KARACHI: Sales of deep freezers and refrigerators have surged sharply ahead of Eidul Azha, with a large number of buyers lifting these appliances for storing sacrificial meat in bulk quantities.
Talking to Dawn, wholesalers at Hashoo Centre and retailers across the city maintain their sales have gone up by 50 per cent currently as compared to normal days. The sales volume is expected to double just two to three days before Eid, sources added.
Contrasting views were offered by sellers, with many saying deep freezers are in high demand while others believe that refrigerators sales are going stronger than deep freezers owing to Eid and an additional demand for dowry purposes.
Buyers prefer 14×18 cubic ft size refrigerators due to ample space for storing sacrificial animal meat while 8×12 cubic ft size deep freezers are drawing buyers’ attention too. However, for dowry giveaways, many families prefer lifting 10×12 cubic ft size refrigerators.
Prices of these items have not increased so far but in case of very high demand and slow supply retailers and wholesalers usually start charging an additional Rs3,000-4,000 on domestic appliances two to three days ahead of Eidul Azha.
Retailers in F B Area are offering customers booking of appliances at full payment in case the buyers intends to lift deep freezers one or two day before Eid.
According to figures of Large Scale Manufacturing, manufacturers increased deep freezers production in September 2015 to 8,845 units from 4,692 units in August 2015 as Eid was celebrated in last week of September 2015. However, production of refrigerators fell slightly to 104,541 units in September 2015 from 111,680 units in August 2015.
On the current sales situation, President Karachi Electronic Dealers Association (KEDA) Mohammad Rizwan estimated 1,200-1,500 deep freezer units are sold daily in Karachi alone these days. Sales may reach 3,000-3,500 units one or two days before Eid, he added.
So far there is no shortage of any brand and supplies from manufacturers are going normal, he said.
He went on to add that seasonal sales fridge and deep freezers depends on the sale trend of sacrificial animals which is increasing now.
An official in Maweshi Mandi Super Highway said so far 145,000 cows and buffaloes have arrived in Karachi, followed by 65,000-70,000 goats and 2,500-3,000 camels.
According to figures of LSM, production of refrigerators slightly went up to 1,478,572 units in 2015-16 from 1,462,874 units in 2014-15. Deep freezer production went up by 15 per cent to 101,638 units as compared to 88,522 units in 2013-14.
Every year the religious festival also brings boom in the earnings of repairmen who fix cooling gadgets. These repairmen are able to charge extra for fixing appliances and filling gas.
Many buyers bring old refrigerators and deep freezers to exchange them with new ones by paying balance amount. In this condition retailers usually strike a deal with buyers on full retail price rather than offering wholesale price.
