Once again it is time for one of the UK Whitegoods twice yearly meetings to take place in it’s traditional slot of the the last weekend in September. This time around we will, again as usual, have some interesting discussion and comment as well as some very interesting guests attending the meetin…
Category: Domestic Appliance News
Domestic Appliance News
All the latest general news from the domestic appliance industry that we find all over the world, and stories that are of interest to the trade and public, often with our own unique non-politically correct spin on it.
We cover almost anything interesting to do with appliances or that affects the industry, including new product releases, scandals, recalls, mergers, takeovers and all the other juicy appliance news from around the world.
If you have a story to share, please let us know or contact us on admin@ukwhitegoods.co.uk or contact Kenneth here
New Indesit Plants In Poland
At the beginning of October the Indesit Company, an Italian producer of home appliances, will launch dishwasher and washing machine factories in Radomsko. At the moment, the company has two facilities in Poland, at which ovens and refrigerators are produced. The total amount invested in Poland by…
Fridge Conman Jailed & Forced To Pay Back Cash
A man branded as Northhamptonshire’s worst ever conman after ripping off hundreds of people has been forced to hand over £66,000 to the authorities. Kenneth Hornsby was sentenced to three years in prison in 2003 after an investigation revealed refrigeration repairs he had carried out in Nor…
MFI Could Fall Into Administration Unless New Backer Found
The Sunday Times has reported that MFI could fall into administration within weeks unless a buyer for the ailing furniture chain can be found. Its owner, Merchant Equity Partners (MEP), are said to have appointed Argyll Partners to urgently find new investors to inject fresh equity into the firm.
Electrolux Design Lab 2008 Finalists
Electrolux’s Design Lab 2008 finalists have been announced and, as the promotional video (click the read more to view it) shows it has some very different ideas about appliances as usual. This year’s nine Design Lab finalists inventing and designing a variety of ambitious devices that might make …
Whirlpool Announces Further ”Manufacturing Workforce Adjustments”
Whirlpool have announced today that they are to layoff workers at its Fort Smith, Arkansas manufacturing facility. According to Whirlpool it would lay off approximately 700 employees at its Fort Smith facility. The layoffs are expected to begin in November 2008, and there is currently no timetabl…
Mitsubishi To Quit Washing Machine Business
Although Mitsubishi Electric Corporation doesn’t sell large appliances in the UK it is interesting that it plans to terminate its washing machine business, which started in 1956. Production will be terminated in October 2008, with marketing slated for termination as soon as it runs out of invento…
AIG In Financial Trouble!
The BBC and others have reported this morning that shares in American International Group (AIG), the world’s largest insurance firm have fallen 18% to $23.84, their biggest fall in more than two decades. It had reported another quarterly loss as profits were wiped out by writedowns on mortgage-re…
MFI – Mergers & Rows
There seems to be a lot of news but not a lot of substance over what’s going on at MFI. So far there’s rumours of a merger with Homeform, a British rival, which owns brands Moben, Kitchens Direct, Sharps and Dolphin. As time wears on this seems to be more and more widely reported giving more weig…
Kesa (Comet) Issues Warning As Sales Drop
Kesa Electricals, owner of the Comet chain, has warned that falling sales will lead to a loss in the first half. Like-for-like sales at its Comet stores sank 9.9% in the three months to the end of July, against a 0.4% rise in the first quarter