Latest news with #steamiron
The Sun
25-06-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Shoppers racing to Lidl to snap up ‘amazing' household gadget that's £250 cheaper than Tefal
BUDGET shoppers are flocking to Lidl for an 'amazing' household gadget that's giving pricey brands a serious run for their money. The Tower Ceraglide 2700W Steam Generator Iron has landed on Lidl's shelves, and customers say it's 'cutting through ironing piles with ease". With a similar power output to high-end Tefal models, which can cost up to £300, Lidl's version is nearly £250 cheaper at £49.99. The Tower model heats up in just 35 seconds and features an 80g/min continuous steam output with three-bar steam pressure, letting you power through shirts, trousers and even curtains. It's also got a large 1.2L water tank, vertical steam setting for hanging garments, self-cleaning function, and ceramic double soleplate for extra smooth glide across all fabrics. While Tefal's flagship Pro Express Vision offers higher steam pressure, fancy LED lights, and automatic steam release, it will set you back up to £400. Curry's currently sells it for £299.99, which makes Lidl's version £249.99 cheaper. Curry's also stocks the Tower steam generator iron for £60, which is £10 more expensive than what Lidl is selling it for. It's always worth shopping around and comparing prices to make sure you're getting the most value for money. How to compare prices to get the best deal JUST because something is on offer, or is part of a sale, it doesn't mean it's always a good deal. There are plenty of comparison websites out there that'll check prices for you - so don't be left paying more than you have to. Most of them work by comparing the prices across hundreds of retailers. Here are some that we recommend: Google Shopping is a tool that lets users search for and compare prices for products across the web. Simply type in keywords, or a product number, to bring up search results. Price Spy logs the history of how much something costs from over 3,000 different retailers, including Argos, Amazon, eBay and the supermarkets. Once you select an individual product you can quickly compare which stores have the best price and which have it in stock. Idealo is another website that lets you compare prices between retailers. All shoppers need to do is search for the item they need and the website will rank them from the cheapest to the most expensive one. CamelCamelCamel only works on goods being sold on Amazon. To use it, type in the URL of the product you want to check the price of. Lidl's customers are thrilled with the results. One buyer said: 'This iron is amazing. Lightweight and easy to use. Cuts through the ironing pile with ease.' Another raved: 'Really good design and functionality was spot on.' While a third praised the price tag, adding: 'Compared to more well-known brand names, it has some great features.' I tried 'magic' Lidl garden hose - you need to get it, it's perfect for summer The model number to look out for is T22023GLD, and it comes with a three-year warranty, giving shoppers extra peace of mind. Meanwhile, it's not the only dupe Lidl is stocking this summer. The Silvercrest Air Fryer, priced at £49.99, has been hailed as a cheaper alternative to the £200 Ninja version. The Monsieur Cuisine Smart, at £399.99, is a fan favourite and often compared to the high-end Thermomix which can cost more than £1,000. The Silvercrest Cordless Vacuum, on sale for £59.99, has drawn comparisons to the Dyson V8, with many praising its strong suction and lightweight design. It comes as the budget-retailer brought out its Peppa Pig ride on suitcases, perfect for kids this summer. How to save more money at Lidl Lidl's prices are already wallet-friendly, but you can slash your bills even further using simple tips. Download the Lidl Plus app The app unlocks exclusive weekly discounts, automatically applied at the checkout. Customers have saved up to £235 in a single month just by scanning it during each shop. You can knock up to 25% off popular items like ready meals, baked goods and snacks. Right now, Flying Goose Sriracha Prawn Crackers are down to £1.49, 50p off. Bag £1.50 wonky veg boxes Each morning, Lidl sells 5kg boxes of imperfect fruit and veg for just £1.50, saving you around £3.50 compared to buying them individually. Grab midweek bargains Every week, Lidl slashes prices on six fruit and veg items — this week, 400g of mushrooms is just 99p. Hit the Middle of Lidl You never know what you'll find in the famous middle aisle — from garden tools to kitchen gadgets, all at bargain prices. Earn rewards with Lidl Plus Spend £250 in a month, and you'll bag 10% off your next shop, saving you £72 a year if you hit the target monthly. Don't miss bakery Happy Hour From 7pm, Lidl knocks 20% off baked goods to reduce waste — croissants, doughnuts and pastries all go cheap. Used right, these Lidl tips could save shoppers save hundreds on their Lidl shop.
