoom, either by themselves or with friends. So, what is the “new normal” for retail? According to Appointedd, two actions are clear: “Shoppers want online access to a full omnichannel suite of retail services and, where shoppers need to visit a physical store, queue-less shopping is essential.”
etail was already suffering extreme pressure even before the outbreak of the coronavirus, with both large and small bricks & mortar outlets feeling the strain and several high-profile names disappearing from the high street, but with the nation in lockdown and the temporary closure of nonessential shops, analytics firm Dun & Bradstreet is predicting a significant rise in retail liquidations in 2020 and 2021, despite the Government launching several support measures specifically for the sector. The company’s Q1 Industry Report shows that the number of liquidations increased by 0.8% compared to Q4 2019, with 380 businesses liquidated between January and March. However, as the data relates mainly to a prelockdown period there are expected to be many more casualties in Q2. Markus Kuger, Chief Economist at the firm, said: “As the coronavirus pandemic continues, the global economy is set to contract in 2020 more than it did during the global financial crisis in 2009, and Dun & Bradstreet has downgraded ratings for around 100 countries worldwide. “The retail sector is likely to be one of the hardest hit and we have seen several household names completely disappear from the high street, even before the pandemic took hold. The mandated closure of non-essential stores and furloughing of staff, coupled with the accelerated trend for eCommerce, means that traditional retailers are facing yet another year of decline and uncertainty.”
SMALL BUSINESSES PREDICT ECONOMIC BOUNCE-BACK COULD TAKE FIVE YEARS
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our in ten small business owners believe it will take at least five years for the UK economy to fully recover from the impact of Covid-19, according to a poll carried out by the #ForgottenLtd Campaign, a movement pushing for fair and equal Government support for small limited companies. The study asked more than 1,000 small business owners how long they think it will be before the UK economy fully recovers from the effect of the virus and subsequent lockdown, and found that only 15% believe this will happen by the end of 2021. More than a quarter (28%) said a full recovery
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will take up to three years, while 18% believe it will take up to five years. But the biggest proportion of respondents, 39%, were those who believed it will be 2025 and beyond before the UK economy is back on its feet. Gina Broadhurst, co-founder of the campaign, said: “The results of this snap poll send out an unequivocal message to the Government, namely that the small business community believes it will be a very long time before the UK economy bounces back. “The small businesses we polled are unanimous that a full economic recovery will take years, not
months. But it’s these very same businesses that so many people depend on for their jobs, big companies for their supplies, and customers for their products and services. “We are all linked, so if small businesses are in trouble, we are all in trouble. But it’s not too late to save them.” The #ForgottenLtd Campaign exists to raise awareness of the lack of meaningful support for the UK small business community and is calling on the government to address this disparity by extending COVID-19 support packages to directors of small limited companies.
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THE LATEST ELECTRICAL GOODS INDUSTRY NEWS
REVENUE AND PROFITS AT AO EXPECTED MEET ANALYSTS’ EXPECTATIONS Online electricals retailer AO has said it expects to release its Preliminary Results for the year ended 31 March on 14 July 2020, stating that the revised timing will allow a greater amount of clarity on the outlook for the current financial year.
ONLINE SALES PARTIALLY OFFSET LOST STORE SALES FOR DIXONS CARPHONE
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ixons Carphone reported UK&I Electricals sales up 10% for the 11 weeks to 21st March with a 23% rise in online growth, but sales for the succeeding five weeks declined by 16% due to the temporary closure of the retailer’s stores following the coronavirus outbreak. Online growth rose 166% in the five-week period, recovering around two-thirds of the lost store sales. In an update prior to entering the close period for its full year results for the 53 weeks to 2nd May 2020, the company reported like-for-like sales in the Nordics up 5% and 24% respectively but sales in Greece for the 11 weeks to 21st March were flat, followed by a 40% decline in the subsequent five-week period. The UK&I and Greek stores which temporarily closed would normally have he business expects its headline financial results, excluding been expected to contribute a further c.£400m of sales in this financial operations in the Netherlands, which do not continue into year, the retailer said. FY21, for revenue and adjusted EBITDA to fall within the April brought strong demand for home office equipment range of analysts’ expectations. including computers and home networking as people worked and The company said it made substantial progress “April brought communicated remotely. Gaming and TV sales were also strong. against immediate strategic priorities during the year, strong demand In kitchen products, refrigeration and food preparation including UK MDA growth of 10% and acceleration of for home office including bread makers sold particularly well, with the latter the journey to profitability in Germany. equipment including part of the month seeing increased sales for personal care Despite a decline in the overall market of the computers and home products and fitness trackers. In contrast, sales for other categories in which the business operates, AO has networking...” major domestic appliances fell as home moves stalled and the grown market share and seen increased demand and imaging market continued to decline. sales across all sectors since the lockdown measures Group Chief Executive Alex Baldock said there will be no came into force. It also expects the online market corporate bonus payment in UK&I this year. in electricals to maintain a higher share than prior to Covid-19. John Roberts, AO Founder and Chief Executive Officer, said: “For the last 20 years I believe we have been a driving force of change, making things better, easier and cheaper than ever before for customers with outstanding levels of service. “In terms of online shopping behaviour, I believe we have seen five years accelerate into only five weeks and we will plan to cement that change as we impress more new customers than ever Swift Electrical has appointed Richard Buckley as with the AO Way.” Operations Director, responsible for the business’s entire warehousing and transport proposition.
