PRODUCT TRENDS MOviNg
PRODUCT TRENDS MOviNg STEP by STEP SaMSUNg HOME aPPliaNCES PlaN a CONCERTED PUSH iN EUROPE Which European territories are you strongest in at the moment? We are relatively strong in the UK, France, Italy, and more recently we have seen good growth in the Benelux where in the first 5 months of this year we were no. 1 in freestanding refrigeration. Our strategy is that we cannot do everything at once so we aim to be more successful: product by product and country by country. Looking at the trends for the last 5 years, we have made progress every year. The results show that we have been gaining market share every year. Even this year, which is a tough one, we have grown our share for most of our products. future needs in the home appliance market. We have to try to utilise IFA to boost our sales. We invite a lot of our customers to Berlin… it’s a good opportunity to meet with them and discuss their needs. How do you see the market developing over the next couple of years? Do you think it will pick up? This year some Asian markets are already getting better and we are also seeing some signs of recovery in some European markets, so we are very optimistic that 2010 will be a good year. Hall 20 / Stand 101 Jeesung Park Senior Vice-President Samsung Digital Appliance Division For Korean-based appliance companies, the European market has been a particularly hard nut to crack due to the entrenched high-profile local manufacturers. This said, we are seeing Korean giant Samsung push ever harder for market share. We asked Samsung Digital Appliance Division’s Senior Vice-President, Jeesung Park how he saw the market progressing… It’s both the toughest and the largest market in the world so we have to be in there and be competitive. Also, given that Samsung is a late entrant into this market we have adopted a marketing policy of moving step by step. But we are already seeing real success in certain categories such as refrigeration, especially amongst our sideby-side models. Last year we were no. 1 in that premium category with around 35% of the market. In microwave ovens we are no. 2. So we have a competitive edge in some areas and now we are starting to introduce other products such as washing machines, vacuum cleaners and built-in products. In certain European territories we are doing very well and we are confident that we will be successful across all Europe’s markets eventually. Is energy consumption one of the most important areas for Samsung? I think it is the most important. Of course there are other Green issues but energy efficiency is the key one and consequently a lot of our R&D is focussed on that. How important is IFA in terms of promoting new products and engaging with the sales channels? It is hugely important. Such a lot of home appliance customers go there and we get lots of visitors on the stand. Previously our appliance range was limited, but now we have a much wider range and it is the ideal place to showcase and demonstrate that. Alongside that it is a good place to communicate with customers on a more general level and to get their feedback. Plus there are plenty of opportunities for business meetings in order to look after Samsung’s IFA International • Wednesday, 9 th September 2009 www.ifa-international.org 31
