Candy Home Appliances
This page provides an independent overview of the Candy home appliance brand for UK consumers. All information was accurate at the time of writing. Sources are listed at the foot of this page.
What is Candy and who owns it?
Candy is an Italian home appliance manufacturer founded in 1927 and headquartered in Brugherio, Lombardy. It is one of the oldest appliance companies in Italy and one of the most significant in European appliance history, having built the country’s first washing machine and gone on to become a major international group spanning washing machines, cooking, refrigeration, dishwashing, and floor care.
Since 2018, Candy has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Haier, the Chinese multinational that is ranked as the world’s number one major appliance brand by sales volume. Within the Haier Europe portfolio, Candy is positioned as the entry-level brand, offering affordable, practical appliances for everyday use. Haier occupies the premium tier and Hoover, which Candy owns in Europe, sits in the mid-range. Candy operates across more than 80% of its sales outside Italy, with the UK one of its significant European markets.
The origins of Candy: a POW’s sketch and Italy’s first washing machine
The founding story of Candy is one of the most compelling in European appliance history, rooted in wartime ingenuity and a family’s determination to rebuild Italy’s domestic manufacturing after the Second World War.
The Eden Fumagalli Mechanical Workshop in Monza had been producing precision machine instruments since 1927 under its founder, Eden Fumagalli. The pivot to domestic appliances came through a remarkable act of vision: Enzo Fumagalli, one of Eden’s three sons, was a prisoner of war in the United States. From his POW camp, Enzo mailed rough drawings of a washing machine back to Italy. His brother Niso, who had been running appliance operations alongside their father, engineered those sketches into a working design. The third brother, Peppino, built the management and commercial structure that would take the product to market.
In 1945, the workshop designed the Model 50, Italy’s first domestically manufactured washing machine. It was launched officially at the Milan Trade Fair in 1946, the same year the Candy brand was formally established. The machine was a landmark for Italian industry: a country that had just emerged from devastating war was producing a product that symbolised domestic recovery and modernisation.
The name Candy itself came from the distinctive rounded shape of the company’s early twin-tub washing machine, which reminded people of the rounded form of a boiled sweet. It was a name chosen for its warmth and accessibility, a deliberate contrast to the technical and industrial names used by many competitors.
Candy’s history: from Monza workshop to global group
1927: Eden Fumagalli workshop established in Monza
Eden Fumagalli establishes OMEF, the Officine Meccaniche Eden Fumagalli, in Monza, producing precision machine instruments. The foundation that will eventually become Candy is laid in this small northern Italian workshop.
1945-1946: Italy’s first washing machine and the Candy brand
The Model 50, Italy’s first domestically manufactured washing machine, is designed in 1945 from sketches sent home from a US POW camp by Enzo Fumagalli. It is launched at the Milan Trade Fair in 1946, the same year the Candy brand is formally established. Three brothers – Enzo, Niso, and Peppino – divide responsibility: engineering, innovation, and management respectively.
1950: First Italian semi-automatic washing machine
Candy moves into a new factory in Monza and launches the Bi-Matic, Italy’s first semi-automatic washing machine. The product’s success opens export markets and establishes Candy as the first Italian brand to achieve significant international washing machine sales.
1967: Enzo Fumagalli dies
Enzo Fumagalli, the brother whose wartime drawings sparked the washing machine business, dies. Candy continues under the guidance of brothers Peppino and Niso.
1968: Niso Fumagalli receives honorary engineering degree
Genoa University awards Niso Fumagalli an honoris causa degree in engineering, acknowledging his pivotal innovations in washing machine technology and the many patents he held across the appliance industry.
1971: Kelvinator acquired
Candy acquires Kelvinator, a specialist refrigerator manufacturer with international reach, significantly expanding the group’s product range into cooling appliances. Kelvinator is later sold to Electrolux in 1986.
1973: Peppino Fumagalli honoured as Cavaliere del Lavoro
Peppino Fumagalli receives the Cavaliere del Lavoro (Knight of Labour) honour from Italian President Giovanni Leone, recognition of his contribution to Italian industry through building Candy into one of the country’s most important manufacturing businesses. He would later be appointed CBE by the British government in 1998.
1979-1981: Formula One sponsorship
Candy becomes a Formula One sponsor, backing the Tyrrell team from mid-1979 through the 1980 season, during which Tyrrell finished 5th in the Constructor’s Championship. Candy subsequently sponsored the Toleman team in 1981 before withdrawing from the sport.
1987: Rosières acquired
Candy acquires Rosières, a prestigious French brand known for high-end built-in cooking appliances, adding a premium cooking brand to the group and strengthening its position in the French market.
