BUYERS' GUIDE CLEAN
BUYERS' GUIDE CLEAN LIFESTYLE VACUUM CLEANERS MARKET The topic of convenience is becoming increasingly important for SDA success globally. In the area of floor cleaning, cordless handstick vacuum cleaners continued their success story. Even the considerable sales growth of recent years has been exceeded and the sales volume is now over €1.8 billion (+51%). Taking Germany as an example, an additional €51 million for a total revenue of €143m for cordless handstick vacuum cleaners has been realised with such devices. Sales of robot vacuum cleaners climbed considerably (+28%), as well as emerging convenience segments like wet and dry vacuum cleaners (+17%) – adding convenience by making additional wet wiping redundant. CONTACT Norbert Herzog Global Strategic Insights Major Domestic Appliances Norbert.Herzog@gfk.com STATE OF PLAY Consumers clean differently to how they did before. At one time, people would have put aside a day for cleaning. But as lifestyles and consumer interests have changed, people don’t want to spend their precious free time cleaning and are looking for solutions that make vacuuming easier and faster. In floorcare, sales of cordless, handheld vacuum cleaners are booming, driven by the need for speed and convenience. Consumers’ time is precious and INNOVATIONS TO LOOK FOR AT IFA THE RISE OF CORDLESS PRODUCTS Cordless stick vacuum cleaners were definitely the success story of 2017. Consumers are now aware of the simplicity and effectiveness of these products, due in part to the education done by retailers and manufacturers. Peer reviews and retailer recommendations have also played a big part in this shift and mean that people are willing to move away from previous favourites like corded upright models. Where previously the floorcare market was very much split between upright and cylinder vacuum cleaners, almost half is now made of up cordless products. Cordless vacuum cleaners tend to be lighter, which is a plus point with consumers who don’t want to carry a heavy appliance round the house. INNOVATING @ IFA THE RISE OF THE ROBOTS Another area of the vacuum cleaner market that is growing, albeit from a much lower base, is robotic cleaners. While countries including Germany and Spain are making great inroads, a number of countries are lagging behind. Robotic cleaners are still within a niche sector for the foreseeable future, however, with the rise in smart, connected appliances, their appeal may increase in the coming years. Manufacturers highlight that if a robot vacuum cleaner saves users 30 minutes floor cleaning per day, by the end of the year it will have saved them 7.6 days. manufacturers are committed to ensuring they can keep their homes clean without having to set aside a large chunk of time to undertake the task and miss spending quality time with their friends or loved ones. BAG OR BAGLESS? Bagless cleaners trap all the dust and dirt inside a canister, which you then have to empty into a bin. There is obviously a huge saving to be made by not having to buy replacement bags. Some people swear by bagless cleaners because it saves the hassle and expense of buying bags. But many find cleaning out the dust canister in a bagless model too much bother. For cleaning a large home, consumers need to bear in mind that bagless vacs can have a smaller dust capacity than bagged models. An average upright bagged vacuum holding around 4.2 litres of dust, and a similar bagless model holding an average of 2.6 litres). THE FUTURE The vacuum cleaner category is in a good place. Manufacturers have made leaps and bounds in cordless technology and it’s expected that 2018 will be the year of advances in both performance and run time. With many manufacturers already offering cordless products, as well as technology across the sector developing, there will be more and more options entering the market to overcome the big issue of time constraints – at the end of the day, a consumer with a stick vacuum cleaner still needs to invest time and effort. HOOVER H-FREE: 2-IN-1 CORDLESS CLEANING H-Free is a new lightweight, cordless 2-in-1 vacuum cleaner with removable handheld from Hoover. Use as a handheld for cleaning inside the car or for upholstery, or vacuum floors throughout the home with the pole and wide nozzle attachment. Bright LED lights have been fitted into the floor nozzle to illuminate areas where it might be difficult to see, such as under furniture or dark corners. The 18v lithium battery offers up to 25 minutes of cleaning time. » HALL 9 / STAND 109 GORENJE EXPANDS G-FORCE RANGE Gorenje has launched the latest addition to its expanding range of vacuum cleaners, Gorenje G·Force, which are known for powerful, super silent and energy efficient (AAAA) performance. The bagless vacuum cleaner, G·Force Air Pro, boasts CylonicPower, an air technology that uses cyclonic movement for optimal dust pick up. The dust container holds 3.3 litres of dirt. The cleaner can be easily emptied. » HALL 1.1 / STAND 201 www.ifa-international.org IFA International • Tuesday 4 th September 2018 25
