Northern region pips South, West in consumer durables sale

Vijay C Roy

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 28

Indicating a change in consumer demand and buying preferences during the pandemic, the northern region has outpaced the southern and western region when it comes to sale of consumer durables.

According to industry, the consumer durables sector witnessed around 30% growth in the northern region as the demand for microwaves, dishwashers, washing machines, smart TVs and refrigerators witnessed a significant increase. As compared to North, the southern and western region witnessed 15-20% growth.

Strong demand

We have seen a strong demand for white goods as the use of home appliances has risen significantly. It was supplemented by stable income in urban and rural areas. Sanjay Chitkara, Sales head, LG

The pandemic boosted the demand for white goods that help in easing burden of household chores. Online classes and OTT platforms propelled the demand for smart TVs.

A senior sales executive at Croma said they also witnessed a significant demand for white goods during the pandemic. According to the industry, the northern region contributes 7-8% to total consumer durable sales in the country. Appliances makers say the pent-up demand, continued work from home, spike in temperature and changing consumer preference are the factors responsible for increase in sales.

Navneet Karkara, Regional Business Head, LG India, said, “Earlier out of total washing machine sales, the share of semi-automatic and fully automatic in North was 50:50. Now, the share of fully automatic machines has gone up to 60-70% in North whereas in the western and southern region, the share of fully automatic washing machines is around 90%.”