The refrigeration market had a positive year as value sales rose by £16m for the 12 months to February 2012, with the category now worth nearly £700m. This added value was driven by the encouraging performance of the premium markets.
The high end American style, side-by-side refrigerators were the main initiator of the growth, contributing a further £8m to the total value market. These aspirational fridge freezers have enjoyed a considerable comeback after suffering in the early stages of the recession and now account for 14% of value within the cooling category.
Traditional fridge freezers remain the key driver within the refrigeration sector, and with sales increasing to nearly £430m, they are worth almost two thirds of the total value market. Price inflation of 2% across this popular segment has also reinforced the overall value growth of the market.
Richard Allen, GfK account executive, MDA, richardp.allen@gfk.com
