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THE K&BZINE ISSUE 32 19th December 2004
OFT
Finally Publishes Advice on Extended Warranties
After
what to many has seemed an unacceptable delay - the referral was first
made to the Office of Fair Trading in July 2002 - the OFT has finally
published its advice to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry
regarding the Competition Commission report on extended warranties for
domestic electrical goods. In summary, the Commission concludes that there
is insufficient competition in the marketplace.
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on this Story]
PWS
Claims Success in Design Rights Case
PWS is jubilant after a successful legal action against Doors and More
Ltd in Northern Ireland who had brought out a copy of the Croft Oak door.
PWS issued proceedings in August 2003 against Doors and More for infringing
PWS design rights in the Croft Oak design and went to court for an immediate
court order to stop sales of the copy. On 21st October 2003, PWS obtained
a court order as part of an overall settlement preventing Doors and More
selling the Croft Oak lookalike and also awarding damages and ordering
the payment of PWS's substantial costs which will be assessed by the court.
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on this Story]
Important
Diary Date Reminder for Senior Furniture Manufacturers
A specialist five-day course designed specifically to help senior professionals
in the furniture production industry improve the running of their operation
is being held only on Sunday 21st March to Thursday 25th March 2004. The
venue is Highgate House International Conference Centre in Creaton, Northamptonshire.
.
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on this Story]
Heroic
Dog Launches Toilet for Disabled on Warship
It's a rare day when a new toilet is officially launched by a canine hero
on an historic warship. But Tony Hewson, sales representative for Ideal
Standard, and Richard Moss, communications manager, Bath and Kitchen Europe,
swear this actually happened not long ago..
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on this Story]
'No
Need to Bleed' Concept at Interbuild
A solution to an engineering conundrum that has been
baffling inventors for almost a century has finally been found by NLB
Engineering. The Bishop Stortford-based company's Aladdin valve solves
the problem of trapped air in central heating systems by bleeding radiators
automatically. After five years in development, it is already causing
a stir in the trade because it also makes central heating systems easier
to install and saves energy.
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on this Story]
Rangemaster
hits TV screens in £Million Property Experiment
Rangemaster hit TV screens last night as the £Million Property Experiment
- dubbed 'the biggest property experiment in television history' - came
to the company’s hometown of Royal Leamington Spa.
And joining Rangemaster’s bicentennial celebrations of manufacture
in the town, the company’s national TV appearance saw a cream Elan
range cooker take pride of place in the renovated townhouse’s basement
kitchen.
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on this Story]
Falcon
Turns up the Gas with Ongoing Brand Investment
After six months of enhanced marketing activity –
and the addition of a number of new product ranges to its portfolio -
Falcon Appliances is establishing itself as a key player in the kitchen
specialist sector. ‘Upping the ante’ on its communications,
retail support and new product strategies, this considerable investment
by parent company Aga Foodservice highlights the company’s commitment
to the brand and its future aspirations.
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on this Story]
Dyson
takes BSH to the Cleaners in Advertising Dispute
Dyson Ltd recently complained to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA)
about a national newspaper's colour supplement advertisement for BSH (Bosch)
washing machines. All four complaints were upheld and the ASA told the
advertisers to make clear in future advertisements that they were comparing
their new machines with their previous best machines.
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on this Story]
Chancellor Signals Hope on VAT
The fudged outcome of last week's ECOFIN (European Council of Finance
Ministers) discussion on VAT has boosted the hopes of those campaigning
for a reduction of VAT on housing renovation and refurbishment work in
the UK. ECOFIN was unable to agree the draft directive which would revise
VAT rates for labour-intensive services, including housing RMI, but EC
Finance Ministers, including Gordon Brown, unanimously agreed to extend
the pilot scheme on reduced VAT rates for such activities for another
two years.
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on this Story]
Imperial
Towel Rails First to Offer Team of Service Engineers
Since being the first towel rail manufacturer to introduce a 5 year guarantee
on all brass towel rails, Imperial has beaten the market again to become
the first to offer a team of service engineers to completely cover the
UK, ensuring maximum support for retail partners and consumers alike.