Fox News
10-05-2025
- Business
- Fox News
From Wrinkles to Riches: The Founders of ‘Nori' On Inventing a Fashion Emergency Game Changer
It's a universal experience: running late for work and getting dressed in a hurry only to realize the button-up you threw on is wrinkled beyond repair. When there isn't enough time to pull out the ironing board or the steamer, the solution is oftentimes just accepting defeat. However, the founders of Nori are changing that with their new, handheld steam iron — that requires no board, fits in a suitcase, and cuts ironing time in half. Liz sits down with Annabel Love and Courtney Toll to hear the story behind how they went from entry level corporate careers in New York City to becoming the founders of a rapidly growing company. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit
Entrepreneur
07-05-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
College Friends' Side Hustle Does $20 Million in Revenue
This Side Hustle Spotlight Q&A features 29-year-olds Courtney Toll and Annabel Love, the co-founders of Nori. They launched Nori Press, a compact steam iron, in 2021 and did $1 million in revenue in the first nine months. They've doubled revenue every year since 2022, ending 2024 with $20.8 million in revenue. Responses have been edited for length and clarity. Annabel Love and Courtney Toll. Image credit: Courtesy of Nori What was your day job or primary occupation(s) when you started your side hustle? Toll: When Annabel and I came up with the idea for Nori in college, we both chose to pursue full-time jobs after graduation before diving into the business. I joined an expert-network firm called AlphaSights, where I connected clients with subject-matter experts to support due diligence for acquisitions or strategic initiatives. Annabel started her career at an interior design firm, where she gained hands-on experience in sourcing and supply chain management. The skills we developed in those roles across research, operations and project management proved incredibly valuable when we eventually transitioned to working on Nori full-time. Related: This 34-Year-Old Was 'Wildly Un-Passionate' About His Day Job, So He Started a 9-Figure Side Hustle: 'Be an Animal' When did you start your side hustle, and what inspired it? Love: The inspiration for Nori was born out of sheer frustration in our tiny New York City apartments. As we prepared for our first professional internships, we wanted to look polished and professional, but we didn't have the space for an ironing board, the patience for leaky steamers or the budget for frequent dry cleaning. We resorted to every DIY wrinkle-removal hack imaginable, even using hair straighteners as makeshift irons. That daily struggle opened our eyes to how outdated and overlooked the ironing and steaming category had become. We saw a real opportunity to modernize the space with a smarter, more convenient solution. Our idea for a next-generation steam iron became our side hustle as soon as we started our full-time jobs. To de-risk the venture and maintain financial stability, we committed to working our 9-6 jobs while building Nori on nights and weekends for as long as we could juggle both. What were some of the first steps you took to get your side hustle off the ground? Toll: We first began exploring the idea for Nori during our senior year at Wake Forest, where we were both entrepreneurship minors. By the time it officially became a side hustle post-graduation, we had already built somewhat of a foundation for the venture, having conducted market research, analyzed industry dynamics and run pricing exercises. Once we were in our full-time jobs, we spent nights and weekends diving into product development. We visited 19 design firms across the country to bring our vision to life. During that time, we also incorporated the company, built out initial budgets and even closed a $300,000 friends and family funding round, all before ever leaving our day jobs. Are there any free or paid resources that have been especially helpful for you in starting and running this business? Love: Mentorship has played a crucial role in our journey. We owe much of our progress to the insights and experiences shared by fellow entrepreneurs. Reaching out thoughtfully, even to people you've never met, costs nothing but can lead to invaluable conversations. While in side-hustle mode, we sent cold emails to and connected with Emily Weiss of Glossier, Jim McKelvey of Square, Afton Vechery of Modern Fertility and many others. The perspective and wisdom gained from this cold outreach are things money simply can't buy. Related: These Roommates Started a Side Hustle in Their Denver Apartment. Now It's an 8-Figure Business With $1 Million Months: 'Go Be Unreasonable.' If you could go back in your business journey and change one process or approach, what would it be? What would you do differently? Toll: If I could go back and change one thing, it would be how we approached forecasting and inventory planning early on. As a hardware business, our lead times are long, and our capital is tied up in physical