PowerBuy loses Bt300m worth of appliance sales
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PowerBuy has lost Bt300 million in sales of electrical appliances from the beginning of last month to the middle of this month because of the floods.
“Some customers who had already bought electrical goods from our stores decided to leave their products at the stores in anticipation that the floods might attack their homes,” Sa-angtip Amornchat, vice president for marketing, said yesterday.
Sales of major home appliances such as refrigerators, air-conditioners and washing machines slipped by 15 per cent over the period as consumers delayed purchases amid rising concern over the floods, which hit many residential areas in Greater Bangkok, she said.
At the beginning of this month, many people moved out of their swamped homes and into condominiums. They purchased small appliances, such as microwaves, LCD (liquid-crystal display) televisions, small refrigerators and portable air-conditioners.
PowerBuy has set up two temporary distribution centres in Bang Na and Phetchaburi’s Cha-am district after its existing centre in Pathum Thani’s Bangpoon subdistrict was submerged.
Operations will resume at the Bangpoon distribution centre next month, Sa-angtip said. All distribution centres will be relocated to a 40-rai (6.4-hectare) site in Ayutthaya’s Wang Noi district in April.
“Our merchandising staff at the beginning of this month started talks with major suppliers about a 100-per-cent increase in electric appliances in our inventory. The move is to serve skyrocketing demand when the flood waters recede. It may lead to product shortages from some suppliers whose factories were damaged by floods,” she said.
PowerBuy will tomorrow launch a campaign to help flood victims, in cooperation with major partners – Central MasterCard, Kasikornbank and suppliers. Until February 8, consumers can take their flood-damaged electric appliances to a PowerBuy store and get special discounts of up to 26 per cent.
It expects its sales to rise 15-20 per cent to Bt16 billion this year and to increase 15 per cent next year. It plans to spend more than Bt1 billion in 2012 to open 22 branches, for a total of 94.
