Boy, it's hot out there. What would be best against such weather if not a cool home! Estimated to 50,000-60,000 units and more than 30 million euros last year, the Romanian air conditioners market could go beyond 80,000-90,000 units this year. The weather, the instalments and the drop in prices are the main arguments mentioned by the players on the market.
"The market will not grow that much in terms of value. This is because of the more aggressive prices compared to last year and because the growth was mainly registered for low-end products," Marius Ghenea, Flanco store chain general manager says.
The no-name Chinese products, which account for nearly half of the total air conditioner sales, are 15%-20% cheaper this year, as the producers in China had trouble with getting orders and had to cut prices accordingly.
"This will benefit the market, because it will contribute to inducing an overall perception of air conditioners being consumer goods, which everybody can afford. At the same time, the drop in the prices of the Asian products will help brand-name producers better understand how price is created, so that not only the no-name, but also the brand-name products will become more affordable for the public," Ghenea added.
This is what the other players in this field feel, as well.
"We've seen an improvement in the Chinese no-name product quality lately, particularly because most of the producers in this industry have their products manufactured in China," Dan Ostahie, Altex general manager thinks.
He added sales growth had been registered for the entire range of home appliances this year, mainly due to the hire purchase systems.
"The hotter the weather, the higher the sales," Ostahie said.
The weather conditions are also mentioned by the representatives of producers of such equipment. "It looks like this summer will come with a low thermal comfort degree, perhaps even lower than last year, so that demand for air conditioners might increase," Anca Rosu, Daewoo Electronics marketing manager says. ionut.bonoiu@zf.ro
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