products, so any misstep in forecasting can be costly. In the beginning, we were either too conservative, leading to stockouts or having to pay for costly air freight, or too optimistic, tying up cash in excess inventory. If I could do it over, I'd invest earlier in building a stronger operational foundation: better demand-planning tools and/or an outsourced dedicated inventory planner, a clearer understanding of sales velocity by channel and tighter alignment between marketing and supply chain. It's not always the most glamorous part of the business, but getting it right is critical to scaling efficiently and sustainably. Image credit: Courtesy of Nori Can you recall a specific instance when something went very wrong? How did you fix it? Love: Truthfully, we have something go "very wrong" on a monthly basis. Whether it's our supply chain, a packaging mishap, a delayed marketing campaign or the latest tariff whirlwind we are currently navigating, our job is filled with constant challenges. We find that staying grounded in our mission is key, and leaning on one another, our best friend, has allowed us to navigate totally unforeseen circumstances. We believe that getting comfortable with entrepreneurship is getting comfortable with an onslaught of ups and downs: Hire the best partners possible, and the "very wrong" becomes Tuesday's average challenge. How long did it take to see consistent monthly revenue? How much did the side hustle earn? Toll: Since Nori is a hardware and durable goods business, it required significant time and capital to get off the ground (hence, why hardware businesses are so hard to fundraise for). After closing our initial friends-and-family round, I left my full-time job to focus on developing our hero product, the Nori Press, and building our go-to-market strategy. Annabel joined full-time shortly after, before we had officially launched. We had taken the business as far as we could while balancing full-time jobs, and it became clear that it needed our full attention. That year of dedicated pre-launch work included finalizing the product, refining our brand and laying the groundwork for distribution on our DTC site. This really allowed us to hit the ground running come launch. As a result, we saw consistent monthly revenue almost immediately. Within the first nine months post-launch, Nori had generated $1 million in revenue. Related: This Couple Started a Side Hustle in Their Backyard. It's Now a Global Brand With $200 Million in Revenue: 'I Get Sweaty Palms Thinking About the Level of Risk We Took' What does growth and revenue look like now? Toll: Since our launch in May of 2021, Nori has experienced rapid growth. In our first full year of business, the Nori Press was named one of Oprah's Favorite Things, and we closed out 2022 with $5 million in revenue. We've doubled our revenue every year since: $10 million in 2023 and $20.8 million in 2024. What makes this especially meaningful is that we've achieved this growth as a lean, three-person, all-female team. In 2024, we also reached profitability. Our journey has been one of true product–market fit and a relentless focus on meeting demand across channels. With the right team, a clear vision and the smart use of many specialized freelancers, we've been able to scale efficiently without the excessive overhead many venture-backed companies feel they need. What do you enjoy most about running the business now? Love: My favorite part about running Nori is that I get to build this business with my best friend, Courtney. We challenge each other to grow, push each other to be better and celebrate every milestone — from getting Oprah's Favorite Things to launching in Target this year. There's a deep level of trust, respect and shared vision between us, and I genuinely couldn't imagine doing this with anyone else. What is your best piece of specific, actionable business advice? Love: Diversifying your distribution strategy is essential for long-term growth, but it's just as important to master one channel at a time. We started Nori with a direct-to-consumer approach and spent our first 12 months laser-focused on understanding every aspect of that model from unit economics to paid marketing. By the time we expanded to Amazon, we had built a well-oiled DTC machine supported by strong marketing partners and a logistics team that was self-sustaining. The same deliberate approach is guiding our expansion into retail, which we're only now meaningfully scaling in years three and four. Today, we're proud to be available not only on our own site, but also on Amazon and through retail partners like The Container Store, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale's and most recently, Target. Omnichannel growth should absolutely be the goal, but take the time to build stable, scalable systems in each channel before moving to the next. Looking for a profitable side hustle but not sure where to start? Money Makers is a free newsletter providing helpful tips, ideas and action items to build your own lucrative venture — delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up here.
