Wii Controller Charger Pad
Energizer recharges its battery business
A new cell phone charger Energizer will begin selling this fall will be part of a movement by more than 60 global companies to set a universal standard for charging electronic devices.
The launch also is a clear indication that Energizer, based in Town and Country, is looking to invest in new technologies as disposable alkaline battery sales struggle.
In development for more than a year, Energizer’s Inductive Charger will hit store shelves Oct. 15, priced at $89. The charger looks like a computer mouse pad and will initially power up iPhones and BlackBerrys. There are no cords to connect the pad to the phone, and it charges as many as two phones electromagnetically. acer aspire 5520 battery
“Consumers don’t have to lock it into position,” said Energizer Brand Manager Cari Curtis, ‘so if your kid or spouse bumps into it, as long as its on (the pad), it’s still charging.”
A third phone can be charged by the mat through a USB cord, Curtis said. Energizer’s new charger will face competition from several wireless chargers that hit the market in the past year, including Duracell’s myGrid, a charging mat for cell phones and mp3 players that sells for $79.
A difference in the two products, according to Bob Kearns, director of new business development at Energizer, is that Duracell’s myGrid uses conductive charging, so a metal piece on the phone’s sleeve has to be precisely placed, and touching the pad.
Powermat USA, based in Michigan, launched its line of inductive chargers in October 2009 and sold 750,000 units by December, said Beth Harrison Meyer, Powermat’s vice president of global marketing. Powermat’s chargers range from $59 to $99, and charge from two to three electronic devices. acer travelmate 3626 battery
Harrison Meyer said the market for wireless chargers is in its infancy. “Like pay phones are now relics, we fully expect that will happen with power cords as well,” she said.
Energizer has used inductive charging technology before. Last year, it introduced its Power & Play Induction Charging system that allows Wii users to charge their remote controls without plugging in. But that product is a closed system, meaning no other brands or products can use the charger.
“We’ve been looking at using inductive charging for a long time now, and we felt like the most effective way to move forward was with an open standard,” Kearns said.
The Wireless Power Consortium, a group of more than 60 of the world’s largest consumer products and electronics companies, is leading the efforts to establish a universal inductive charging standard, called Qi (pronounced “chee”). Panasonic, Nokia, Texas Instruments and Sanyo — as well as Energizer — are among the companies in the consortium. The Qi logo will soon be found on a long list of electronic products from digital cameras to mp3 players. acer extensa 5210 battery
“The goal of the group is to make wireless chargers all compatible,” said Menno Treffers, chairman of the consortium.
Electromagnetic induction was discovered more than a century ago, but manufacturers began using it for wireless charging only in the past few decades. Treffers, senior director of standardization at Philips Electronics, based in the Netherlands, said the consortium was formed in December 2008 to bring together companies working on inductive technology.
Powermat is not seeking to join the consortium because it wants to remain flexible to consumers’ needs, Harrison Meyer said. “We’re certainly in favor of a standard, but we feel the consumer should have a voice,” she said.
John Meara, president of St. Louis-based investment management firm Argent Capital Management, said Energizer was looking to grow its non-alkaline battery product pipeline. “Energizer has been ahead of the curve on where the industry is going,” Meara said, citing the company’s investment in lithium batteries over the past decade as an example.
Meara said induction technology could help reposition Energizer in the eyes of investors. “The whole concept that it’s not only an alkaline business, that is positive.”
The alkaline battery business has been a challenge for Energizer and its main competitor, Duracell, as consumers have gravitated in recent years toward products with built-in, rechargeable batteries, such as Apple’s iPods.
Disposable alkaline battery sales have also taken a hit as both Energizer and Duracell began “package upsizing” — offering more batteries per package for the same price — in response to declining demand as consumers put off buying batteries in the recession.
Sales of alkaline batteries in the U.S. for the 52-week period ending July 11 totaled $1.13 billion, down more than 7 percent from a year ago, according to SymphonyIRI Group, a Chicago-based market research firm. The figures do not include sales at Wal-Mart.
Procter & Gamble’s Duracell brand has the largest market share, 44 percent, compared with Energizer’s 32 percent market share in the U.S.
“(Energizer) is trying to get their arms around the battery trends and what role they have in those markets,” said Morningstar analyst Lauren DeSanto. “Household batteries have been under siege, and it’s been a terrible category to be in.”
Taking stock
Energizer Holdings has two business segments: household products, which includes battery and lighting products; and personal care, which includes its shaving, skin care, feminine care and infant care product lines.
Energizer’s profit gains in recent months were largely because of sales of its razors and shaving creams. Energizer’s Edge and Skintimate shaving products and its new Schick Hydro razor helped its personal care division bring in $589.2 million in net sales in the third quarter that ended June 30, an 11 percent increase compared with the third quarter last year.
In Energizer’s household products division, which includes its battery business, net sales for the third quarter were $487.6 million, up a modest 4 percent compared with the third quarter of 2009.
For its fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, 2009, Energizer’s alkaline battery net sales totaled $1.26 billion, compared with $1.49 billion in 2008 and $1.46 billion in 2007.
Citing the increasing number of devices using built-in rechargeable battery systems, Energizer said in a news release on July 28: “We believe this continues to create a negative impact on the demand for primary batteries.”
Energizer launched a review of its battery business this summer that is expected to span up to six months. The review could provide the company guidance on where to invest its research and development and marketing dollars.
“It’ll show them that there are areas that they don’t currently play that could be a growth area for them,” Meara said.
About the Author
Battery company is an operated online retailer of high-quality electronics accessories, specialising in laptop battery and laptop ac adapter, battery chargers, camera batteries, camcorder batteries, cordless drill batteries and mobile phone batteries. Battery company has quickly grown to one of the top online Australian retailers of electronics accessories, offering generic product brands that provide the same quality as the big brand names but at half the price. Now at www.battery-company.com.au, we offer customers a wide selection of products at unbeatable prices, together with personalised customer service and fast shipping for our customers.
