Green Page HOW GREEN IS
Green Page HOW GREEN IS YOUR CHANNEL? “Retailers are always looking for persuasive sales arguments, and we believe that this is what we deliver with Econova’s sustainability features,” Olivier Semenoux, Product Manager, Econova Smart LED TV, TP Vision, says. “Therefore we give support to the entire value chain, so that retailers can promote Green features on the shop floor better. It’s our job to explicitly inform them about, for example, the advantages of Ambilight. It not only enhances the user’s TV experience, but also creates net energy savings at home. At only 3 Watts, Ambilight consumes less power than any common room lighting. Retailers should understand this and be able to explain it to their customers. So we regularly organize training sessions and events where we explain and demonstrate the green features of our TVs. It is important that retailers know about features such as the power meter and the 3 in 1 stands so that they can offer correct and convincing sales advice to their customers.” Green Evolution TP Vision’s Green technology spreads through core series In the past couple of years, the Econova TV has made a big impression at IFA thanks to its Ecological credentials, and the techology keeps on evolving. IFA International talks to Olivier Semenoux, Product Manager, Econova Smart LED TV, TP Vision... We have further improved the Econova, and the fact that it won the EISA Green TV award yet again is clear proof of that. Our engineers succeeded in enhancing the energy efficiency even more despite Econova’s larger screen size of 55’’ - compared to its predecessor’s 46’’ - screen. We even were able to enlarge the TV’s feature set by adding 3D and Ambilight without compromising on power consumption. Why is the ‘Econova’ concept not used in all Philips TVs? As a responsible brand, it is our strategy to deploy ecofriendly innovations in as many devices as possible. Many Green elements, such as energy efficient Ambilight and the absence of Hg in the TV, are now included in the core series for the mass market. How does the concept flow on to other models? This year’s EISA Green TV is the first TV featuring Ambilight, but we also use the extremely energy efficient Ambilight LEDs in other models. When we launched Econova 2, it was totally optimized in terms of power efficiency, right down to the number of screws needed to mount the TV casing and reduced cable length. What we learned from this has allowed us to launch more TVs this year with the eco label A+ and even A++ than ever before. Innovations in power consumption, plastics, packaging and supply chain optimization are deployed in the core range as soon as they have proven their industrial suitability at a larger scale. That’s normally just a few months later. Do consumers really care about a product being green? Our market research indicates that more and more consumers care about their carbon footprint. Therefore, sustainability is an important criteria in the TV purchase decision process. That consumers do care about Green matters is clearly indicated by the interest in the EU energy label, which allows consumers to Olivier Semenoux Product Manager, Econova Smart LED TV, TP Vision compare and consider Green parameters more easily when buying a TV. How is this attitude evolving? In Europe, we see a strong demand for sustainablymade and energy efficient TVs, and we expect the interest in reducing the carbon footprint to grow further. In other countries, the market remains more focussed on advanced TV features like 3D or Smart TV. But, all in all, we feel that things are moving in the right direction. How important has the EISA green award been for you in promoting the Econova TV? The EISA Green TV award is very important, and we are very proud that Econova received the EISA Green TV award for the third time in a row this year. It helps a lot that the TV is recognized as being a Green TV. 38
Trade News Steve ager Steve Ager is Group Commercial Director for Dixons Retail. Ager joined the Group in October 2008 from Tesco plc, where he held a number of commercial and buying roles in the UK and globally. At Dixons he works on developing ‘group international relationships’ with Dixons Retail top 20 suppliers. He is part of the group’s executive committee –an international crossfunctional executive team responsible for the implementation of strategy and the day-today management of the Group's business. What is the secret to a successful IFA? Plan your visit. Plan your appointments. If you go there and you haven’t got a plan, it can’t work, because people are very busy. Leave yourself some time at the end to just browse the show because often you see very interesting things from smaller suppliers. For me the show is an opportunity for collecting intelligence about the market and my suppliers, and for my buyers it’s to go and see the products that are developing and to be able to see that all in one place in a very efficient way. Dixons Retail Acquires DAY-to- DAY Control of PIXmania Dixons Retail PLC has agreed to acquire the remaining 22% interest in PIXmania currently indirectly held by the founders of the business, Steve and Jean-Emile Rosenblum for € 10 million euros in cash. Dixons already held a 77% interest in PIXmania. This acquisition will enable the Group to take full day to day control. IFA Kick-Starts the Next Year for Dixons Innovations showcased at IFA excite major buyers [ Interview by Richard Barnes ] IFA is the heartbeat of the year. It comes at a very good time, because it starts the process of thinking about next year’s range. I have been in this job, and consequently going to IFA each year, for the past five years. I generally spend two days at the show. My team spends the whole time here. My time is made up of specific meetings. It’s a great opportunity to meet up with some of the leading lights from world’s top manufacturers and listening to what their plans are for next year and telling them what we are planning. For my ‘guys’, it’s the beginning of the planning for the new ranges for the next year, so they are into much more “IFA is the heartbeat of the year. It comes at a very good time, because it starts the process of thinking about next year’s range.” Steve Ager Group Commercial Director, Dixons Retail The major pan-European retail group Dixons view IFA as the beginning of their business year. Dixons group companies operate 1,200 stores plus online, employing 36,500 staff spanning 26 countries. They are market leaders in the UK & Ireland, Nordics, Greece and the Czech Republic. Steve Ager, Group Commercial Director for Dixons Retail attends IFA to get a grip on new product trends whilst his buying team select hot new products for the forthcoming year. Ager tells us how he makes the most of his time at IFA... detail and also attending some of the conferences and keynotes. They come back from IFA with the first view of what is happening in the future. After each IFA, we always share our views, and start formulating our initial thoughts in terms of the product roadmaps. In that sense, my year actually starts with IFA. The decision by IFA five years ago to include white goods seemed very brave at that time. Has it been useful for Dixons? It has been a big success, because while some other shows are good at showing computing or brown goods, there really isn’t any other place to go on white goods, and that is really useful. Most of my focus at IFA www.ifa-international.org IFA International • Saturday 1 st & Sunday 2 nd September 2012 39
