By Patrick Avenell

Juicers and dental care products are the heroes of the small appliance categories while cooling appliances are in steep decline, according to the latest TEMAX report by GfK.

During the first quarter of 2012, strong value growth in the small appliance categories was limited to juicers and electric toothbrushes, which both started off low bases, and to the more mature food preparation and hot beverage categories.

In seasonal products, however, a uniquely cold summer in Sydney contributed to poor sales in fans and portable cooling appliances, with the decline exacerbated when compared to the previous summer, which included an unbearable heatwave.

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“The impact of climatic conditions on seasonal products within the small domestic appliance sector was evident in Q1 2012,” said GfK account director Chris Peczalski. “The combination of a much cooler summer in New South Wales this year and heatwave conditions during the summer of 2011, drove significant value declines in the electric fans segment. This, in turn, pushed an overall, year-on-year, decline for the SDA sector of 1.3 per cent for the quarter.

“In spite of the overall decline, there were some strong performances in lower value segments, namely juicers and dental care. Both of these segments experienced high, double-digit, value growth for the quarter, helping to offset the overall value decline of the sector.

“Also helping were the food preparation and hot beverage maker segments, experiencing value growth of 14 per  and 7 per cent respectively, although, with an average price decline of 7 per cent, the rate of value growth of hot beverage makers has eased compared to Q1 2011.”