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on this Story]
German
Consumer Watchdog rates Miele in Endurance tests
Endurance testing has now finally delivered scientific proof that there
is a causal link between quality and price. For 16 months, washing machines
were subjected to an exacting 7/24 endurance test regime at RosTest, the
institute which performs official product tests for Germany's Stiftung
Warentest. .
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on this Story]
Electrolux
Holds 5.0% of own Shares
On December 17, 2003 Electrolux repurchased 400,000 own shares of series-B,
at an average price of SEK 152.59. After this transaction, the Company
holds 16,323,872 own B-shares, corresponding to 5.0% of the share capital
and 3.9% of the voting rights.
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on this Story]
Instarmac
rebrands Adhesive & Grout Range
To make product specification and retail selection less demanding, and
to eliminate the possibility of choosing the wrong material for the job
in hand, Tamworth based manufacturer Instarmac Group plc has decided to
re-name its ULTRA range of adhesives and grouts in order to specifically
designate each material’s primary function. The first of the re-branding
changes has just occurred.
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on this Story]
Government
Unveils £150m National Technology Strategy
A detailed action plan to increase innovation and help British businesses
succeed in an increasingly competitive global market is today published
by Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt.
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on this Story]
THE K&BZINE ISSUE 31 12th December 2003
Ceced
'Chain', the First Standard for Home Automation Systems
A household appliance interoperability platform to build an effective,
user friendly home automation solution, has been announced by Ceced (European
Committee of Manufacturers of Domestic Equipment), the association of
200-plus industrial companies in the appliance sector. The Ceced Convergence
Working Groud of major European home appliance manufacturers is the first
to jointly define, develop and support a common protocol which enables
domestic appliances to fully interoperate in an automated home system..
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on this Story]
Rune
Andersson Declines Re-Election as Chairman of Electrolux Board
Rune Andersson, Chairman of the Board of Electrolux, has announced that
he will resign as Chairman and leave the Board in connection with the
Annual General Meeting in April 2004. Mr. Andersson was elected to the
Electrolux Board at the AGM in 1998, and was appointed chairman.
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on this Story]
Research
Unveils a Demand for Food Waste Disposers in Today’s Kitchen
Independent
research commissioned by In-Sink-Erator has shown that one in six people
claim to want a food waste disposer when buying a new kitchen. This is
clearly at odds with the current 6% market saturation level, indicating
a huge potential for new uptake amongst consumers. The research revealed
that the main reasons why people wanted a food waste disposer in their
new kitchen were associated with the lifestyle benefits of improved hygiene
and convenience. However, those interviewed that didn’t want a food
waste disposer said that it was because they had ‘no need’ for
one.
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on this Story]
Central
London Location for KBSA 2004 AGM
The
Kitchen Bathroom Bedroom Specialists Association has announced that next
years (2004) AGM will be held on Saturday 3rd July at the Commonwealth
Institute, London followed by a gala dinner and entertainment at the 5*
Royal Garden Hotel, Kensington. ‘This will be a very important AGM
for the Association,’ says KBSA Chief Executive Graham Hayden. ‘We
have experienced a period of growth and change during the last twelve
months as we have begun to fully embrace the interiors industry as a whole.
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on this Story]
New
Regional Chairman Hosts KBSA Regional Meeting
The
new Chairman for the London and the South East region of the KBSA, Tony
Nicholas, hosted his first regional meeting at Watford Football club this
month. Tony is Managing Director of award winning kitchen and bathroom
retailer Nicholas Anthony, which has five showrooms. He was voted in as
the new chairman at the last KBSA AGM, which was held in June. The meeting
was one of a series of regular meetings that take place in all six KBSA
regions, usually held in the spring and autumn.
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on this Story]
Cook
the Christmas Dinner in Style with a new Range Cooker
With
the Christmas Season soon upon us it's time to think about the ever important
Christmas cooking. If your oven is looking a little worn out and it's
time to start looking around for something in time for Christmas to produce
that perfect crispy turkey, then why not go for a Range Cooker.
