Elsa Angel Rose
Panjim: Conversations in Goa surround the weather these days, and mostly for the wrong reasons. The heat is truly on and what makes it nearly unbearable is the sweltering humidity. One natural, almost inevitable fallout has been the steady increase in AC sales. Most appliance store managers report an increase of sales to the tune of 15-20% during this summer season, when compared with their sales figures last year.
“A 50-50 ratio can be seen on the sales of new and replacement ACs,” said Kaushik Talaulikar, owner of an electrical appliance store in Panjim. A combination of record sales and rising costs has turned the air conditioning market into one of the hottest sectors in the consumer durables field.
According to Melvin D’Souza, sales executive at an electronics store in Mapusa, AC becomes the backbone of the showroom during summer. “We sell around 200-300 units during summer. Often, we receive bulk orders for ACs from resort owners,” he said. The AC season starts from the first week of March and lasts till mid-June, said another salesperson at an appliance store.
Girish Kouthanker, marketing manager of an appliance store in Panjim, said, “Compared to last year, around 20% increase in AC sales can be seen this year.” He added that during the first week of March, sales proved impressive but there was some kind of a dip during the second and third week of March. “People are waiting for Gudi Padva offers to so that they can get ACs and other appliances at discounted rates,” he said.
There is also a section of customers who prefer coolers to ACs because they come cheaper. “Unfortunately, coolers are not very effective in Goa because of the humidity but customers who cannot afford ACs are opting for them,” said Kaushik Talaulikar. According to him, besides the current season, October is also another month when the sales of ACs and coolers pick up significantly.
The maximum demand in Goa is for 1-ton and 1.5-ton ACs. “These days, we mostly have nuclear families and lack of space is another factor,” said Girish Kouthanker. The sales of even smaller ACs with latest technology – 0.8-ton inverter ACs – are expected to take off, according to the marketing executives.
While the rising heat what that contributes to an increase in sales, attractive offers, discounts and EMI options provided by appliance showrooms are driving middle class people to opt for ACs. “In future, air conditioners will become as common as fans,” predicted a manager of an appliance store.