Cooling appliance sales witnessed a spike in the last few days as shoppers looked for ways to beat the heat.
Retailers in Mohammadpur, Dhanmondi and Bangabandhu National Stadium Market in Gulistan said the sweltering heat had driven brisk sales of cooling appliances like air conditioners and air coolers.
Clients mostly sought air conditioners, but those on a budget purchased air coolers for between Tk6,000 and Tk13,000, retailers said.
The surge in demand caused many stores to run out of stock, they added. While shoppers seemed determined to make purchases, their decisions were price-sensitive, retailers said.
Brands like Walton, Marcel and Singer sold well in the air conditioner market traditionally dominated by Sony-Rangs, LG-Butterfly and General.
Market insiders said customers preferred air conditioners and appliances from Walton, which are locally manufactured, because they are less pricey than their competitors.
“I have been purchasing different products from the company because they are affordable and I can pay in instalments,” said Rezaul Karim, an office worker shopping at the stadium market.
The manager of a Walton showroom, Alok Bose, acknowledged that sales had risen.
Walton’s Executive Director (Marketing) Md Emdadul Haque Sarkar said the company had increased its manufacturing volume this year in light of the hike in demand seen last year.
“This year, we have enough stock to meet demand,” he said.
The company is offering a six-month replacement guarantee along with three years’ service warranty for their air conditioners, he added.
Singer is also providing cash discounts on some of their air conditioners. And at LG-Butterfly, a grand summer sale is on at which discounts are being offered on every product.
“People can enjoy discounts in all of our showrooms. Discounts of between 3% and 30% are being offered in every one of our showrooms across the country,” said Mosharraf Iqbal of the LG-Butterfly customer information centre.