1988-1992: Liverpool FC shirt sponsor
Candy becomes the shirt sponsor of Liverpool Football Club, one of England’s most successful clubs. The partnership covers one of the most memorable and emotionally charged periods in Liverpool’s history, including the league title in 1990, the Hillsborough disaster of 1989, and the 1992 FA Cup Final victory over Sunderland. The association gave Candy significant UK brand visibility at a time when shirt sponsorship was still relatively new in English football.
1990: Niso Fumagalli dies
Niso Fumagalli, the engineer whose talent turned his brother’s wartime sketches into Italy’s first washing machine and who held many appliance patents, dies. The founding generation of the Fumagalli family is now gone, though Peppino continues to lead the company.
1995: Hoover European Appliances Group acquired
Candy acquires Hoover’s European operations, gaining exclusive rights to the Hoover brand name and products across Europe, the Mediterranean, and the former USSR territories. This is the most significant acquisition in Candy’s history and gives the group ownership of one of the most culturally embedded brand names in British domestic life. For more on Hoover’s story, see our guide to Hoover home appliances.
2015: Peppino Fumagalli dies; Beppe Fumagalli becomes CEO
Peppino Fumagalli, the last of the three founding brothers and the man who built Candy’s commercial and management infrastructure from its earliest days, dies on 9 March 2015. His son Beppe Fumagalli succeeds him as CEO, continuing family leadership of the company into its third generation.
2018: Haier acquires Candy
Haier, the Chinese multinational ranked as the world’s number one major appliance brand by sales volume, acquires Candy S.p.A., bringing the Candy and Hoover brands into Haier’s European portfolio. Under the Haier Europe structure, Candy operates as the entry-level brand, Hoover as mid-range, and Haier itself at the premium tier.
The Liverpool FC connection
Candy’s shirt sponsorship of Liverpool Football Club between 1988 and 1992 represents one of the most historically significant shirt sponsorships in English football history, and one that gave the Italian brand an unusually high profile in UK homes during a formative period.
The Candy name appeared on Liverpool shirts through three of the most emotionally significant moments in the club’s recent history: the Hillsborough disaster of April 1989, when 97 Liverpool supporters lost their lives; the league championship of 1990, which proved to be Liverpool’s last top-flight title for three decades; and the 1992 FA Cup Final victory over Sunderland, which was Candy’s last appearance on a Liverpool shirt before Carlsberg took over as sponsor. For a generation of Liverpool supporters and football viewers across the UK, the Candy name carries a weight of association that no advertising campaign could replicate.
Candy’s position in the UK market today
Candy is positioned as an entry-level to accessible mid-market appliance brand in the UK, offering straightforward, competitively priced appliances across its core categories. The brand’s strength is in washing machines in particular, which reflects its origins and its continuing investment in laundry technology. Candy appliances are widely available through UK retailers including major electrical chains and online platforms.
Within the Haier Europe portfolio, Candy’s positioning below Hoover and Haier means it targets consumers for whom value and practicality are the primary purchasing criteria rather than premium features or design distinction. This is a significant and real segment of the UK market, and Candy’s long history gives it a depth of product knowledge in its core categories that newer value brands cannot match.
| Brand | Market position | Heritage |
|---|---|---|
| Haier | Premium | Chinese, founded 1984, world’s No.1 appliance brand by volume |
| Hoover | Mid-range | American/British, founded 1908, genericised UK household name |
| Candy | Entry level to accessible | Italian, founded 1927, built Italy’s first washing machine |
What appliances does Candy make for the UK market?
Washing machines and laundry
Washing machines remain Candy’s most prominent and historically significant product category. The UK range covers freestanding and integrated models across a variety of drum capacities, spin speeds, and programme configurations. Selected models feature hOn smart connectivity. Candy’s Rapido series offers faster cycle times as a practical differentiator, and the range spans standard and large-capacity drums suited to family households.
Washer-dryers
Candy produces a range of combined washer-dryers for households where space prevents the installation of separate machines. The washer-dryer range carries hOn connectivity on selected models and covers a range of wash and dry capacities for different household sizes.
Dishwashers
The Candy dishwasher range includes full-size and slimline freestanding models. Selected models carry hOn smart connectivity, allowing remote monitoring and management of wash cycles through the Candy app. The range is positioned on straightforward, practical performance at accessible price points.
Tumble dryers
Candy tumble dryers are available in vented, condenser, and heat pump configurations. The heat pump range delivers improved energy efficiency compared with conventional condenser models. For more on how heat pump dryer technology works, see our guide to heat pump tumble dryers explained.
Refrigeration
Candy’s UK refrigeration range covers freestanding fridge freezers, larder fridges, undercounter fridges, and freezers. The range is positioned on straightforward capacity and practical features at accessible prices, consistent with the brand’s overall entry-level positioning.
Cooking appliances
Candy’s cooking range includes freestanding cookers, built-in ovens, hobs, and extractor hoods. The brand’s cooking heritage dates to its 1973 acquisition of La Sovrana, which added cookers to the product portfolio. The UK range covers gas and electric freestanding cookers alongside built-in configurations.