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Richard Buckley
Exertis has appointed Jamie Brothwell (pictured) as commercial director and Sam Williams as sales director of its accessories business.
JOHN LEWIS IN 3-YEAR DEAL WITH D&G
Jamie Brothwell
Clare Humphrey has been appointed category manager at the professional division of white goods manufacturer Miele.
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ohn Lewis has partnered with warranty and appliance care provider Domestic & General to launch a new customer scheme named Protect Plus. The arrangement, which will initially run for three years, provides cover for products including domestic appliances, TVs, technology products, mobile phones and furniture. Sean Allam, Director of Services at John Lewis & Partners, said: “This partnership is part of our commitment to provide the highest level of service for customers across our product ranges and complements our existing warranty proposition.”
DCC Technology has appointed Clive Fitzharris as managing director of Exertis International.
Clare Humphrey
Clive Fitzharris
Sales agency Big Red Sales has appointed Patricia Smith as a sales agent for Scotland and the North East and Cumbria, and Graham Leach as sales agent for the Midlands region.
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SOUND UNITED IN PRELIMINARY AGREEMENT TO ACQUIRE BOWERS & WILKINS
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ound United LLC, parent company to brands such as Denon, Polk Audio and Marantz and a portfolio company of Boston-based private equity firm Charlesbank Capital Partners LLC, has entered into a preliminary letter of intent to acquire audio manufacturer Bowers & Wilkins. Bowers & Wilkins was founded in the UK in 1966 and has been at the forefront of high-performance audio technology for more than 50 years. The company designs and manufactures precision home speakers, headphones, custom installation and performance car audio products. The proposed transaction remains subject to ongoing discussions, confirmatory diligence, regulatory approvals and other required consents.
HAIER LAUNCHES IN THE REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
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aier has launched in the Republic of Ireland (ROI) with products available from a range of retailers including Harvey Norman, DID, Power City, buying group Euronics and independent electrical retailers. As the parent company of the Hoover Candy Group, the manufacturer will utilise the group’s existing channel infrastructure which has been operating in the ROI for more than five decades. David Meyerowitz, chief executive officer, UK & Republic of Ireland at Haier Europe, said: “The Republic of Ireland has been a key market for the business for many years and we’re delighted to be expanding our product offering in the country with the introduction of Haier models.”
F&P PARTNERS WITH MHK GROUP
HISENSE ESTABLISHES NEW TV FACTORY IN EUROPE
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isher & Paykel has become a member of the MHK Group, which describes itself as “Europe’s leading retail and kitchen furniture specialist”. The Group was formed in Frankfurt in 1980 and is now established in eight European countries, with more than 3,200 commercial partners. Marcel Crezee, Director Expansions, said: “With the collaboration of Fisher & Paykel we not only broaden the product range for our members with great high-end products, we also empower them to make a difference towards their consumers. It is a win-win situation and a perfect example of staying together in these challenging times.”
isense Group has confirmed the decision to establish a new TV factory in one of the existing production halls on the Hisense Gorenje manufacturing site in Velenje. Production will begin in January 2021, with products intended for the European market. The factory will employ around 350 people. In the first year it is expected to produce 1.5 million units, and in the following phases up to 4 million per year. At the end of April, Hisense announced it was to cut around 2,200 jobs in Europe due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on orders. Gorenje d. o. o. employees included in the redundancy programme may have the opportunity to work in the new facility, the company said.
AO OPENS THIRD WAREHOUSE IN CREWE
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nline electricals retailer AO has opened a new warehouse in Crewe, its third in the area, adding a further 110,000 sq ft to its distribution space, which is now just under 1,000,000 sq ft in the Cheshire town. The new facility has been named after the late Alan Latchford, a co-founder of DRL (which later became AO) and the person responsible for the famous £1 bet that led to the creation of the company. John Roberts, Founder and CEO, said: “On Christmas Eve 1999, he bet me £1 that we couldn’t use the internet to transform how people buy white goods. Twenty years on, the opening of our Latchford warehouse is a lasting tribute to Alan.” The facility will cater for retail sales and also help AO to grow its third-party logistics business. AO said it is now searching for more warehouse capacity to manage demand for its products and services.
INDESIT LOGO A SIGN OF THE TIMES…
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ndesit has redesigned its logo in what is said to be part of the brand’s ongoing initiatives to support its employees, consumers and the community, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The familiar circle with central “i” now features a publicly accepted symbol of a person and the strapline ‘Social Distancing: Do It Together’. “The move aims to broaden awareness around the importance of social distancing and to express the brand’s solidarity with those affected by the crisis,” the Peterborough-based brand said.
