LONDON, 2015-7-17 — /EPR Retail News/ — Kingfisher, the international home improvement company, has been given the seal of approval by the design industry after receiving several awards for innovative product design. In France, the jury of the ‘Observeur du Design’ 2016 Awards gave a winner’s ‘label’ to four of Kingfisher’s products, including a MacAllister lawnmower with sliding handles and a cordless hammer drill. In a separate competition in Germany, Kingfisher scooped the coveted ‘Winner of the Red Dot Product Design Award’ for 2015 for its Verve range of garden cutting tools.
Commenting on the awards, Arja Taaveniku, Kingfisher’s Chief Offer and Supply Chain Officer, said: “We are delighted to have been recognised internationally for our product design and I congratulate our Kingfisher sourcing and offer teams for their work with these ranges. Developing a unique, leading and effective offer is central to our plans to create a single, unified company where customer needs come first. This is an exciting time for Kingfisher and we are working hard on the next phase of product development, including a unique garden and bathroom offer that will be sold across Europe.”
The winning products were as follows:
‘Observeur du Design’ label 2016
MacAllister sliding handle lawnmower – light and easy to manoeuvre, the retractable sliding handle and foldable grass collector make it easier to store. Available in Castorma France and Poland, B&Q UK, Brico Depot Spain, Koçtaş Turkey
MacAllister cordless hammer drill – Easy to manipulate. Incorporates three LED lights to give better visibility. 3 in 1 function: Screwdriver, Drill and Pneumatic hammer. Visible Rotation enables the user to see whether the drill is screwing or unscrewing. Available in Castorama France
Sealmate – sealant applicator. Easy grip and comfortable to use. The silicone container gives the user better control of the mortar flow and the nozzle provides better precision during application (reducing wastage). Available in Castorama Poland, Castorama France (from July 2015)
The Door Chime DC7 – With a 100 m operating range, this wire free doorbell alerts you when someone is at the door even if you are in the garden thanks to its rechargeable portable unit. Charger function (smartphones, tablets etc.), four sounds, a flash light (silent signal) and vibration signal. Available in B&Q UK and Castorama France
These four products will be exhibited at the Cité des Sciences in Paris for a year from December 2015.
‘Red Dot Product Design Award’ 2015
Verve range of cutting tools for gardens
Verve cutting tools. These garden loppers use fiberglass technology and have an integrated multi-level gearing system to improve the cutting ability of the carbon steel blades. Ergonomic handles and the non-skid material increases safety. Available at B&Q UK and Castorama France
On the Verve winning entry the Red Dot international jury commented: “These cutting tools establish themselves as a functionally sophisticated product solution. The high-grade materials ensure efficient and comfortable work in the garden.’”
For more details contact:
Isabelle Thomas
0207 644 1286
About Kingfisher
Kingfisher plc is a leading European home improvement retailer which operates over 1,100 stores in 10 countries in Europe. Its main retail brands are B&Q, Castorama, Brico Dépôt and Screwfix. Kingfisher also operates the Koçtaş brand, a 50% joint venture in Turkey with the Koç Group
For more information about Kingfisher plc and our own brand portfolio go to www.kingfisher.com.
About the Observeur du Design
Supported by the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (ICSID) and by the French Ministry of Economy, Industry and Digital, the awards celebrate good design practices, raise awareness of design as a key differentiator and as a source of alternatives for the future. The Observeur du Design accredits products, services or spaces, that are innovative, ambitious and prospective and celebrate good design practices. http://www.apci.asso.fr/observeur
About the Red Dot Awards
The Red Dot Design Award is an international product design, communication design and design concept prize awarded by the Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen in Essen, Germany. The Red Dot is an internationally recognised quality seal and not only the largest and most recognised product competition in the world, but also the most international. The competition is open to several fields of manufacturing, including but not limited to furniture, home appliances, machines, cars and tools. The winning products are presented in the Red Dot design museum in Essen. http://en.red-dot.org/