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on this Story]
Liteflam
Glass Flooring for the Home
Renowned
for its expertise in installing bespoke glass flooring and structural
glass block work in the commercial arena, Roger
Wilde Ltd is now pioneering the use of fire rated glass flooring
panels in the private residential market. The company has designed an
easy-to-install version of its patented Liteflam Firefloor system specifically
for use in the domestic market. This new system enables architects and
interior designers to offer homeowners the practicality and cutting edge
style of glass flooring in areas previously prohibited for Building Control
fire safety reasons.
[More
on this Story]
Kitchendraw
V4.5 Released
'The release of KitchenDraw V4.5 now makes it the most powerful Space/Design
Planner in the market.' says the company.
'With over 1000 registered users in 18 months, Kitchendraw has fast proven
itself as a desirable product in the Kitchen Planning market.
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on this Story]
Optiplan
Face Up with Hoffmann
Established
in 1984 Optiplan Kitchens has become one of the UK’s largest kitchen
specialists supplying customers in London, the Home Counties and the South
of England through an established retailer network and also supplying
some of the best home builder names in the industry.
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on this Story]
Whirlpool
Corp. to Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 3% from 1998 Levels; Equivalent
to Emissions from 28 Coal-Fired Power Plants
Whirlpool
Corporation announced on 10th December that it is committed to reducing
its global greenhouse gas emissions by 3 percent from its 1998 emissions
level. Whirlpool expects to achieve this reduction target by 2008 while
also increasing global home appliance production by nearly 40 percent
over the same 10-year period.
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on this Story]
Masco
Corporation Announces New Common Stock Repurchase Programme and Declares
Quarterly Dividend
Masco
Corporation has announced that its Board of Directors has authorised the
purchase of up to 50 million shares of its Common Stock in open market
purchases, privately negotiated transactions or otherwise. This authorisation
replaces the Company's existing programme under which approximately 34
million of the 50 million shares previously authorised had been repurchased.
The Company had approximately 465 million common shares outstanding at
the end of the 2003 third quarter.
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on this Story]
Fisher
& Paykel Annual Report Published: Investment Plans Increased
Fisher & Paykel has published its Annual Report, which shows an outstandlng
net profit after taxation of $73.5m, in it's first full years trading
since listing separately (reported in The K&BZine in July).
Appliance Division Managing Director John Bongard says: 'we are now
anticipating sales growth which will put pressure on production capacity.
As a consequence we have had to change our plans. New expenditure required
to support that growth will see us investing around $42m this year, increasing
the three year spend to $84.5m'.
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on this Story]
THE K&BZINE ISSUE 30 5th December 2003
Russia
and Poland: Two new Plants
Merloni
Elettrodomestici announced in the UK recently a project to open a new
washing machine plant in Russia and a new refrigerator plant in Poland
and to double the capacity of the cooker plant already operating in Lodz,
in Poland. The project will cost a total 100m over three years.
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on this Story]
Electrolux
Sponsors 2004 TRIC Awards
Electrolux
will be the headline sponsor of the star-studded Television and Radio
Industries Club (TRIC) Awards 2004. Due to take place on March 9th at
the Grosvenor House in Park Lane, London, the ceremony, which honours
the nation’s favourite famous faces, will be awash with celebrities
from the world of television and radio.
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on this Story]
ASA
Complaint about 'Baby in Fridge' Upheld
Following
a complaint, a regional press advertisement on behalf of Kitchens by Franklyn
Sheldon of Blackpool, Lancashire was investigated by the Advertising Standards
Authority. The complaint was upheld. A householder objected via a Trading
Standards department, to a regional press advertisement for kitchens.
The advertisement featured a young boy, in a nappy, who was sitting in
the doorway of an open fridge and holding what seemed to be a bread roll;
food was on his nose and around his mouth and strewn about the floor by
his feet...
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on this Story]
The
Plain English Campaign Awards - Smeg gets a Golden Bull
The
Plain English Campaign presents awards for clear - and baffling - use
of English. The 2003 awards took place on Tuesday 2nd December (Plain English
Day). The Golden Bull awards are given for the year's worst examples of
gobbledygook. One of the eight winners for 2003 was SMEG, for the company's
dishwasher instructions
The Plain English Campaign says 'For a top-of-the-range manufacturer of
dishwashers to produce an instruction manual like this is a disgrace.