THE LATEST ELECTRICAL GOODS INDUSTRY NEWS
IN-PERSON EVENT PLANNED FOR CES 2021… SAMSUNG AND LG RETHINK IFA PLANS
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ES 2021 is to go ahead as an in-person event in Las Vegas but with more focus on virtual sessions, organiser of the event, the Consumer Technology Association, has announced. With planning for the world’s biggest technology show underway, the CTA said: “For CES 2021, we will continue to expand the show’s digital reach. You can expect to see a wider selection of livestreamed CES content, along with many other engaging digital and virtual opportunities… “We will showcase our exhibitors’ products, technology breakthroughs and ideas to the world, both physically in Las Vegas and digitally.” Amongst the plans to protect exhibitors and attendees are regularly sanitised spaces in the show venues, and the provision of sanitisation stations throughout. Widening of the aisles to better enable social distancing in many exhibit areas and more space between seats in conference programmes and other areas where attendees congregate are also in the planning. Major brands are committed for the show, according to the CTA, which said it was also looking forward to announcing another line-up of top-tier speakers. Meanwhile, it is reported that Korean tech companies Samsung and LG are considering scaling back on their participation in IFA 2020 this year due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
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IFA 2020 IN BERLIN WILL BE A “REAL-LIFE EVENT” BUT WITH SAFETY MEASURES IFA has announced that it has been given the go-ahead to take place in 2020 as a real-life event in Berlin, “based on a special concept that puts health and safety first.”
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his year’s IFA 2020 “Special Edition” will take place over just three days – from 3 to 5 September – and according to the organisers “falls well within the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.” It will be by invitation only, with no access for the public, and will have strict limits on the number of attendees. Jens Heithecker, Executive Director of IFA Berlin, said: “After all the event cancellations during the past months, our industry urgently needs a platform where it can showcase its innovation, so that it can recover and rebound. The recovery of our industry starts here at IFA Berlin.” While virtual events were useful, he added, they were “missing the immediacy, hands-on experience and human connections that make events like IFA Berlin so incredibly useful.” The concept for IFA 2020 was developed in close collaboration with public health authorities in Germany to ensure the health and safety of all participants. The exhibition will effectively be run as four standalone events, with not more than 1,000 attendees for each event per day: the IFA Global Press Conference, which has moved from April to September and turned into this year’s Global Showcase for Innovation and Technology. Around 800 journalists covering 50+ countries will be invited to Berlin; IFA NEXT meets IFA SHIFT Mobility, where, for 2020 only, the two innovation platforms will be combined into an exclusive live event for the international tech community; IFA Global Markets, now acknowledged as “Europe’s largest sourcing show for OEMs and ODMs”, will, says IFA, “be this year’s first dedicated sourcing show in the world”; IFA Business, Retail & Meeting Lounges, an important marketplace for consumer electronics and home appliances, where brands and retailers struck deals worth more than €4.7 billion during the 2019 event. For those who may not be able to obtain entry to the “real life” event, or may be subject to travel restrictions, virtual opportunities to be part of the IFA Berlin experience will be offered.
“The exhibition will effectively be run as four standalone events, with not more than 1,000 attendees for each event per day...”
SHORTCUTS Bosch Home Appliances is offering a five-year warranty on a lineup of its most popular built-in and freestanding models. Hotpoint is offering a 100-day money-back guarantee on a selection of dishwashers in a promotion running until 31st December 2020. Indesit is offering consumers a free three-month supply of Fairy Platinum Plus dishwasher tablets on the purchase of selected dishwashers in a promotion running until 31st August 2020. Spanish appliance manufacturer Pando has introduced a fiveyear parts & labour warranty, with service covered by Pacifica Appliance Services – better known as 0800 Repair. KBBG has announced Getley UK as a new supplier with a new kitchen and bedroom furniture brand under the Alku name. Whirlpool UK has donated around 75 appliances to 19 Golden Lane Housing developments. The company has also donated £25,000 to the charity. Hughes Electrical has donated four LG 32-inch Smart TVs to the James Paget University Hospital in Gorleston for installation in the Children’s Ward. BSH has donated 100 Bosch Tassimo coffee machines and a selection of coffee pods to around 20 NHS Trusts nationwide for distribution to hospitals.
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PRODUCT GALLERY
New steam cleaners from Hoover Hoover has introduced two new steam cleaners which offer chemical/detergent-free deep cleaning, with adjustable steam control giving variable cleaning power for different surfaces and materials. The Steam Capsule 2in1 with removable handheld (pictured) takes 15 seconds to heat up and provides steam for up to 25 minutes. Accessories include a hose, window tool and multiple brushes. Both models have low-profile multi-use floor nozzles.
www.hoover.co.uk
Haier Cube Series multi-door fridge freezer Haier’s A++ rated HTF-610DM7 Cube Series multi-door fridge freezer is fitted is with Fresher Techs® technologies which keep foodstuffs fresher and more flavoursome for longer. The technology combination comprises a Humidity Zone for fruit/veg, a Dry Zone for meat/fish/ dairy, and DYNAMIC ABT® which neutralises 99.8% of bacteria. The unit also incorporates a SWITCHZONE which can operate as a fridge or freezer (from -18°C to +5°C).
www.haier-europe.com/en_GB/web/uk
Luxury steel framing for Caple’s new wine cabinet Caple’s WF1550 wine cabinet accommodates 750ml Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne bottles on beech shelves with easy-glide operation. The appliance has touch control operation for three independent temperature zones, two heaters which raise the internal temperature when the external temperature drops, no-frost compressor cooling technology and a charcoal filter to keep wine in optimum condition. A stainless-steel frame gives the appliance a luxury finish.
