Water-heater sales steaming: Panasonic
Panasonic AP Sales (Thailand) Co Ltd has launched its latest water-heater model, the Panasonic Evolution DH-3ED1T, hoping it will help the company achieve a 53-per-cent market share in the Bt900-million water-heater market by year-end.
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Panasonic AP Sales (Thailand) Co Ltd is using its advertising budget, 10 per cent more than last year's, to sell its hot-water heaters, air-conditioners, refrigerators and washing machines.
It has a 51-per-cent share of the water-heater market, 19 per cent of the air-conditioner market, 17 per cent of the refrigerator market and 15 per cent of the washing-machine market, according to Somboon Tangsumpun, general manager of Panasonic's Marketing Department.It also plans to upgrade its plants to improve production and its logistics systems. But the company's deputy managing manager, Motoyuki Shigemori, said a concrete plan and exact budget for these activities had yet to be finalised. He said the company would not change any of its marketing plans, including product launches for the rest of this year, because of the coup. Yesterday, it launched its latest water-heater model: the Panasonic Evolution DH-3ED1T. Banlue Tiragarn, manager of merchandise marketing for Panasonic AP Sales, said it was the highlight model among Panasonic's six water heaters launched this year. Its goal in the water-heater sector by year-end is to increase to 53 per cent its share of the Bt900-million water-heater market. He said the company a few years ago had 60 per cent of the market but lost some ground when more companies, such as Stiebel Eltron, entered. Banlue predicted the market would grow 5 per cent this year, adding that the company had met its sales target in the first three quarters of the year. He said sales for the year would grow 8 per cent to Bt2.8 billion. Air-conditioners account for 40 per cent of its sales, refrigerators 22 per cent, washing machines 16 per cent and water heaters 9 per cent. Nitida Asawanipont The Nation
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