Gift Focus inc Attire Accessories - May/June 2020

25 COMPANY PROFILE would you describe your current collection? From the invention of the paper filter in 1908 to the UK launch of our top of the range TS Smart bean to cup coffee machine in 2018, Melitta has constantly innovated its products in line with consumer demand and trends. How often do you launch new lines? It really does vary. Last winter we launched the sleek Avanza ® which is one of the world’s smallest fully automatic coffee machines and just 200mm wide. It’s impressively designed with excellent features including milk frother, double cup mode and super quiet grinder. Our Purista bean to cup machine has also performed well as it’s perfect for super- slim kitchens where space is limited. This practical kitchen appliance is all about the convenience factor and modern design thanks to its One Touch feature, Easy Cleaning and LED display. In January, this year we launched the Melitta Calibra ® grinder for espresso makers which holds up to 375g of beans and features a built-in scale to make weighing your favourite blend easy. What’s more, we’ve just introduced the AromaFresh Therm filter coffee machine with integrated grinder and insulated jug to enjoy the full flavour of coffee for even longer. What trade shows do you attend and why? We attend most of the trade shows which present a great opportunity to meet new and existing buyers and contacts face to face – whilst showcasing new products. What are your current best-selling designs? The Barista TS Smart is our best-selling bean to cup machine. It’s packed with outstanding features, looks great and consistently delivers great results, which can be seen in the host of top reviews that it has received. The Look IV Therm Timer is our best-selling filter coffee machine. It boosts a variety of great features, from the timer function to the unbreakable thermal flask as well as producing great coffee. When was the website launched and how does it support the business? We launched Melitta UK’s main website in 2018 to coincide with our UK activity and then in November 2019, we launched our first ecommerce shop at melitta.co.uk – an online consumer facing platform showcasing our entire range of premium coffee machines, pour overs and accessories. It was created to give consumers a convenient and easy one-stop retail experience, as the eShop feature all products stocked by Melitta’s® external retail partners plus the added bonus of purchasing ‘exclusives.’ How do you view the current market and what trends, both in business and product, do you see emerging over the coming months? Both filter coffee and Pour Over coffee is increasing in popularity and we see this set to continue. Our range of brightly coloured porcelain Pour Over Sets offer larger quantities of handmade coffee serving up to four cups. As people are already starting to think about coffee more like wine – from the origin of the beans, roasting and perfecting the brew – never has it tasted so good. What are your future plans for the business? Melitta has just formed a new trade partnership with EPE International – one of the UK’s most established and respected distributor brands in the industry with years of experience. The industry’s pretty varied and working with EPE gives us a strong route to market, allowing us to get the Melitta brand in front of a wide range of retailers. What are your greatest achievements so far? We are proud of the prominent position in the market that we have managed to achieve in both bean to cup machines and filter coffee machines, in a relatively short period of time. We’re very happy that we’re able to serve up high quality, premium products that represent great value to consumers. Melitta T: +44 (0)800 028 8002 W: www.melitta.co.uk