The Indian home appliances market will not have window air-conditioners from the Samsung stable from 2012.
Samsung India Electronics has decided to de-list its range of window ACs from its bouquet of offerings from this year, in tune with the industry trend of shrinking window AC sales.
The share of split AC sales in the total offtake of ACs in India rose from 75 per cent in 2010 to 77 per cent in 2011, while the window version registered de-growth of 26 per cent.
“It is a matter of time before window ACs make a total exit from the Indian market. In 2011, split ACs accounted for 85 per cent of our AC sales and this year it will be 100 per cent,” Mr Mahesh Krishnan, Samsung Vice-President (Home Appliances), told mediapersons here.
People are migrating from window to split ACs due to their lower energy consumption and noise levels, besides their aesthetic appeal. While window AC sales accounted for just two per cent of the total in the South last year, the category enjoyed a better share in the northern markets.
Rolls out 39 new models
The company had a nation-wide roll-out of its new range of 39 models of split ACs here on Monday, in the presence of Samsung India's brand ambassador for home appliances, Bollywood actor Ms Priyanka Chopra.
While the southern market accounted for 32 per cent of Samsung's total AC sales in the country last year, the Hyderabad market had a share of 18.7 per cent in the southern market. “And that is why we decided to roll out our new AC range from Hyderabad,” Mr Mahesh said.
The company expects to clock AC sales of five lakh units in 2012, compared to 3.5 lakh units in 2011, considered one of the bad years for AC makers.
New models: Samsung is in the process of launching a new range of refrigerators in the next four to six weeks, as part of its new line-up to beat the slump in industry sales due to the current economic environment. “The new models will have new features based on our research into consumer insights,” he said.