By Sarah Falson

FRANCE: French appliance manufacturer, Groupe Seb, has released its sales figures for 1 January to 31 December 2006, revealing double digit growth in Australia and steady turnover across Europe and South America. 

The predominantly Europe-centric figures indicate “a year of robust growth, led once again by international sales and supported by an upswing in Europe,” according to Groupe Seb.

A sales report from the company marks a growth of 16 per cent for the regions of Australia, Asia, Central Europe and CIS combined, with these regions contributing over 27 per cent of Groupe Seb’s worldwide sales.

The local Groupe Seb subsidiary, responsible for distributing Tefal, Krups and Moulinex appliances in Australia, reportedly achieved record sales in the month of November, 2006.

According to Groupe SEB Australia managing director, Wivina Chaneliere, sales were up in all the company’s categories, particularly within the hero product categories of Tefal-branded irons, steam generators and Tefal food steamers, along with Krups automatic espresso machines and Jamie Oliver-branded non-electrical cookware.

“The investment in our brands is definitely paying off. We are seeing a growth in all our categories across the board. The improvement in our service levels and management of our pricing is also another reason why retailers support our brands, said Chaneliere.

To support the recent growth, Chaneliere’s company is moving premises at the end of March, from its office in Newington to a brand new facility in Homebush within the Sydney Olympic Precinct.

The new location will feature a brand new showroom which is twice the size of the current model, along with a full kitchen for cooking demonstrations as well as additional space for retailer training.

Groupe Seb will also implement a new SAP information technology system to automate manual processes which will improve further service levels to customers and allow improved interaction with the company’s global network.