David- The reason why vacuum shops are closing is that the majority of people want bagless vacuums, & they don't want to spend a small fortune to buy a vacuum. Consumers don't care, for the most part, about why buying a bagged vacuum & buying a better quality vacuum from a vacuum shop makes sense in the long run. Yes, there are consumers out there who "get it" & will spend the big bucks to buy better quality vacuums, but they are few & far between. So, unfortunately, we can directly blame cheap bagless vacuums sold at mass merchants for vacuum shops closing, since most vacuum shops seem unwilling to offer bagless vacuums.
Nathan- I like your idea of bringing back some retro features on vacuum cleaners. However, specifically referring to beater bars, the reason they were eliminated was the beater bars were no longer effective on certain types of carpeting found in today's homes. In some cases, replacing the beater bars with bristles cleans better....I have heard this is the case with the 2nd Rainbow powerhead, the long square one, that if you replace the beater bar brushroll with the aftermarket all-brush brushroll, it improves performance. As for the Hoover Constellation, that has already been tried & failed, due to the air blowing dust all over the place, & the cheap hose, tools & turbobrush they included. I think the results would be the same if Hoover tried a third time to reintroduce the Constellation. I do think it would be nice to see more direct-air vacuums introduced into the marketplace though.
Alex- I disagree with your point that consumers couldn't be persuaded to buy bagged vacuums. The problem isn't just the consumer not wanting to spend money on bags, it's cleaning performance. Yes, I did say above to David that spending more on a better quality bagged vacuum makes sense, BUT that's because the vacuum would be better quality & bags are obviously more sanitary to deal with than dumping a dirtcup, & would be better for allergy sufferers. The problem I have always had with bagged vacuums, which I bet most consumers have experienced, is that they lose suction power & airflow very quickly & reduced cleaning performance on carpets, usually before the bag is 1/2 full. And this holds true for the vacuums I own that use HEPA cloth bags, too. The only clean-air upright or canister vacuums I own this hasn't been a problem with has been my 2 Miele canister vacuums, & for direct-air upright vacuums Kirby & Royal metal uprights. This may also be part of the reason some manufacturers, such as Panasonic, have taken to redesigning the bag cage on their vacuums, in an attempt to make suction & airflow last longer in their vacuums. Having said that, I think that Miele may have already developed the solution with their AirClean bags, as it's the one clean-air vacuum I own that the bags can be stuffed 3/4 full with dirt before cleaning power drops considerably. When the patents expire on the AirClean bags, if other vacuum manufacturers start making the AirClean bags for their vacuums & promote the fact that suction & airflow lasts considerably longer than other vacuums with normal bags, I do think that consumers could be persuaded to buy bagged vacuums again, as long as the bags aren't ridiculously overpriced as Miele bags are.
Rob
