Vacuum Cleaners Discussions

• Despite the recession, global sales for the company increased 23% to 770m GBP
• Operating profits more than doubled from 90m to 190m GBP
• The Dyson Air Multiplier is a top seller in Australia; within 6 weeks, representing 64% of the market for desk fans, by value.
• In the UK and US markets, the updated 'ball' range represents more than half of the Dyson cleaners sold.
• In the UK, the company has a total market share for vacuum cleaners, by value, of 40%.
• Dyson is the market leader for vacuum cleaner sales (by value) in the UK, US, Canada, Australia, France, Belgium, Spain, Switzerland, Ireland and New Zealand.

Looking ahead, the company talks about new product launches scheduled towards the end of 2010 - a fair number of which (my speculation) are likely to continue the trend of offering a completive advantage by using digital motor technology. Ironically, a technology originally developed for use in their full-size vacuums, while all current models continue to use traditional motors.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/dyson-profits-double-thanks-to-rd-investment-1983841.html

http://www.themanufacturer.com/uk/content/10603/Dyson_cleans_up

http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/channel/Entrepreneurship/news/1006022/sales-vacuum-dyson-gadgets-cost-worth-paying/

http://www.eurekamagazine.co.uk/article/25296/Dyson-doubles-operating-profits.aspx - note: this has the statement 'The company has also confirmed plans to launch a robotic version of its bagless vacuum cleaner' - dunno if that's significant, but I haven't seen it reported elsewhere.

Hi Venson:

Agree.  To my way of thinking, dyson/Sir James in good times and bad, can't decide if it should market itself as a niche seller or mainstream seller.  As with vacuums, its mainstay, dyson is and always will be, if its existing brand remains unchanged, a niche market and products company.  Based on the products and prices.  True to its form and content, dyson fans are no different than its vacuums.  [Making SEVERUS' point that consumers associate overprice of its fans with overprice of its vacuums a real risk for advertising].  Dyson fans are very much in the same vein as its vacuums.  Niche sellers.  Period, end of discussion.  From both a product and price perspective.  On this point alone, if there is agreement, all M00seUK's fan points above fall apart.  While they may sound convincing in a Forum post/company sound bite, they are all moot.  Contrarily, your points about dyson, its products, and the current state of consumers' spending, are right on the money.

Carmine D.

I haven't shopped at Macy's in years.  Lots of nice stuff that I can get elsewhere for less. At one point in time it had its own charge card but I don't know if the like is still in existence.  Posessing a Macy's charge card was sometimes an some an excuse not to shop around.  Guess they carried your balance longer than most.

In any event check out -- http://www1.macys.com/search/index.ognc?SearchTarget=*&Keyword=dyson

The prices on Dyson vacuums and acoutrements are way up there but I don't think anyone's complaining 'cause it's Macy's.  However, I did not find the Dyson fan.  The site offers no desk top fan at higher than 90 bucks.

Hammacher-Schlemmer, a great place for those with flights of fancy, does have the bladeless fan along with a variety of other brands and models.  Among them HS lists a $40 model as the best desktop fan.

http://www.hammacher.com/Search/Default.aspx?query=fan

Bed, Bath and Beyond is offering the DDyson fan in two colors --

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/SearchSKU.asp?order_num=-1&&LIMIT=0&COLOR=0&RNT=0&BTSmode=false&BRAND=162&BRND=0&RN=&IPPsearch=72

Though I thought the fan would be a sure-shot for Sharper image and Nieman-Marcus it appears to be in neither's listings.

Venson

Hi Venson:

Interesting findings.  Thank you.

• Macy's carries dyson vacuums BUT not the Air Multiplier.  Raises questions.
• H/S carries Air Multiplier BUT not dyson vacuums. Understandable.
• BB&B carries dyson vacuums and Air Multiplier.  As would be expected.
• Sharper Image and NM both don't carry vacuums and no Air Multiplier.  Understandable for vacuums.  Raises questions for Air Multiplier absence. 

Not sure what the implications and conclusions are other than those already discussed above.  I certainly can see the retailers which carry dyson vacuums also carrying the Air Multipliers too.  Why?  I suspect, regardless of all the posts above, that dyson would encourage its current retailers to accept and sell the Air Multipliers at no risk.  How?  At the end of the summer season, the unsold dyson fans could be returned for dyson credit toward other merchandise like vacuums. 

You're absolutely right.  Sharper Image and Nieman Marcus are ideal retailers for dyson's Air Multiplier.  If I can read the tea leaves on the conspicious absence of dyson's fans at these retailers I'd say both don't think much of the item/pricing and/or both.  Here's where advertising and media blitz campaigns are useful for dyson's Air Multiplier.  If consumers see it and it attracts their interest, as you said, customers of Macy's, H-S, and N-M would probably inquire and possibly the stores would be more likely to carry and sell them.  I suppose the dyson media people would say their target market would see Air Multipliers on YouTube and facebook.  That might be true.  But, realistically the old rich are more likely to be customers of retailers like Macy's and Neiman Marcus and more likely to buy there if at all. 

Carmine D.

It's beginning to happen.  June 10, 2010.

Carmine D.

Hi vacuumanuk,

If its the following, well  . . . http://www.dyson.com/store/fans.asp

There's now a twelve-incher, a "tower" and a pedastal model.  If "Build a better mouse trap and the world will beat a path to your door," is true -- I wish they'd make mouse traps.

Venson

Carmine D.

Hi Carmine,

Haven't got a clue as to how well they're doing but they're around. http://www.conranusa.com/productdetails.aspx?cid=Table&language=en-US&pid=MLFBLUE  (Get out the smelling salts before you look at the price.)

Oh yeah -- and then they wrote . . . http://www.conranusa.com/productlist.aspx?cid=Wall&language=en-US

The hot new thing as far as lighting goes, I think, is LED bulbs.  Some vacuum makers are using them as headlights for uprights and P/Ns  but they are also appearing on the shelf in places like Home Depot.  Though about $25 a pop, they can offer light equal to standard incandescent and flourescent screw-in bulbs but run with even lower electrical draw.  I'm just waiting for a tad of mad money and all of the flourescent curlie-cue bulbs I've been using will be out of here.

Dyson doesn't appear to be either in the energy saving or money-saving vein.

Venson