Floor Care and AppliancesFloor Care and Appliances sales rose by 0.7% over 2010 to US$1.0 billion, accounting for 27.4% of Group turnover. We are an industry leader with a strong portfolio of brands: HOOVER^®, VAX^®, and DIRT DEVIL^®. The business continued to generate innovative products coupled with tight control of operating costs and supply chain efficiencies to offset rising input costs.

In North America, HOOVER^® continued to grow market share in both the carpet washer and upright categories. Despite macro-economic headwinds, HOOVER^® increased its penetration in key categories for the second consecutive year. HOOVER^®‘s highly rated MaxExtract^® deep cleaning carpet washers continue to deliver impressive sales results. A range of proprietary cleaning solutions for the MaxExtract^® technology has proved an incremental revenue stream. HOOVER^® continued to grow in the core upright vacuum category, driven by a number of innovative products and promotions. The DIRT DEVIL^® range benefited from a rebranding and the introduction of new cyclonic stick and steam cleaners. Both HOOVER^® and DIRT DEVIL^® vacuum cleaners received approval ratings from a well-regarded consumer publication during the year, with HOOVER^® winning the top ratings in the two upright categories and also the “best buy” recommendation.

Sales of VAX^® and DIRT DEVIL^® increased steadily in Europe and the rest of the world. VAX^® expanded sales in core categories, in particular carpet washers, and entered new distribution channels. The newly launched VAX^® Mach Air™ premium product series was successful and supported by a consumer marketing campaign with our retail partners. The business continued to drive expansion into new customer channels for both brands and develop a management team to support future growth.