IPS sales rise sharply in city
Sunday, 21 March 2010
Monira Munni
Sales of instant power supply (IPS) units have sharply increased in the city, as power crisis has worsened across the country, leading to hours of load-shedding during day and night.
City-dwellers, particularly the affluent and even the fixed-income group, are buying IPS to keep their electric fans moving for getting some relief during the current hot and humid weather.
Industry insiders expect that this year the sale of IPS will increase by more than 20 per cent and that of generator will post a double-digit growth in the city on the back of erratic power supply.
"Rahimafrooz's annual IPS sales growth is 12 per cent. If this year's power supply situation remains like that of the previous year, then the growth will be at least 20 per cent," Yeamin Sharif Chowdhury, general manager (marketing) of Rahimafrooz Group, told the FE Saturday.
Rahimafrooz commands around 40 per cent of the local market of IPS, with Navana, Singer and Rangs being the other major market players. Around 10 other local and imported brands are also available in the market, but their share is very small.
"Compared to March 2009, our IPS sales have gone up this year. This is due primarily to greater demand from the customers," a senior Singer official said. He said customers now prefer IPS, as it is affordable and easy to maintain.
Shafiqul Hassan, marketing executive of Navana, said they are getting satisfactory demand calls for IPS units from their outlets across the country. "Our sales are already good and guess will shoot up in the coming summer."
Due to increasing and diversified demands, the manufacturers are now providing a range of generators and IPSs to ensure power for different classes of people.
"We have 250-VA to 3,000-VA capacity products. Models with capacity between 300-VA and 1,400-VA are mostly used in households," said a Rahimafrooz official.
Higher capacity IPS models for businesses and institutional customers are also available, with their capacity ranging from 6.0-KVA to 10-KVA. Jumbo IPS is now becoming increasingly popular among the business customers, industry people said.
In case of generators, commercial establishments, especially shops and offices, are the major buyers, said a senior officer at HS Enterprise, which commands the local market with Honda generators. Imported from Japan, the capacity of Honda generators ranges between 450-VA and 5.5-KVA, and are priced between Tk 22,000 and Tk 85,000.
Despite being relatively expensive than other brands, Honda generators commanded nearly 20 per cent of Bangladesh market last year, and HS officials hope to double their sales this year.
A resident of the city's Mirpur area said: "Severe load-shedding has compelled me to buy an IPS at Tk 28,000. My daughter will appear in the upcoming HSC examination, but the present erratic power supply situation has been seriously hampering her preparation."
Sales of instant power supply (IPS) units have sharply increased in the city, as power crisis has worsened across the country, leading to hours of load-shedding during day and night.
City-dwellers, particularly the affluent and even the fixed-income group, are buying IPS to keep their electric fans moving for getting some relief during the current hot and humid weather.
Industry insiders expect that this year the sale of IPS will increase by more than 20 per cent and that of generator will post a double-digit growth in the city on the back of erratic power supply.
"Rahimafrooz's annual IPS sales growth is 12 per cent. If this year's power supply situation remains like that of the previous year, then the growth will be at least 20 per cent," Yeamin Sharif Chowdhury, general manager (marketing) of Rahimafrooz Group, told the FE Saturday.
Rahimafrooz commands around 40 per cent of the local market of IPS, with Navana, Singer and Rangs being the other major market players. Around 10 other local and imported brands are also available in the market, but their share is very small.
"Compared to March 2009, our IPS sales have gone up this year. This is due primarily to greater demand from the customers," a senior Singer official said. He said customers now prefer IPS, as it is affordable and easy to maintain.
Shafiqul Hassan, marketing executive of Navana, said they are getting satisfactory demand calls for IPS units from their outlets across the country. "Our sales are already good and guess will shoot up in the coming summer."
Due to increasing and diversified demands, the manufacturers are now providing a range of generators and IPSs to ensure power for different classes of people.
"We have 250-VA to 3,000-VA capacity products. Models with capacity between 300-VA and 1,400-VA are mostly used in households," said a Rahimafrooz official.
Higher capacity IPS models for businesses and institutional customers are also available, with their capacity ranging from 6.0-KVA to 10-KVA. Jumbo IPS is now becoming increasingly popular among the business customers, industry people said.
In case of generators, commercial establishments, especially shops and offices, are the major buyers, said a senior officer at HS Enterprise, which commands the local market with Honda generators. Imported from Japan, the capacity of Honda generators ranges between 450-VA and 5.5-KVA, and are priced between Tk 22,000 and Tk 85,000.
Despite being relatively expensive than other brands, Honda generators commanded nearly 20 per cent of Bangladesh market last year, and HS officials hope to double their sales this year.
A resident of the city's Mirpur area said: "Severe load-shedding has compelled me to buy an IPS at Tk 28,000. My daughter will appear in the upcoming HSC examination, but the present erratic power supply situation has been seriously hampering her preparation."