Spectrum Brands is showcasing its premium kitchen appliances at IFA 2022
Senior vice president Tim Wright shares his thoughts on the latest trends shaping the market from cooking to personal grooming
The general manager and international VP of Home & Personal Care reveals all on what attendees can expect at the Remington and Russell Hobbs showcases at this year’s show.
What are the core trends shaping the personal care and small domestic appliances market today?
The past few years have brought a number of changes in core trends and consumer preferences, both in the small domestic appliances and the personal care market. Consumers are clearly looking for versatility and multiple functions when it comes to appliances, for example having just one cooker on the kitchen counter which can air-fry, roast and bake.
What are the most important features consumers are looking for when it comes to purchasing domestic appliances and personal care products?
Interestingly, we see a very different trend in personal care as consumers are looking for specialist tools to create their own individual style. Personal grooming in general is becoming more and more important and consumers like to frequently change their look so that it underlines their personal identity. Having distinct tools such as those for the barber type look is therefore key.
These ever-changing consumer trends also impact the supply chain and our teams have worked incredibly hard to manage inventory to align with these developments. For instance, our hair-clippers were the most sought-after item in the personal care category while barber shops were closed during the pandemic. In parallel, consumers did not buy many irons. Now that life has gone back to a fairly normal level, we see irons as the fastest growing category in garment care. To manage inventory and meet consumer demands, we are working very closely with our manufacturing partners and I am proud of our teams who continue to demonstrate great agility to move quickly as trends evolve.
What innovative products are you presenting at IFA this year?
It goes without saying that consumer trends are reflected in our product innovations at IFA 2022. In appliances, we focus on the Russell Hobbs Attentiv Coffee Bar/Series with its barista-style capabilities including frothy cappuccino-style and even cold brews. Our Russell Hobbs SatisFry Air Fryers Series includes the SatisFry Air & Grill Multi Cooker model with multiple cooking functions such as slow-cook, roasting and baking. The new Russell Hobbs Breakfast Distinctions Series impresses with great functionality, including the espresso machine that instantly switches between brew and steam.
With our Remington brand, we are proud to present our new PROluxe You Series. Thanks to its new Intelligent StyleAdapt Technology that considers each individual’s styling technique and unique hair type according to thickness, length etc, the products allow for a very personalised experience. In the upcoming months, we’ll complete the series by launching a hot brush and hot air styler. Men will experience the ultimate clean shave with the new Limitless Series. With a 360° PivotBall and individual flexing blades, it moves in any direction to comfortably capture every hair by adapting to your unique face shape.
How important are events like IFA going forward and why?
After the two-year break, our team is really excited to be at IFA again. Such fairs always offer great opportunities to see customers and industry partners from around the world and share views and opinions as we look to support them to develop and grow. Of course, we also love presenting our latest product developments live to a broad audience.
