ALDI WANTS TO COMPETE WITH LE CREUSET The German discount giant has decided to offer its customers products similar to those of Le Creuset, but at a much lower price. The press in Germany and the United Kingdom have given wide coverage to this news. IN SAUDI ARABIA, KITCHEN STORESAREAFFECTED BY «SAUDIZATION» Launched in 2017, the «Saudiization» of the labour market in Saudi Arabia makes the hiring of foreign workers more expensive and establishes quotas in certain sectors. Currently, the government of this country has its eyes set on four distribution sectors: car dealerships, men’s and children’s clothing stores, furniture establishments and, curiously, kitchenware stores. NICHOLAS HODLER, APPOINTED CEO OF THE ARC GROUP In August, Arc announced the appointment of Nicholas Hodler as CEO of the Arc Group, replacing Tim Gollin, who had held the position since 2015. Hodler had been the group’s chief operating officer since 2017 and had previously been Arc’s general manager for the Middle East, Africa and India (between 2015 and 2017). He holds an MBA from the Colombia Business School, a B.A. from Harvard and dual Swiss-American nationality. GROUPE SEB AND HAMILTON BEACH BRANDS SOLVE THEIR PATENT PROBLEMS They have jointly announced that they have amicably resolved disputes relating to alleged patent infringements affecting their theless, the sector has managed to deseasonalise demand, thanks to a boom in wine culture that has become firmly established in society, resulting in a year-round demand. THE LATEST BAKING UTENSILS AND MOULDS The moulds and accessories for making desserts at home are still very much in the news, although the creative baking fever has abated a bit compared to the boom experienced exactly a decade ago. The offer has matured at the same time as the number of new products has decreased, the result of a consolidation that has left the leading brands in the market in a good position, supported by know-how and proven quality. INTERVIEW Guillermo García, general manager of Electrodomésticos JATA: «We have all the ingredients to look to the future with optimism». Jata celebrates its 75th anniversary at a very special time. «We have a good market position, brand recognition, new facilities and the right people,» says its general manager. HOUSEHOLD GOOD WORLDWIDE steam irons. The global agreement, which has been reached promptly, stipulates that all actions between the parties in the United States and China will be dropped. Due to the confidentiality of the terms, the companies have provided no further information about the agreement. INCREASED U.S. TARIFFS WILL HAVE A BIG IMPACT ON THE HOUSEWARE INDUSTRY This is the belief of the IHA, the International Houseware Association, which states in a press release that the proposed tariff rate, which rises from 10 to 25%, will affect the industry very significantly. The list includes more than 6,000 tariff sub-items, affecting 200 billion dollars in goods imported from China. ITALIAN CROCKERY PRODUCTION UP 7.5% According to Confindustria Ceramica data for 2017, the ten Italian manufacturers that form part of this employers’ association devoted to the manufacture of porcelain crockery produced 12,800 tonnes, an increase of 7.5% over 2016. These ten companies employ 705 people and their sales in the Italian market account for 77% of the total. 65 - menaje
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