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9
COVER STORY FURNITURE & ACCESSORIES EUROPE
Spain and Italy were slow. India is doing well and help to win back turnover from other segments.”
turning into one of the key markets, making his
company to invest heavily in India, both service and Hettich is in the process of launching its strategies for
brand building sector. marketing the new ArciTech drawer system and has
invested over € 80 million for this. The company has
Market in the current year, Hüther believes, might expanded its development department on a
suffer for the uncertainties in the financial markets significant scale and also installed an innovation
and around the Euro. However, the situation might management activity. “As part of a network of key
take a turn on a positive note if the consumers invest players from other industries, we are developing
their money in material assets including high-quality, solutions that may sound like pipedreams today but,
modern kitchen. in just a few years from now, are set to become
reality,” says Steib.
Steib too says that the indicators now point towards a
downward slant for the sector with the speculations The further development of the sector will introduce
of economy slumping further perhaps heading new materials and substances into the kitchen. “The
towards recession. But the indicators in the industry issues of ergonomics, sustainability and energysuggest
a positive way ahead. “Planning permissions efficiency will continue to gain in importance.
in Germany are up by some 20 per cent. The financial Operating state-of-the-art appliances will become
crisis has also made material assets more attractive. easier and more intuitional. Kitchen dealerships, the
This mainly goes for bricks and mortar followed by kitchen planner and the installer will play an
furniture. So, all told, a very mixed picture. We are important part in appropriately planning kitchen and
assuming that the market will continue to develop safely transporting the products to end consumer,”
more or less as it has done up to now. Aside from this, explicates Hüther.
though, innovations will make the mood so
buoyant.”
The Road Ahead
Development in marketing strategy
is what Steib looks forward to. He
points out, “Most kitchen sales are
still based on rational decisions, it's
emotions that sell fashion, cars or
even multimedia technology. Saleswise,
this is where the kitchen
industry is losing out, both in terms
of the value a kitchen represents as
well as the frequency it's renewed in.
This is where a different approach to
marketing and multimedia or other
emotional features in the kitchen can
Furniture & Accessories Europe 2012
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