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CLEAN LIFESTYLE Connectivity Makes Clean Sweep @ IFA 2016 Cleaning, washing and drying become part of the smart home Vacuum cleaners driving growth across Europe Sales of vacuum cleaners are increasing significantly in Western Europe, driven by double-digit increases in the UK, Germany and France. Sales of rechargeable handstick vacuum cleaners maintained the positive trend of the previous year. This product flew off the shelves in Germany and the UK (+90% and +75% respectively) in particular, but also all other major European markets saw a significant sales increase. The evolution of connected appliances will dominate the major domestic appliances agenda for the next few years. While time will tell to what extent households will truly embrace the connected home, research suggests that whilst many people are open to, and even intrigued by developing technology, their expectations of what these appliances should offer is very high. The connected home has quickly gone from a “concept” to reality, and all the technologies required to make it possible are already available. Smart connected appliances will be the norm as the Millennials grow-up and own their own homes. Phones, tablets, apps and such like are all second nature and part of their culture, and like all new things, they eventually become the norm. Today, if manufacturers and retailers ignore the trend towards connected appliances, they risk being overtaken by competitors who have embraced it. Innovation plays a big role in the growth of Connected Appliances, with this sector achieving a market share of up to three percent in Europe (about US billion annually), and more than five percent in Asia (about US billion annually). Smart washing machines are among the rising stars, where “connectivity” is a value feature, adding an average 50% to the price tag compared with conventional appliances. ONLINE SHOPPING: A GLOBAL PHENOMENON AND ESPECIALLY POPULAR IN EUROPE Almost a fifth of MDA market revenue in Europe is generated via online sales, totalling around €8m a year. In the first half of 2016, online sales made up almost 35% of sales in countries like Great Britain and Czech Republic. Online growth rates are almost three times higher than traditional offline sales, with online sales up 12% over the previous year. Online shopping is particularly important for freestanding appliances. A key trend to follow (see chart below) is that of auto dosage, which is set to grow in coming years. WASHING MACHINES WASHDRY Sales Value % Sales of robotic vacuum cleaners grew again on double-digit scales last year, after a short cool down in 2014. Bagged cylinders have been back on a positive track in the past two rolling years (July 2015 – Jun 2016), driven by increasing sales in the UK, the Netherlands, France and Germany. Auto Dos. YES Others 14CWE Jan 15-May15 Jan 16-May16 98 CIS Jan 15-May15 Jan 16-May16 2 4 5 3 96 95 97 20 27 Jan-May 2015 5 18 6 13 19 30 28 CTR EU 5,0 7,0 8,0 9,0 kg Others Jan-May 2016 38 24 www.ifa-international.org IFA International • Saturday 3 th & Sunday 4 th September 2016 33
