Companies gearing up for summer season; line up launches, offers

With summers round the corner, makers of appliances such as ACs, fans and coolers are gearing up to meet the demand this season with steps like product launches, attractive offers and energy efficient goods. The companies expect sales to be higher by up to 30 per cent, following the Met department prediction of intense heat wave this season and temperature rising by over one degree above average. According to the manufacturers and retailers, the sales have already started picking up due to reduction in recurring electricity cost and rising mercury levels. "We are very active in launching new products but we are also actively involved in ascertaining new requirements of the consumers," Usha International President-Fans Rohit Mathur told PTI.

He further said this season will be good in terms of demand as the economy is stable, manufacturing indexes are up and summer is predicted by 1.5-2 degrees higher. With regard to new launches, Croma Business Manager-Appliances Farid Sarang said all brands are primarily focusing on energy efficient inverter ACs with 5 star ratings due to the stringent revised BEE Star Rating Standards. "There is an uptake in sale of ACs by almost 20-30 per cent primarily driven by demand from the North & the West zone," he added.

Air conditioning major Blue Star also recently launched 40 new models of energy-efficient 3-star and 5-star inverter split air conditioners. Bajaj Electricals CMD Shekhar Bajaj said while other appliances required in summers are set to see a double digit growth, fans per se will witness a growth of 20 per cent compared to last year due to rising income and low cost energy efficient products being launched. "We have strengthened our distribution network in 450 districts and our servicing team has actively started catering to about 1,60,000 retailers across the country," he said. Online sales of appliances has also picked up and is expected to further gain momentum.

"This summer season, there has been a substantial rise in the online sales with regards to home appliances including air-conditioners, refrigerators etc," Tata CLiQ COO Vikas Purohit said. Panasonic India last week launched its new range of inverter air conditioners, inbuilt with patented air purification system called Nanoe Technology that actively removes PM2.5 and airborne particles giving up to 99 per cent clean air, the company said.