Innovative vacuums ready to clean up - includes article about vacuum cleaner sales in 1994, 1995

Discount Store News, Feb 19, 1996 by Arthur Goldgaber

NATIONWIDE DSN REPORT -- Consumers no longer have to sweep anything under the rug. not even micro particles, thanks to technological advances in vacuum cleaners. But shoppers may have a tough time choosing the proper vacuum for their needs because the retail shelves are crowded with a myriad of vacuum cleaners of different types and sizes from several manufacturers.

Such variety can cause consumer "mass confusion," said John Denniston, a buyer at Rose's Stores, whose Henderson, N.C.-based, 105-store chain carries 10 skus of uprights, four skus of stick brooms and several skus of hand vacs. The category is one of the strongest in personal electrics, he said. Most national chains such as Sears, Target, Wal-Mart, Venture and Service Merchandise carry a large selection of vacuum cleaners of all types and sizes.

At the Housewares Show last month, retailers were deluged with more new types and sizes of vacuum cleaners and extractors for every conceivable cleaning job. "Vacuum cleaners and small electrics were the strongest part of the show," said Caldor president Marc Balmuth.

Eureka, Hoover, Bissell, Royal, Singer and Black & Decker all introduced new models, and Sharp entered the category in the United States for the first time by rolling out a line of uprights. Most of the new products will be available on store shelves in March or April-in time for spring cleaning.

Most vacuum cleaner manufacturers agree that U.S. market penetration for the larger, all-purpose home vacuum cleaner IS more than 97%, and half of all households own more than one upright vacuum cleaner. That's why manufacturers are creating products for niche markets with growth potential, such as extractors, hand vacs, stick vacuums and small steam cleaners for specialized cleanups.

Another trend is to offer products with high-tech filtration and other improvements to entice consumers to upgrade older machines.

For example, Hoover introduced three upright Steam Vac Deluxe models ranging in retail price from $269.95 to $289.95 and featuring a five-brush agitator system for deep-down soil extraction.

Hoover entered the steamer category in 1994 and is confident that there is great upside potential. "There is only 10% market penetration for extractors," said vice president of sales Jerry Lauer.

Industry leader Eureka, Bloomington, Ill., has introduced 20 new models that also followed these trends. The products include Eureka's first extractors--three models of its new Dream Machine. The company also plans to add a new filtration system called HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) on four of its Excalibur models.

Eureka claims that HEPA filters were first introduced for the medical, nuclear and electrical industries and capture over 99% of particles down to .5 microns in size. Other models have Eureka's Filteraire bag that offers multi-layer filtration and traps dust and pollen. Eureka I promotes the environmentally friendly air filtration features by contributing a percentage of sales of its World Vac to the U.S. National Park Foundation.

Filling yet another niche, Royal Appliance has unveiled a cordless, rechargeable Dirt Devil Broom Vac that weighs less than 3.5 lbs. It's stored in its own recharging base and retails for $49.95. The Broom Vac can be purchased now through a nationally televised two-minute infomercial, but it will be available on store shelves in early spring.

Eureka introduced a new corded Superbroom Stick 167A with a revolving brush roll at the Housewares Show. Other new Eureka models include the cordless Boss Lite 93A and four corded models.