BMA CEO says water-saving protects Next Gen

BMA CEO, Yvonne Orgill

In a speech at the National Home Improvement Council Parliamentary lunch, CEO of the Bathroom Manufacturers Association (BMA), Yvonne Orgill said water-saving protects future generations and called for Government to take action. Speaking in front of 70 NHIC members and Caroline Spelman, Secretary of State for Defra, Orgill commented: “It’s not about us, this summer or next. It’s about making sure there is enough water for our children. Our grandchildren. Their grandchildren. When we’re wondering ‘why should we bother?’ – future generations are why we should bother.”

The BMA created its Water Label as a way to show consumers bathroom products which use less water and it is now featured on 2,000 items and its being adopted across Europe. But Orgill pointed out products are only one part of the equation, the second is how people choose to use or waste water in the home.

She called for Government to take the lead, stating: “It needs to be simple, clear information on the easy things people can do to save water in their daily lives. So far we haven’t had this from Government and it is essential they begin to address this.”

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Mobalpa opens UK flagship store

French kitchen furniture manufacturer Mobalpa is set to celebrate the opening of its flagship store in Warrington, on June 23-24.

The 3,300sq ft showroom forms part of an expansion programme and will provide a blueprint for a series of UK concept stores. These will be either retail partnerships or Mobalpa-owned and will join its network of 500 showrooms across 38 countries worldwide, serving more than one million customers.

To celebrate the launch of its flagship store, Mobalpa has organised a number of events to run across the weekend. These include the head chef from Le Bistrot Pierre to host a French cookery demonstration on June 23, followed by a culinary presentation from a Neff appliances chef on June 24.

In addition, visitors will be able to enter a free draw, with the top prize being a weekend for two in Paris on a Bateaux Mouche excursion, as well as a day at the Alain Ducasse cooking school.

In addition, Mobalpa will also be offering free installation on any kitchen purchased from its Warrington showroom from June 23-July 21, 2012.

Mobalpa operates from three production facilities in France, employs more than 1,000 people, and manufactures over 50,000 kitchens each year.

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General manager of Mobalpa UK, Cyril Raberin said: “We know there is a healthy demand for our kitchen concepts in the UK through our success with some of our independent retailers.”

He added: “Following this store, there will be several more over the next couple of years all over the UK helping Mobalpa to become even more visible and further grow our position within one of the main European kitchen markets.”

Doca opens London showroom

Spanish kitchen, bedroom and bathroom furniture manufacturer Doca is opening a trade centre in London in July. Designed for use by architects, interior designers, developers and kitchen and dealers, the 1,500sq ft premises will be designed to mirror its HQ showroom in Barcelona. The company will be based off the Portobello Road, in West London. Director of Doca UK, Steve Holgate explains why he chose to site the business away from the popular kitchen area of Wigmore Street: "We don't want to sell retail".

The company currently has 20 showrooms across London and the Home Counties and is now looking to double the number of retailers, across the country.

Doca furniture spans mid-to-luxury prices, spanning a wide range of colours, veneers and lacquers - all of which is made to order. The London showroom will feature three kitchens, two of which will be working displays. In addition it will showcase two wardrobe systems, boast a bathroom area and workshop.

Steve Holgate comments: “The new London showroom is a major investment in providing UK specifiers and end-users with a place where they can engage with Doca in an appropriately high quality environment.”

He added: “They will be able to see close up, not only the distinctive styles and high level of design that goes into every piece of Doca furniture but also the precision engineering and commitment to product quality that is devoted to bringing that design to fruition.”

An in-depth interview about Doca's presence in the UK will feature in the combined July/August issue of Kitchens & Bathrooms News. For more news, views and product trends, subscribe for a regular issue.

Divine Inspiration at The Cube by Electrolux

The Cube by Electrolux overlooks the River Thames

If you’re in need of divine Inspiration, look up, and you’re guaranteed to find it there! Well, you are in central London and until September 30, anyway. The Cube by Electrolux has just arrived from Milan, transported via 11 lorries, and featuring its latest range of Inspiration appliances.

This 140sqm, 67 tonne pop-up ‘chefs table’ (with emphasis on the word ‘up’ ), is perched on top of the Royal Festival Hall on London’s Southbank. Around 5,000 diners are expected to be eating lunch and dinners, over the next four months, served by one of a six-strong team of Michelin-starred chefs. The chef team includes Sat Bains from Restaurant Sat Bains in Nottinghamshire; Claude Bossi from Hibiscus in Mayfair; Daniel Clifford from Midsummer House in Cambridge; Tom Kitchen from The Kitchen in Edinburgh and Jonray and Peter Sanchez-Iglesias from Casamia in Bristol.