Candy’s hOn smart connectivity platform
hOn is the shared smart home platform that connects Candy, Hoover, and Haier branded appliances through a single smartphone application. Through hOn, users of compatible Candy appliances can monitor appliance status remotely, start and stop cycles, receive end-of-cycle notifications, download additional programmes, and access personalised usage suggestions based on their household patterns.
The platform is compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant for voice control integration, and its sharing across all three Haier Europe brands means a household with Candy, Hoover, and Haier appliances can manage all of them from a single application. This cross-brand integration is a practical advantage of Haier’s unified European portfolio that consumers with appliances from multiple tiers of the group can benefit from.
Buying and servicing Candy appliances in the UK
Candy appliances are available through a wide range of UK retailers, including major electrical chains, supermarkets, and online platforms, as well as directly through the Candy UK website. The brand’s accessible pricing makes it one of the most widely stocked appliance ranges across all retail formats.
For repairs, Candy’s UK service infrastructure covers both in-warranty and out-of-warranty repairs, operating through the shared Haier Europe service network. Independent national repair companies listed in our national service providers guide also service Candy appliances across all major categories. Genuine Candy spare parts are available through our appliance spare parts section, and Candy error codes can be looked up in our appliance error codes guide.
If your Candy appliance is within the manufacturer’s guarantee period, contact Candy’s UK customer service directly as repairs under guarantee are carried out at no charge. For your statutory rights when an appliance develops a fault, see our guide to the Consumer Rights Act and faulty appliances.
Key facts about Candy
Year Eden Fumagalli established the workshop in Monza that became Candy
Year the Candy brand was formally established, alongside the launch of Italy’s first washing machine
Year Candy acquired Hoover’s European operations, including the Hoover brand name
Year Haier acquired Candy, bringing the Candy and Hoover brands into its global portfolio
Own a Candy appliance that needs attention?
Whether you need to look up a Candy error code, find a genuine spare part, or understand your repair options, Whitegoods Help has guidance across all major Candy appliance types.
Frequently asked questions about Candy home appliances
Where does the name Candy come from?
The Candy name derives from the rounded shape of the company’s early twin-tub washing machines, which were said to resemble the shape of a boiled sweet or candy. The name was chosen deliberately for its warmth and accessibility, contrasting with the technical or industrial names used by many appliance competitors at the time. The brand was formally established in 1946, the same year Italy’s first domestically manufactured washing machine was launched at the Milan Trade Fair.
Who owns Candy appliances?
Candy S.p.A. is wholly owned by Haier, the Chinese multinational and world’s number one major appliance brand by sales volume, which acquired Candy in 2018. Candy is part of Haier’s European portfolio alongside the Hoover and Haier brands, positioned as the entry-level brand within that three-tier structure. Candy itself owns the Hoover brand in Europe following its acquisition of Hoover’s European operations in 1995.
Is Candy related to Hoover?
Yes. Candy owns the Hoover brand in Europe, having acquired Hoover’s European Appliances Group in 1995 with exclusive rights to the Hoover brand across Europe, the Mediterranean, and the former USSR territories. Both brands are now part of the Haier Europe portfolio, with Hoover positioned at the mid-range tier and Candy at entry level. For more on the Hoover brand’s history, see our guide to Hoover home appliances.
Did Candy really sponsor Liverpool FC?
Yes. Candy were the shirt sponsor of Liverpool Football Club from 1988 to 1992, debuting at the 1988 FA Charity Shield. The Candy name appeared on Liverpool shirts during the Hillsborough disaster of 1989, the league championship of 1990, and the 1992 FA Cup Final victory over Sunderland. Carlsberg replaced Candy as Liverpool’s shirt sponsor from the 1992-93 season.
What is the Candy hOn app?
hOn is the shared smart connectivity platform used by Candy, Hoover, and Haier appliances. It links compatible appliances to a smartphone application for remote monitoring, cycle management, programme downloads, and personalised usage suggestions. The app is compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, and connecting Candy, Hoover, and Haier appliances in the same household through a single application is one of the practical benefits of the shared Haier Europe platform.
Where can I get my Candy appliance repaired in the UK?
For in-warranty Candy appliances, contact Candy’s UK customer service directly as repairs under guarantee are carried out at no charge. For out-of-warranty appliances, Candy’s service team can attend at a cost, or independent national repair companies listed in our national service providers guide also service Candy appliances across all major categories.
Content disclaimer: The information on this page was researched and written in April 2026 and was accurate at the time of publication. Company ownership, product ranges, and market position data are subject to change. Whitegoods Help recommends verifying all current details directly with Candy before making a purchase or booking a repair.
Sources: Candy (company) Wikipedia entry (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candy_(company)); Candy UK website (candy-home.com/en_GB). All sources accessed April 2026.