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Kenwood has answered criticisms of the way it has handled deliveries of its Mini Chopper to cookshops, citing phenomenal demand and the long-term forecasting of multiples, which secured them the first stock.
The Mini Chopper rocketed to the top of shoppers’ want list following Delia Smith’s recommendation of the product in her recent television series. However, as revealed by HousewaresLive.net on June 9, independent cookshops have complained of being repeatedly let down on deliveries of the Mini Chopper, although multiples, they say, have been receiving stock.
Kenwood has now confirmed to HousewaresLive.net that cookshops will receive the products in August.
The company says: “The demand for the Chopper as a result of Delia Smith featuring it on her recent television programme has been exceptional and has put pressure on our factory, which has created capacity issues – both on finished product and component parts.
“The demand for this product has meant that volumes required between February and May 2008 (four months) matched the demand for the product for the previous two years combined.
“Added to this, we moved production in January, which was planned in advance of our knowledge of the Delia programme, and which has caused some additional delays.”
Answering accusations that multiples were supplied ahead of independents, Kenwood goes on to say: “The limited stock that we made available has been allocated against forecasts on this product placed by accounts. Some accounts give longer-term forecasts than others and these accounts benefited from early confirmed forecasts which secured them stock.
“Because of the desire to have the Chopper delivered into the UK as quickly as possible, the communication with our factory was fluid, which meant that dates on deliveries kept moving. This led to some trade partners being disappointed.”
Cookshops have now been told they will receive supplies of the Mini Chopper in August, and Kenwood has confirmed this to HousewaresLive.net. It says: “The August delivery date is a safe date that we are working with, when we believe we will be able to start supply.
“But we currently have a date of the third week of July for the first shipments to arrive back in the UK.”