These renowned chefs will not only be at the pass but also mingling with the booked guests - (paying between £175 and £215 for a set course including wine) to give hints and tips on cooking and how to achieve the results using Electrolux appliances. Head of marketing for Electrolux, Graham Bremer says: “We are releasing seat tickets in stages and already we are fully booked for the next five weeks."

The Cube forms a stage for Electrolux, which is repositioning its brand at a higher level, and leveraging its credibility using its 90-year history in professional environments. One in three hotel chains use Electrolux appliances for their kitchens or laundries and over half of Europe’s Michelin-starred restaurants use Electrolux equipment. Managing director, Ian Banes said at the launch of Inspiration: “10% of our global sales are professional and this division drives the technology for domestic design”. And Sophie Davidson, head of product, also commented at the event: “We have taken a lot of learning from professional ranges and injected them into domestic appliances.” It means the Inspiration range sees the introduction of a CombiSteam oven with temperature probe, InfinitePure induction hob with rotary sliders and fridge freezers with a single compressor to run dual cooling systems. And Electrolux is already planning to further augment its Inspiration range in September. It plans to launch the Inspiro oven with automatic volume sensing and self-adjusting cooking, gas hobs with vertical flame burners, laundry and dishwashers.

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KBSA supports Independent Retailer Month

The Kitchen Bathroom Bedroom Specialists Association, KBSA is supporting Independent Retailer Month which runs throughout July. The campaign was launched in the UK last year, and aims to highlight the benefits of using independent retailers, acknowledge their role in the local community, local economy and retail sector.
Retailer members of the KBSA will benefit from the national publicity and have access to a range of material to promote the campaign in their own showrooms. It includes logos, posters, how-to guides, tips and advice from the Independent Retailer Month website.

Sales and marketing director of the KBSA, Ruth Ward said: “We are delighted to be supporting this important initiative. There has never been a better time to highlight the benefits of buying from an independent specialist retailer, such as a KBSA member.

“We will be encouraging our members to actively participate and utilise all the support on offer, which is readily available. The campaign will also be supported on the usual social media channels ensuring that is has the widest possible reach.”

Independent Retailer Month is championed by Clare Raynor and supported by organisations, including the Federation of Small Businesses and the British Independent Retailers Association.

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CEO of BSH UK believes industry “self-guidance” best for appliance safety

CEO of BSH Home Appliances UK, Michael Steinle has stated it is the industry’s responsibility to ensure appliance safety, not government. His comment comes after a Which? investigation into appliances that have caught fire and its call for government to collect and analyse fire data and alert manufacturers.

Although he wouldn’t be drawn on the Which? report or to the specific issue of faulty appliances causing fires, Steinle stated on the topic of appliance safety: “I think the appliance industry has a responsibility and I took that onto the place of AMDEA [Association of Manufacturers of Domestic Electrical Appliances]. We discussed it and it is an industry goal and objective. It means open communication and taking up our responsibility to the consumer. That’s what we hope to achieve and what I want to achieve – all the white goods manufacturers following a guideline because that is what you have to do. [Issues regarding safety] influences [all appliances] negatively, [whether] it’s brand A, B, C [or] D.”

He continued: “It was clearly targeted from me into AMDEA that we have to have a common objective and we have to follow it. So it’s self-guidance. If you forward the responsibility to an external body, Government or whoever it is, does it work? We think we follow our responsibilities. We did follow it and we have a very good example [of doing that] over the last year. We went through the process and we took up our responsibility.”

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Kitchens & Bathrooms News conquers Three Peaks Challenge, raising £5,000 for charity

Kitchens & Bathrooms News’ assistant editor Britta O’Boyle and advertisement manager Tom Lee completed the Three Peaks Challenge, helping raise over £5,000 for the Coins Foundation.

The charity supports construction projects addressing poverty issues across the world, in a sustainable way, from rebuilding homes following the Haiti earthquake to funding building projects in Nyumbani for AIDS orphans.

Britta O’Boyle and Tom Lee formed part of an eight-strong team from Hamerville Magazines, the publisher of Kitchen & Bathrooms News, who completed the challenge within 24-hours.

The walkers faced tough conditions, from the icy temperature of -17˚C on Ben Nevis to 80mph winds on Snowdon but still managed a sprint finish.

Thank you to all the sponsors, including Aqualux, Facta, JM Marketing and Roca.

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