Air-con sales soar on hot weather

Air-conditioner sales have picked up markedly in HCMC as temperatures reached a record 38 degrees Celsius or higher, according to electronic appliance distributors.

Top sellers at Thien Hoa Electronics Center include air-conditioners and fan varieties, including electric, water-cooling and rechargeable models.

Nguyen Thi Quyen, the center’s vice marketing director, said sales for electronic cooling systems had increased 50% since March due to the region’s high temperatures.

Unchanged prices as well as free installation services have also encouraged customers to purchase from the center.

Tran Mai Chi, a customer from Tan Binh District, told the Daily that she went to Thien Hoa Electronics Center to purchase an air-conditioner and a rechargeable fan to combat the heat waves and power cuts that have affected the city recently.

Nguyen Thi Mai Thanh, general director of civil and industrial air-conditioner producer R.E.E Mechanical and Electrical Engineering JSC, said, “I did not expect such high demand for air-conditioners. It has exceeded the company’s initial estimates.”

R.E.E has doubled its production, providing about 2,000 air-conditioners per month to the market, but is still “unable to satisfy demand”, Thanh said.

Customers are primarily purchasing units with 1.5- or 2.0 horse power, according to distributors.

Energy efficient appliances have also attracted customers’ attention. A store manager on Hoang Van Thu Street told the Daily that everyday his store sells about 30 air-conditioners equipped with inverters, which help to reduce power usage and thus reduce power bills.

The manager said brands like Panasonic, Mitsubishi and Reetech were popular energy savers, and sales of similar products had increased 40%.

SGT

Tags: Vietnam electronics