www.caple.co.uk
70cm FAB added to Smeg cooling range The latest addition to Smeg’s FAB cooling range, the FAB38 fridge freezer, has been given a 21st century revamp inside. The 70cm unit offers a net capacity of 461 litres and incorporates newly introduced LED lighting, a multiflow cooling system, a humidity-controlled vegetable box and no-frost technology. Available in pastel blue, pastel green, red, white, black and cream.
www.smeguk.com
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PRODUCT GALLERY
Iceking marks 25 years with new American-style side-by-side The Iceking brand has marked its 25th anniversary with the launch of a new American-style side-by-side fridge freezer. The competitively priced IK436W offers a fresh and minimalist look for the kitchen, with features including total no frost, LED strip lights in the fridge compartment, interior electronic controls and a spacious capacity of 436 litres.
www.ice-king.co.uk
Bang & Olufsen Launches the New Beosound A1 The second-generation Beosound A1 portable Bluetooth speaker with builtin Alexa voice assistant has a refined, slimmer design that is fully dust and waterproof and significantly improved battery life with up to 18 hours of playtime. The LED indicator has been moved to the top of the speaker, improving its visibility from all angles. Two re-designed drivers create clearer 360-degree sound, and the unit also comes with aptX adaptive codec for a better wireless listening experience.
www.bang-olufsen.com
Teka introduces DualClean oven Quieter, more energy efficient portable air conditioners from Meaco The MeacoCool MC Series of A-rated portable air conditioners incorporates six BTU model sizes to provide localised cooling in rooms from 12m² to 36m² with a noise level of 53dB(A) on low fan-setting. The 12,000 BTU and 14,000 BTU models are the most powerful and ideal for larger spaces, especially south-facing rooms. CH models in the range can both heat and cool rooms so are useful all year round. Meaco products come with a two-year parts and labour warranty for mainland UK and the option of extending this to five years.
This A+ rated, 71-litre single multi-function oven, Teka WISH HLB 860P DualClean, offers a choice of two auto-cleaning modes: HydroClean® PRO, which provides a quick clean using 98% less energy than Pyrolytic and taking 86% less time, and a three setting Pyrolytic mode for occasional deep cleaning to remove the most stubborn residue. The appliance is finished in black glass with TFT 4-inch true colour touch control and offers 20 programmed recipes plus Pizza, ferment, defrosting and ECO functions with automatic express heating. Robust, smooth-running telescopic guides and a soft open & close single hinge provide controlled operation.
www.teka.com/en-gb/
www.meaco.com
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COOKING & FOOD PREPARATION v
Even before the COVID-19 lockdown, trading conditions were hard. But as we adapted to the new restrictions, unexpected upsides emerged: for example, sales of some kitchen appliances “shot up” within two weeks of lockdown, as a nation forced to stay at home embraced the comfort of home-cooked meals, bread and cakes. Resourceful electrical retailers can benefit from this – and other emerging opportunities - as so-called “nonessential” shops open their doors to hungry customers
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obody really knows what will happen in the second half of this year. Government policy and advice are getting less clear, but with the focus now on the reopening of “non-essential” shops, it is at least clear that the economy – of which the electrical and retail sectors form a significant proportion– has to adapt and find opportunities wherever it can. It goes without saying, of course, that developing and refining an online presence to create maximum synergy with the bricks-and-mortar part of the business is an absolute necessity, now and into the postCOVID era. A report by home delivery company ParcelHero points out that “e-commerce sales soared by 60% in May under lockdown. Now people of every age group have discovered the convenience of home shopping for groceries, clothing and non-essentials.” With so many more consumers discovering online shopping, we could see a further permanent shift in buying habits across all age groups, and “‘a balanced e-commerce-physical store approach, ensuring shops complement online services, will hopefully lead to a longer-term, sustained improvement for the High Street.” But what else, specifically related to home cooking and food preparation, can retailers convert into upsides of the pandemic legacy?
UPSIDES? WHAT UPSIDES?
“It is essential that the appliance does the ‘thinking’ too” Hotpoint: an example of the strong trend in steam combi cooking
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It’s not easy for any retailer who has been forced to close their doors, and who has seen trade disappear practically overnight, to focus on positives. But alterations in the British way of life directly resulting from lockdown have created new habits and attitudes with measurable benefits to the cooking and food preparation market. This is not just anecdotal. There are figures to back it up. According to a recent report from GfK, “sales of some kitchen appliances shot up as Britain hit week two of enforced lockdown.” In the week 29 March to 4 April, purchases of deep fryers showed 76.4% growth in value compared to the same week last year; hot beverage makers were up 65.4%; sandwich makers, waffle makers and grills hit 62.1% value growth; food preparation products were up 61.5% overall, driven by value sales growth in food stand mixers of 218.6%, hand mixers of 105.3% and food processors of 43.7%. Kelly Whitwick, UK Retail Lead for Market Insights at GfK, said: “Looking across these home cooking appliances, the average price is showing an upward trajectory since lockdown started. It seems we are using the money saved from not dining out to invest in premium cooking equipment and smarter models. For brands and retailers in the small domestic goods sector, this is the time to be promoting your higher-end products, as a
COOKING & FOOD PREPARATION
Fisher & Paykel: Illustrating the trend for an integrated look across appliances
aspirations, performance requirements, space constraints and budgets. As well as extending induction, integrated steam and microwave combi options, automated and “assisted cycle” cooking programmes, self-cleaning and touch controls across a broader range of price points, manufacturers have also spent a lot of effort on modern aesthetics and materials, bringing the aspiration of co-ordinated kitchen design – including in some cases matching coffee machines and ancillary food prep appliances – within the reach of many more consumers. Neither have manufacturers been slow to keep up with developments in “connected home” technology, with consumers now able to access online recipes and link directly to the oven, monitor and control cooking processes via an app, and remotely programme the coffee machine to produce the perfect individualised brew.
