industry

Air purifiers’ seasonal sales fox manufacturers


KOLKATA: Despite several Indian cities having earned the dubious distinction of being the most polluted globally, sales of air purifiers is limited to three weeks in the country and that too mostly in the north.

Manufacturers and retailers say the season begins after Diwali and peaks when pollution is in the headlines in newspapers and television. Once these fade, sales subside. Even those who have bought the devices put them away once this happens, even though pollution levels continue to rule high.

Retailers say manufacturers haven’t been able to build the category in India despite some having invested in brand building and marketing. All the big global brands are present in the Indian air purifier market—Dyson, LG, Samsung, Voltas, Havells, Philips, Sharp, Honeywell, Eureka Forbes, Kent, Panasonic, Xiaomi, HUL Pureit, Blue Star and Daikin among others. “Consumers buy and use air purifiers only when the air quality is visibly bad that they can feel or perceive the impact on health. When they don’t feel any pain, they don’t buy, or stop using it,” said leading electronics retailer Vijay Sales director Nilesh Gupta. The chain sells about 80-100 units per day during the peak period through over 100 stores; at other times it’s just one or two at best.

While Delhi-NCR has topped the charts, Mumbai and Kolkata too have made it to the ranks of the worst-polluted cities in the world. Air pollution is also above normal in cities such as Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kanpur, Chennai, Pune, Bhubaneswar and Lucknow through the year, according to studies.

Eureka Forbes CEO Marzin R Shroff said air purifiers are a three-week category concentrated in the north, since consumers don’t see the immediate benefits of using it, unlike a water purifier. “We are trying to get that critical insight which will make this an all-India and year-round category,” he said.

The market is worth Rs 200-230 crore, growing at about 15-20% annually, with over 50 brands jostling for business, making this one of the most populated electronics categories in the country. Even though starting prices have dropped to Rs 6,000-6,500 from Rs 9,000 in the last two years, adoption rates aren’t rising that quickly.

Sharp India president of consumer electronics business Kishalay Ray said there is a perception issue about air purifiers in India since it’s only top of the mind during a short period. “But indoor air remains polluted through the year, including infections. Once doctors or experts suggest its use, the category will pick up,” he said.

Brands said they are trying to create awareness about the impact of outdoor and indoor pollution through campaigns in social and mass media, apart from organising demonstrations.

According to the latest State of Global Air report, around 60% of the population in India and 32% in China were exposed to household air pollution in 2017. The report said China and India had the highest mortality burden attributable to air pollution in 2017. The US is the currently the largest market for air purifiers.





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