It has presumably been poorly translated into English from its original
language, and contains such gems as the following...
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on this Story]
Show
Solutions - ASFI 2004
Twenty-seven
companies, some of whom have already booked for ASFI 2004 recently attended
an ASFI Exhibitor Day. The aim was to allow companies the opportunity
of seeing the new concept well in advance of the show. All units are of
the same format and will be provided free of charge, allowing products
to be shown to their maximum potential to visitors during the supplies
show on 10-13 October 2004.
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on this Story]
Chinese
Attitude to Life Changing: Poggenpohl opens Kitchen Studio in Beijing
Poggenpohl
Möbelwerke GmbH, the East-Westphalian kitchen manufacturer, has set
a distinct highlight for its Asia business with the opening of an exclusive
kitchen studio on Beijing’s Oriental Plaza, a boulevard in the Chinese
capital. Poggenpohl has been active on the Chinese market since 1997;
the company’s first showroom in Shanghai opened only a year ago.
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on this Story]
Latest
Trend: Matching Radiators
Bisque
says that the latest trend is for pairs of radiators: it started with
his-and-hers bathrooms and is now becoming popular for every room in the
house. 'We're selling an extra-ordinary number of radiators in pairs',
says Bisque artistic director and Chairman, Paul Draper. 'Amongst professional
designers there's a definite move towards using identical radiators -
either symmetrically or asymmetrically - in a room scheme, however informal
the décor. It adds a sense of harmony.'
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on this Story]
Miele
After-Sales Service in Pole Position in 2003
In
consumers’ opinion, Miele has the best after-sales service of all
domestic appliance manufacturers in Germany. In 2003, Miele service achieved
top spot yet again in the German ‘Kundenmonitor’ (consumer survey),
a position it has held ever since the poll was launched in 1992.
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on this Story]
Are
Spas & Hot Tubs the Biggest Rip Off in British Retail History?
If
you have a view on this, Aegean Spas and Hot Tubs wants to know. Aegean
says it has always committed to an honest policy of offering the best
possible prices all year round, and not deliberately inflating prices
to then offer 'sale' prices.
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on this Story]
Wolseley
Enters the Swiss Market with the Acquisition of Tobler for CHF118m (£52m)
Wolseley
plc, the specialist trade distributor of plumbing,heating and building
material products, announced on 1st December that one of its wholly owned
subsidiaries had acquired Tobler Management Holding AG ('Tobler') from
CapVis, a financial investor. The acquisition of Tobler is in line with
Wolseley's strategy of wider expansion of its operations into new geographies,
and Wolseley now has a presence in 13 countries.
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on this Story]
Whirlpool
Home Appliances Announces Winner of Second Annual Acuubake System Unique
Cake Contest
Sandi
Klingler of Auburn, Alabama turned her everyday life experiences into
$5,000 and a new Whirlpool range when her Big Fat Bumpy Life Cake won
first-place at the second annual Whirlpool® Home Appliances Accubake®
System Unique Cake contest. Mrs. Klingler - with husband Bill and
daughters McLaurine, 11, and Mary Ashton, 8, by her side - edged nine
other finalists that competed for the grand prize last week at Whirlpool
Corporation's new Insperience Studio™ in Atlanta.
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on this Story]
Maytag
Highlights 2004 Growth Strategies at Analysts' Conference
Maytag Corporation has unveiled plans to change its segment reporting
beginning in the first quarter 2004, from two segments to three as the
company aligns its internal reporting to reflect new initiatives and accountabilities
within the company. In addition, the new segment reporting structure should
provide investors with enhanced clarity and consistent financial information.
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on this Story]
Free
Hamper Offer from Intoto
This
year kitchen buyers will be cheered by a free Christmas hamper worth over
£200 when they order from In-toto before Christmas. It may be too
late to have your kitchen fitted in time for the big day, but order now
and enjoy a quality hamper full of seasonal goodies.
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on this Story]