“Sales of some kitchen appliances shot up within two weeks of lockdown” ‘treat yourself’ purchase and a way to eat more healthily, as well as entertaining yourself, during lock-down.” With food-and-drink related small appliances building impressive growth in value and average price, it looks as if pent-up demand will continue to keep this market buoyant.
CELEBRITY SQUARES It’s not just small appliances that can benefit. With the focus back on preparing meals for a family that, under normal circumstances, had lost the habit of eating together, and with more of us forced to take notice of the home environment where we’ve been spending so much more time, the style, efficiency and comfort of the “heart of the home” has led to a re-assessment of cooking appliances. This has been intensified by the fact that, with so many TV journalists, experts, celebrities and commentators working from home, our TV and device screens have become windows into those homes. They don’t all broadcast from their kitchens, but when they do we take more than a passing interest in designs, colour schemes and appliances (sometimes a great deal more than in what they’re actually saying), and this sparks criticism, sometimes admiration, perhaps envy, and ideas for how our own kitchens could be improved. And it’s not only familiar TV faces whose homes have been revealed to the nation during lockdown. Working from home means video meetings with colleagues; separation means family, friends and acquaintances are seeing each other – and each other’s homes – on screen far more regularly; and that new lockdown phenomenon, the “Zoom dinner party”, has put a unique focus on kitchens and cooking appliances. Seeing and being seen with this intensity inevitably generates an element of competition, and the way to compete is to get the most stylish and high-performance cooking appliances.
PENT-UP DEMAND Added to these “lockdown effects” is the big pre-COVID trend towards healthy eating, home cooking and the sophisticated appliances that
help achieve it. This will reassert itself as “normal” life begins to resume, and join forces with the new habits and ideas formed during lockdown to drive the surge in demand across the entire food preparation and cooking market, from food processors, mixers and beverage machines to ovens and hobs. The demand may be there, but given the reported dire effects of COVID on the UK economy now, and as predicted into the future, can consumers afford to satisfy it? A complicated question that time will answer. But it is a fact that, in 21st century Britain, the household appliance industry’s biggest competitor for consumer discretionary spending has been reduced to virtually zero. Spending had been steadily shifting towards buying “experiences” in preference to goods. Pubs, restaurants, entertainment venues, travel and holidays had been competing for - and winning - more and more household spending, sometimes at the expense of the electrical appliances industry. COVID put an immediate and complete stop to that, and consumers remain reluctant to book travel and holidays for the future until they have a clearer idea what the experience will look like. This may be the time for prudent consumers, perhaps uncertain about the future, to redirect that spending into “added value” investments such as home improvements and upgraded appliances. Their home is the highestvalue asset that most consumers own, and we know that the most effective way to enhance its value is with the best kitchen they can afford.
WHAT’S COOKING? With so much on offer in a sector that is rich in innovation and choice, we asked manufacturers for their views on current trends, future direction and the products that will get customers excited. AEG UK & Ireland’s Head of Product Line Kitchen, Sophie Davidson, highlights the brand’s “Matt Black” collection, introduced at KBB before the lockdown this year. The “design-focused” collection becomes part of AEG’s Mastery Range, with Matte finishes “emerging as an exciting new trend across the kitchen and showroom landscape,” and providing an “ideal choice for those looking to create a sophisticated sleek kitchen environment.” The collection includes the AEG SteamPro Oven and integrated coffee machine. For Maurizio Severgnini, MD of Bertazzoni UK & Ireland, it’s important to keep meeting the
GETTING THERE Among all the uncertainties, one thing remains unquestionable: the advancements in design, technology, materials, aesthetics, price accessibility and user-friendliness of cooking and food preparation appliances over the last decade or so make this the most exciting sector in domestic electricals. There are outstanding products to suit all consumer tastes,
Whirlpool Absolute built-in single oven teamed with combination microwave
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COOKING & FOOD PREPARATION Indesit Aria Induction hob: part of a technology revolution that’s changing the face of UK kitchens
twin demands of aesthetics and performance with “the kitchen now being both a social and functional space,” and he emphasises the need for “a variety of designs and styles, allowing consumers to express themselves whilst creating a matching kitchen suite that makes an impact.” The company’s products include both range cookers - he cites the Professional Range that offers “the latest technology such as touch controls, preloaded programmes and sensor-based cooking” alongside a choice of automotive colours - and built-in, where the demand is for such technologies as “Flex Cooking Areas and integrated appliances, which are more often found in the built-in arena, explaining its popularity.” Bertazzoni offers “both full steam and steam assist options combined with pyrolytic cleaning.” Hisense UK marketing manager Nick Fletcher says that “within the built-in cooking appliance market there is a definite movement towards purchasing decisions led by stylistic choices – built-in appliances must complement the spaces they inhabit and therefore aesthetics become even more important.” But he also acknowledges that “products that make everyday life that little bit easier are very attractive to shoppers.” He cites pyrolytic selfcleaning as an important feature that “helps bring more joy to cooking by making the clean up after simpler than ever,” and features such as Even Bake, “modelled around traditional cooking methods and ovens to take the pressure off by providing excellent results every time.”
