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A.P.
National Sales Co.,Ltd. is
the Distribution company for -
"NATIONAL" Brand
Electric Home Appliances, Refrigerators, Rice Cookers, Irons and Air
Conditioning Units The Parent company Matsushita also manufactures
under the trade name Panasonic
Report on the Air conditioner Market - Bangkok Post
Some like it hot. None more so than makers of air-conditioners who are competing
more fiercely than at any time in the past decade for market share, according to
those in the industry.
Manufacturers from Europe, South Korea, Japan and Thailand are jostling for
attention, with about a dozen brands offering discounts of between 15% and 25%,
ranging from 3,000 to 7,000 baht. They include big names such as Mitsubishi,
National, Whirlpool, Hitachi, Fujitsu, Saijo Denki, Samsung, LG and Daikin.
Give-aways such as fruit-juice blenders, microwave ovens and blankets come with
some products, along with free installation.
At the same time, dealers are being offered a bigger slice of the profits and
travel as rewards for increasing turnover.
About 300,000 air-conditioners will be sold this year, almost 10% more than last
year, according to a survey of several retailers including Power Buy, Power Mall
and Carrefour discount store.
Customers will benefit, they say, as manufacturers are eager to make sales
during the peak hot season in the case the economy weakens later in the year.
They also want to safeguard their market share before free-trade rules enable
new competitors from other Southeast Asian countries to enter the market next
year.
Given projections of a prolonged drought this summer, sales of air-conditioners
have increased recently, as well as those of electric fans and juice blenders.
Somsak Chitipalungsri, the managing director of Saijo Denki International Co,
said the company expected to sell 50% more Saijo Denki brand air-conditioners in
the second quarter of this year, compared with the same period last year when
sales increased by 20% year-on-year.
This summer was hotter than a year ago, he said, and the company was selling its
high energy-saving 12,200 BTU (British thermal units) model at a discount for
the first time.
The company planned to spend 100 million baht on advertising and promotions this
year, including 75 million in the hot season. It aimed to sell 70,000
air-conditioners this year, just over 30% more than last year.
While competition was creating good deals for customers, they should buy units
that had been endorsed by the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand as
energy-savers, he said.
Some retailers were making exaggerated claims about the energy efficiency of
some products, he warned.
Chatchai Ekwongviriya, sales director of A.P. National Sales Co, the marketer of
National air-conditioner, said the brand aimed to increase its market share to
10% this year from 6% last year by offering a model with a new, trendy design.
As the firm imported air-conditioners from Malaysia, in order to benefit from a
low import tax of 5%, the units were more attractively priced than last year. A
Cannon brand blanket, which normally retails at about 3,200 baht, was being
given away with each unit, he said.
Displays were being held at department stores coinciding with a National Summer
Festival involving the brand's 400 dealers.
Sales of air-conditioners have increased not only in Bangkok, but also in the
provinces. Awaso Wongrit, the owner of Krungsiam Supermarket in Satun, said he
expected to sell 30 to 35 units between March 1 and the end of this month,
compared with 20 to 25 in the same period last year.
The reason, he said, was lower prices, with 9,000-BTU National units selling at
22,000 baht each, down from 28,000 baht, and 12,000-BTU units priced at 27,000
baht, down from 31,900 baht.
Praphan Prakobkit, the general manager of domestic appliances and personal care
division of Philips Electronics, added sales of Philips juice blenders were up
by 40% year-on-year.
Sole Distributor for
"NATIONAL" Brand Electric Home Appliances.
Products:
Hood and Ventilation Equipment, Industrial and Process Equipment, Laboratory
Equipment, Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning Equipment, Unitary Air
Conditioning Equipment, Terminal Heating and Cooling Units, Air Cleaning Devices
Categories: Home
Appliance Manufacturers,
Electrical
Goods Manufacturers,
Japanese
Manufacturers in Thailand,
Foreign
Manufacturers in Thailand
Contact: Prapat Aphiphunya Chairman
A.P.
National Sales Co.,Ltd.
Address
18/6 Moo 7 ,
Bangna-Trad Road, Km.17,
Bangchalong, Bang Phli,
Samutprakarn
10540
Telephone
[66] 02 312-7148
Fax
[66] 02 312-7167 |
