By Claire Reilly
Breville has today announced it is set to expand its business into the United Kingdom, with a new brand name and a core range of 17 “flagship products” set to be released in the UK market in the first half of 2013.
The announcement follows a busy couple of months for the Australian company, with Breville announcing a new partnership with Nespresso in January that will see it expand into the capsule coffee category.
At the beginning of the month, Breville also announced that it had signed on British chef Heston Blumenthal as a global brand ambassador. Today, Breville CEO Jack Lord confirmed that Blumenthal would also officially endorse the new brand, which is set to be completely renamed for the UK market.
“For historical reasons we cannot use the Breville name in the UK so we will be launching with a new identity,” said Lord. “The new UK brand for Breville will be officially announced closer to launch and will be endorsed by Heston Blumenthal.
“A total of 17 of our flagship products will be released in the first half of 2013, aiming to replicate the success we have already seen in the US where our positioning is very strong and is supported by premium retailers,” he added.
“Australia has a strong culinary and cultural link with the UK and Heston can genuinely speak to that shared experience. He will be a valuable ambassador for us, particularly in this new and exciting market.”
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Lord also said that this “significant expansion” of the business would bring benefits to the local side of the business.
“As a company, Breville is committed to product development,” he said. “The more markets we can sell our products in the more we can reinvest in developing world class products, thereby supporting our Australian and New Zealand customers to grow the value of their businesses.”
Playing in the international market has hitherto proven successful for the Breville Group, with the company’s most recent annual report showing a 17.6 per cent increase in revenues for its international division, year on year. Strong results have largely been driven by success in the North American market, where FY2012 revenues were up 22.4 per cent year on year, and earnings were up 76.1 per cent.
Breville’s global reach has also seen the company leverage overseas successes for the local market. One example is the YouBrew automatic drip coffee machine, which was designed in Australia for the US market, but has since picked up an Australian International Design Award and been included in the rollout of the brand’s Mother's Day line-up.
While Breville is staying silent on the 17 products that will comprise its range for the UK, brand ambassador Heston Blumenthal has previously said his favourite product is the Breville Tea Maker (BTM800, RRP $299), which certainly makes sense for the British market.