STYLE AND PERFORMANCE Catherine Balderson, senior Hotpoint brand manager, extols the virtues of built-in appliances, “beneficial for releasing space in the kitchen as microwave ovens and coffee machines can all be built-in, clearing the worktop of clutter and generating a stylish, contemporary appearance.” Performance cannot be neglected, though, and She cites as important not only pyrolytic cleaning but “an integrated system of advanced technologies and innovations, which ensure perfect cooking
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results every time.” As with other manufacturers, she also identifies steam cooking as “another hot trend for 2020. Steam,” she asserts, “is one of the tastiest and healthiest cooking methods available to consumers, and this has led to a significant increase in the popularity of steam ovens.” According to Indesit brand manager Sara Bazeley, “kitchens that feature built-in appliances are increasingly popular with consumers, making them a key trend in major appliances. Built-in appliances not only have an aesthetically pleasing look, and the flexibility to offer a variety of design combinations, they are also highly practical as they release vital worktop and under counter space. In terms of technology, built-in cooking appliances with automatic recipe programmes are a key trend. Research states that only 22 per cent of British consumers feel they have great knowledge of, and experience with, food and cooking, and that 27 per cent of millennials have little interest in learning how to cook. In addition, with an increasingly ageing population, simplicity and ease of use of appliances are critical to the overall success of the category.”
argues that the addition of features such as steam “take the culinary possibilities one step further,” citing Rangemaster’s own innovative NEXUS Steam feature. Smeg, a brand with a presence across cooking, food preparation and coffee makers, is an advocate of strong, integrated design across its ranges. UK & Ireland product manager Laura Jones tells us that the built-in sector is “attractive and relatively dynamic,” driven by “a surge in demand for high-tech appliances with features inspired by those in professional kitchens,” allied to the preference for “sleek and multifunctional cooking appliances.” She cites the Dolce Stil Novo collection as an example of manufacturers’ response to the need for high function allied to integrated design. The range includes 60cm and 45cm ovens, a blast chiller, multi-functional drawers including sous vide capability, has hobs, hoods, wine cellars and coffee machines, offering a matching array of professional cooking facilities for the home. She also acknowledges the continuing popularity of range cookers, and adds: “These appliances are always attention grabbers and consumers now want more from them, demanding the same functionality as you would find in any modern EXTENDING THE RANGE oven, so while the styling in many cases might As with many manufacturers, Iskender Diker, be retro, the technology certainly is not.” director of sales & marketing for Rangemaster A final comment from Charmaine Warner, appliances, is keen to highlight the Brand Manager at Whirlpool, encapsulates continued strength of range the benefits of a technology whose cooker sales in an increasingly time has clearly come, and built-in world and to point whose price points have made out that their traditional it accessible across a broad “Allowing appeal has been range of consumers: “We consumers to augmented by the are living in a fast-changing express themselves addition of up-to-theworld, where people are whilst creating a minute technologies. increasingly dependent matching kitchen “Range cookers have on technology to make suite that makes an enjoyed decades tasks easier and life more impact” of popularity as a convenient. Induction multifunctional appliance hobs are perfect to do just that can bake, roast, griddle, that, especially as they are and much more,” he says, but almost twice as fast, and very efficient compared to ceramic or gas equivalents.” She also emphasises that, while style is always a powerful priority, technology is equally essential: “Multi-function ovens now offer even more technology and features than ever before, to make life easier for the consumer in the kitchen. Importantly, it is essential that the appliance does the ‘thinking’ too, monitoring, adapting and controlling the processes to ensure that the consumer attains excellent results when cooking, with minimal effort.” It may not be easy to find positives in our industry at this time, but for retailers looking for a great story to tell to a receptive customer base – from entry level to premium – cooking, food preparation and coffee making has all the Bertazzoni Heritage Series Range Cooker: Traditional ingredients. appeal but with modern technology and colour choices
KENWOOD LAUNCHES NEW CAMPAIGN, TO INSPIRE EVERY DAY COOKING Kenwood kicks off new communication campaign to show audiences that Kenwood CAN handle anything a passionate home cook throws at it. In March 2020, Kenwood unveiled a new £1.5 million TV, Digital and In-store communication campaign - Kenwood CAN. The new platform aims to inspire audiences to say ‘yes’ to the joys of everyday cooking. Showcasing how Kenwood products are created to keep up with all cooks in the kitchen.
