IndiaRetailBiz

Sales of consumer durables products, particularly for highend, high tech, high cost products like LCD televisions and frost free refrigerators, during this Festive season in the country, despite CSO’s manufacturing data reports to the contrary, have been exceptionally good, according to a Hindu Business Line report.

All the leading durables brands like Samsung, LG, and Whirpool have reported excellent performance during the festive season which begins from October.

Interestingly, unlike previous years, none of the durables major entered into price war with the other. Instead, every one tried to eithe upgrade the product specifications or assure better service.

Samsung, among the leading sellers of white goods in the country, during the first six weeks of the season up to mid November, has sold goods worth Rs. 1,200 crore, which represents a growth of 41%, over the previous year. “The growth during the festival period, according to Ravinder Zutshi, Deputy Managing Director, Samsung India, was mainly led by high-end categories like LCD TVs, Flat TVs and frost-free refrigerators.”

Samsung’s performance for all high-end catagories was exceptionally good this year. While, the sales of LCD TVs grew 246% (55,000 units), the growth for Flat TVs was 33%(5 lakh units). The rates of growth in other categories were equally impressive: Frost-free Refrigerators (60%), Washing machines (37%), Air Conditioners (64%), and Microwave Ovens (37%).

Another leading durables major LG Electronics registering sales of Rs. 1,132 crore was also closely behind Samsung. This represented an increase of 51% over the previous year sales of Rs.749 crore.

While both refrigerators and washing machines grew at 85%, LG’s growth for microwave ovens was 41% and for flat Televisions 70%.

Whirlpool was also happy with volume growth of 30% and value growth of 40%. ‘Professional’ range of frost-free refrigerators did very well for Whirlpool.