Sales of refrigerators have gone up ahead of Eid-ul-Azha, the second biggest religious festival of Muslims. Electronic goods market observers have attributed the upward trend in fridge sales to the increased purchasing power of people. They think the sale of the widely-used electronic product has increased notably with the approaching of Eid-ul-Azha which is likely to be celebrated in the country on August 12.
However, a section of traders have refrained from expressing satisfaction with the current rate of rise in fridge sale. They said they had expected a faster rate of rise in sale at this time when the Eid is only one week away.
The sale of such electronics product has not increased as per expectations of the traders, some dealers and traders have said.
During a visit to some electrical and electronic items outlets, traders told this correspondent that sales of refrigerators have grown by 10-25 per cent in the last one week.
The manufacturers of the item have come up with different offers for the customers, including discount, cashback, cash vouchers and gifts, with the view to attracting the buyers.
Widely-known refrigerator brands such as Walton, Marcel and Electra, Hitachi, Sharp, Whirlpool, Panasonic, Haier, Kelvinator, Mitsubishi, Samsung, LG, Toshiba, Transtec, Vision and Jamuna are available in the market.
Some 2.0 million units of fridge are sold annualy while the home appliance sector is growing by 15-20 per cent every year, according to sector insiders and experts.
Iftekhar Ahamed Khan, zonal sales manager of Transcom Electronics at Shaheed Syed Nazrul Islam Swarani, said they sell different models of Hitachi fridges with the price ranging between Tk 70,000 and 80,000 per unit.
Sale of refrigerators mostly Hitachi brand has gone up by 10 per cent ahead of the Eid this year, he told the FE. They also sell Samsung and Whirlpool refrigerators which showed a little increase ahead of the festival, Iftekhar Ahamed said.
"We sold 15 units of fridges this month, but it was only six units (at the same time of) last year," the zonal manager said, adding that customers also are getting instant cashback after buying fridges.
Md Ali Akbar Hawlader, showroom manager of Esquire Electronics Ltd at Bangabandhu National Stadium market, told the FE that pre-Eid sales rose by 10-15 per cent compared to that a few months ago.
"We (have) sold maximum 35 units of Sharp refrigerators between Tk 45,000 and Tk 140,000," he said.
He is also selling chest freeze at Tk 30,000, he mentioned.
"The customers are getting Tk 3,000-25,000 cashback for buying refrigerators. Besides, GP Stars are getting special offers," Hawlader added.
Md Selim, assistant manager of LG-Butterfly Mohammadpur Ring Road showroom, said pre-Eid sale of LG refrigerators increased by 25 per cent compared to that of last year.
They sold at least 400 units of refrigerators between Tk 40,000 and Tk 200,000 ahead of Eid this year while it was 200 to 250 units last year, he informed.
LG is now selling 20 models of refrigerators, Selim said, adding that they also offer instant cashback.
Md Nazrul Islam, manager of Waltan at Bangabandhu National Stadium market, said sale of their refrigerators went up by 12 per cent before the Eid.
However, Nazrul Islam said he was not fully happy with the volume of sale which has not increased as per his expectation ahead of the Eid.
They are also selling 50 models of refrigerators with different offers for the buyers, including cash voucher, cashback and discount, he said.
Mr Islam said prices of refrigerators being sold by them range between Tk 18,000 and 62,000.
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