kenwoodworld.com/uk
GEORGE COLE
georgecole@gcmagazine.co.uk
GEORGE COLE GETS CONNECTED GEORGE COLE PINPOINTS HOTSPOTS IN THE WORLD OF CONSUMER ELECTRONICS
IS 3DTV ABOUT TO RETURN? T
en years ago, the movie industry, consumer electronics companies and retailers were excited about 3DTV. After the stunning success of the 3D film Avatar, there was an expectation that the 3D phenomenon would transfer to home movies and televisions. A decade on, we now know that 3DTV was anything but the giant leap into the television future. The format limped on until 2017, when Sony and LG finally pulled the plug on all 3DTV development. But is 3DTV about to rise from the ashes? Supporters of 3DTV say that the problem was technology not catching up with the concept, while detractors wonder whether 3DTV is rather like a zombie technology – you can never quite kill it off, even though few people actually want it. Leaving aside issues such as the high cost of 3DTV sets and the lack of content, many consumers didn’t like wearing glasses to experience 3D viewing. Although there were attempts to develop glasses-free 3DTV systems, using lenticular lens technology, they never got beyond the laboratory or the odd trade show demonstration. Now, all eyes (pun intended) are on holographic systems. Holograms are created by recording an object as a light field rather than as an image, in order to create a 3D image that can be viewed from multiple angles. The music industry is currently using holograms to create shows whereby dead stars such as
Roy Orbison, Tupac and Whitney Houston can appear on-stage as 3D figures. Technically, these images are not holograms, but “Pepper’s Ghosts”, named after the scientist who codeveloped a system for creating a 3D-like image by projecting a 2D image onto a special mirror or angled sheets of plastic. However, some companies, including US-based Lightfield Labs, are promising true holographic systems that could reach the consumer electronics market. Last year, Lightfield Labs raised $28 million funding to develop its system, with one of the backers being Samsung. The Lightfield system works by generating a massive number of viewing angles from a flat panel display, which alter an object’s position and point-of-view. The claim is that it’s like viewing an object in the real world.
Lightfield Labs has demonstrated its system to a few journalists and the results suggest that it has some potential, although much more work is needed. The current system is small (the hologram is just 4 x 6 inches in size); has a very limited projection range (measured in inches) and is low resolution. One journalist who saw the demonstration reported that the results were good under dark conditions, but in normal room lighting conditions the holographic effect was less impressive. Lightfield Labs says its initial market will be entertainment venues (translation – this technology is initially going to be very expensive), but with plans to move into the consumer market. Will we be watching holographic TV sets in ten years’ time? My own feeling is: don’t hold your breath.
HDR – NOT STANDING STILL T
his year, retailers selling 4K and 8K TVs will have some more jargon to explain to customers – HDR10+. High Dynamic Range (HDR) is a system that improves picture colour, contrast and brightness. Some manufacturers back HDR10, while others have opted for Dolby Vision, which offers the same functionality. Both systems use metadata encoded in the content, which the TV uses to display the best possible image. The main difference between HDR10 and Dolby Vison is that the former uses static metadata (it remains fixed), while the latter has dynamic metadata (the metadata
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changes frame-by-frame or scene-by-scene). Dynamic metadata should mean a more accurate image, because the parameters are changed according to individual scenes. Now on the scene is HDR10+, a system which also offers dynamic metadata. HDR10+ is a joint venture involving Samsung, Panasonic and 20th Century Fox, and claims to have more than 90 companies supporting it, with over 700 certified products including televisions, Blu-ray players and smartphones. Some existing HDR10 sets may be able to upgrade to HDR10+ via a firmware patch.
HDR+10 is an open source, royaltyfree format, unlike Dolby Vision, which is licensed. Even so, HDR10+ only offers 10-bit colour (1.07 billion colours), compared with 12-bit (68.7 billion colours) for Dolby Vision. However, politics rather than technology is more likely to dictate whether some manufacturers stick with promoting Dolby Vision on their televisions.
TV FOCUS
Philips 805/855/865 OLED TVs on sale July TP Vision has confirmed that the new 800 Series of Philips OLED TVs will officially be on sale in the UK from July 2020 in 55” and 65” versions. The units incorporate 4th Gen P5 with AI processing which, according to TPV, “produces an image so lifelike you feel you could step into it”. They also benefit from 3-sided Ambilight, Android 9 Smart TV functionality and a multi-speaker 50-Watt sound system.
Sony’s new 4K HDR Full Array LED TV range on sale in Europe The new XH90 range incorporates Sony’s premium Full-Array Local Dimming and Boosting technology and will support 4K 120fps high frame rate and fast response time via HDMI inputs. The units are equipped with Netflix Calibrated Mode and have Google Assistant, Google Play Store and Chromecast built in. Models of 65 inches and above in the series come equipped with Acoustic Multi-Audio™.
New Android TVs from TCL TCL has launched two new Android TV series in the UK, both of which come with Freeview Play and have Google Home and Google Assistant built in. Top-ofthe-range EC788 (pictured) offers a Frameless Ultra Slim Metal Design, 4K HDR PRO Picture quality with Wide Colour Gamut, Dolby Vision and HDR10+, and incorporates sound by Onkyo to deliver an immersive experience for movies, music and video games.
