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Brian kirkendall helps catapult the company into drtv with 'extreme demos' and a digital-age customer-acquisition strategy Before late-night infomercials and Internet upsells, back when the Hoover Co. was just a [...]

'Today on our traditional main assembly lines we only bring out small boxes of purchased parts, like screws, nuts and bolts, and small plastic parts [by tugger],' says Bill Condon, [...]

Addressing electromagnetic compatibility late in the design cycle is becoming less and less tenable as product complexity and densities increase while design cycles continue to shrink. The rules of thumb [...]

One could logically surmise that the consumer carb-conscious craze of a few years ago would have taken a bite out of sandwich shop sales. In reality, though, this segment continues [...]

Appliance recycling is one of the more well developed of the recycling segments. White goods, such as refrigerators, washers, dryers, hot water tanks, stoves and air conditioners, are being recycled [...]

GerhardEs Appliances, headquartered at Pennsylvania, runs a high-tech functional kitchen in its showroom called the Living Kitchen, introduced as part of a promotional blitz. Live demonstration of the products is the primary function of the kitchen. The customer-centric strategies of the company are described. The company stays one step ahead of the competition by training its employees, and offering enhanced customer service.

JB: First you, Giampiero. There's always a story behind the man. People in the coffee business think you are a tough guy. Are you? GR: If expecting that everybody should [...]

TWO AND A HALF YEARS AGO, FIVE OF the biggest builders in the country gathered in a focus group to discuss selling options online. "They loved the concept, but didn't […]

Functional? Sure. Stylish? No doubt. Whether for a renovation or new construction, step into the world of kitchen and bath products that go one step beyond...turning luxury into necessity. A [...]

The dawning of a new year always generates great anticipation about how business will fare in the coming months. In the housewares sector, the industry begins asking questions such as: [...]

In this environment of international trade barriers opening up and national companies merging or being swallowed by multinational companies, designing an appliance to sell to a wider target market has [...]

Design is king in today's showrooms. Auto-pilot displays accomplish little, except to leave the impression of boring products and uninspired services. On the other hand, showrooms with imaginative, real--life settings [...]

Gas companies such as Montana-Dakota Utilities have resumed selling gas appliances, such as water heaters, as customers appreciate the services that gas utility companies provide. Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. showcases its wares on the Internet.

The article reports ont he Italian market for consumer electronics. The market has been divided into audio products, video products, and information and telecom products.

A market intelligence report on small food preparation appliances for the kitchen is presented. Issues concerning market drivers, market trends, market segmentation, brand share and consumer preferences are discussed.

The housing market influences the DIY market as well as the retailers of household goods such as furniture, homewares, and electricals.

Byline: Adrianne Pasquarelli THE LAUNDRY INDUSTRY has come a long way since the days of plunging and scrubbing on a washboard. Today, consumers can set their washing machines from afar [...]

Maytag's Neptune washer, one of the most heavily researched projects of Maytag Corp, involved 21 pieces of quantitative research. Maytag dealers and consumers across the country were asked to evaluate Neptune's features, design and pricing. Correspondent's were asked to sign a confidentiality agreement and were informed about the product. Their input helped Neptune's researchers to be aware of expectations on their product., Dealer, consumer input drives Maytag's marketing and sales efforts. Eighteen months before the much-publicized launch of Maytag's Neptune washer (see 'Maytag's Neptune Rises, page 26, May), Maytag dealers representing a [...]

Salton-Maxim Housewares Inc went from $18 mil to $52 mil in sales almost overnight after its purchase of Trillium Health Products, and Juiceman, the major product of Trillium. Leon Dreimann of Salton-Maxim said that it takes at least six to 12 months for an infomercial to make an impact, but that infomercials are now a major business. Running infomercials at break-even numbers has been a key element in the success of Salton-Maxim Housewares., Consumer products company increases earnings 10 times throught infomercials Imagine taking your company from $18 million to $52 million overnight...On the strength of someone else's infomercial! The Salton-Maxim Housewares company [...]

More iron manufactures are introducing new feature-filled irons retailing at low and high prices. This trend is to revitalize the flat iron market. Retailers and vendors claimed that consumers are buying more irons priced at $25 dollars and over. Consumers are looking for higher quality products and will spend more money for them. Some of the features being offered are auto-off, cord and cordless, steam options and ergonomics handles. Iron prices range from $9.99 to more than $300., One might say there's a pressing need to heat up the iron market. According to IMR research, unit sales of the second largest small appliance category slightly declined in 1996, [...]

Appliance makers may be about to reap the payoff from a newproduct revolution that is yielding new features that consumers actually want. With major-appliance makers lately blitzing the market with [...]

Consolidation and specialization in the floor care industry have not stifled competition, which continues to manifest itself in aggressive marketing and product innovations. The vacuum cleaner business grew 4.4% in 1996, to $2.4 billion; including handheld vacuums and extractors, the entire floor care business grew 6% in 1996, to almost $2.9 billion. The rapid emergence of new industry categories should fuel competition in 1997., The field of players may be thinner, but there is still a lot of power in the floor care industry, as the manufacturers that remain continue to propel the business [...]