New finishes for Beovision Harmony TV Bang & Olufsen has introduced two new finishes to its Beovision Harmony TV – Bronze Tone aluminium combined with Walnut wood panels and Brass Tone aluminium combined with Smoked Oak wood panels. The TV is available in 65” and 77” versions and incorporates a sound system which folds up when not in use to cover most of the unit. The intricate grading pattern is designed to maximise the acoustic performance of the 3-channel fully active DSPbased sound centre.
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FROM THE BENCH
FROM THE BENCH the output transistors switch fully on and off at a very high frequency (way above the audible range) to produce full-amplitude pulses whose duty cycle/mark-space ratio govern the output power and hence the movement of the coil and cone. These are efficient and powerful.
CONTROLS AND POSITIONING
Big bass loudspeakers go well with large screens and home movies, and they offer good profit margins, writes Alan Bennett
AS
TV displays get bigger and better, and as movie soundtracks and music recordings embrace wider range and fidelity the sound stage has expanded and deepened, but many viewers and listeners miss out on it. A good subwoofer can bring a whole new dimension of sound into the lounge, and particularly a home cinema room.
DRAMATIC SOUND Action movies often feature sound effects such as explosions, earthquakes, gunfire, crashes, aircraft, drums etc. These cannot be properly reproduced by the speakers of the TV set or – to the full – by soundbars, even those which incorporate on-board Subwoofer by DALI and small separate woofers. For Some are reinforced and the full effect, and to enjoy rigidised with secondary the experience intended materials. It has a very by the film director, it’s “The sound from a flexible butyl or rubber necessary to shift more subwoofer, because of suspension ring around air, so to speak, by the longer wavelengths it; and a voice coil, adding some muscle involved, is less directional generally of copper wire and ‘slam’ to the sound than that from the other and 1½ – 3 inches in system in the form of speakers so that its diameter. This moves to a separate subwoofer positioning in the room and fro in the annular gap incorporating its own is less critical. ” of a very powerful magnet internal amplifier. These to produce low frequency can run to 16" diameter and sound. Some woofers can reach over 3kW drive power for a down to 20Hz, the lower limit of large home cinema room and a human hearing. At the upper end of the dedicated (and rich!) enthusiast. For range about 80Hz (adjustable) is appropriate for most home viewers a 12" woofer driven at up to home use. 500W is quite adequate, typically costing around The enclosure of the woofer needs to be £700; bigger and more powerful models can run dense and rigid to avoid resonances and to £6500 or more, appropriate for a large home ‘colouration’ of the sound. Generally, MDF theatre. These systems seldom run at full rated or HDF is used for this box. Two types are power for more than a few moments at a time, common: ported, in which one or more apertures but having such a reserve gives more punch and alongside the speaker equalise the internal and potential to the sound system. external air pressures to offer a gain in bass CONSTRUCTION output at the expense of size; and sealed, having A subwoofer is basically a beefed-up version of a faster transient response and more suitable, a conventional moving-coil loudspeaker, having perhaps, for smaller rooms. Sealed types are a long-travel cone made of a stiff material such generally somewhat less expensive. as paper, plastic, (e.g. polyester, polypropylene), The drive amplifier is mains-powered and metal, (aluminium etc.), carbon fibre or Kevlar. many of them work in Class D mode, in which
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Subwoofers may be hard-wired or cordless (e.g. Bluetooth), apart from their mains connection, and the more elaborate ones are controlled by a remote handset or smartphone app. Most have pre-set adjustments on the rear panel, including volume, crossover frequency (the point at which the woofer takes over from the other speakers in the room) and phasing, which governs the relationship of the cone movement to the timing of the input signal: this delay, depending on the woofer’s placement relative to the other speakers in the room, can improve perceived bass response. Some ‘posh’ models have a little LCD panel to indicate the settings. The most common connections for wired subwoofers take the form of RCA phono sockets; in some types an LFE (Low-Frequency Effects) port is provided for Dolby-equipped gear with this special additional bass track. The sound from a subwoofer, because of the longer wavelengths involved, is less directional than that from the other speakers so that its positioning in the room is less critical. Even so, the room’s reflectance and absorption zones can lead to cancellation and/or reinforcement of bass sounds – ‘standing waves’ – so that even small changes in the positioning of the woofer may change the position of partial nulls and peaks in the sound and thus perceived bass level. Good positions, perhaps, are centrally on the floor between the main speakers or in the middle of the back wall of the room. Very often existing furniture and room shape largely dictate subwoofer placement in practice.
MODELS AND PRICES A rough rule of thumb, maybe, is that a subwoofer should cost about as much as the screen it partners. Typical prices of respectable models are 10" 300W £500-£600; 12" 500W £700-£800; 15 to 16" 800W £900 up. These all carry much better profit margins than TVs and the like! In recent reviews recommended products include the Fyne Audio model F3-12 at £600 and REL HT/1205 at £700, both with 12" drivers; and, higher up the scale, SVS model SB-3000 at about £1300. There is a wide range of products above and below these... If you don’t already sell this product line perhaps it may be worthwhile to talk to your new and existing big-screen high-end TV customers about these fulfilling accessories?
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