Haier shoots for No 3 spot in home appliance market
HAIER THAILAND aims to be among the top three players in the electrical-appliance industry with total revenue of Bt7 billion within two years, while this year’s revenue is expected to be more than Bt2.6 billion, mainly driven by sales of air-conditioners
Yang Xiaolin, president of the Thai subsidiary of the Chinese home-appliance manufacturer, said the company had invested continuously to improve its productivity over the past two years to respond to local demand while overseas markets had slowed down.
“This year’s competition in the domestic home-appliance market continues to be as intense as it was last year because all brands are developing their products to gain more market share,” Yang said.
Haier wants to be No 3 in Thailand’s home-appliance industry after market leaders Samsung and LG, which currently have a combined share of more than 20 per cent.
To stimulate local demand, Haier is planning to introduce a number of new products such as 10 new models of washing machines, air-conditioners, refrigerators and freezers along with building awareness of its brand.
To gain more understanding about customers’ demands, Haier has established a research and development centre at its factory in Krabin Buri district of Prachin Buri province.
The company has also invested about Bt50 million on new facilities and machines to expand its production capacity this year.
Next year, the company will set up a testing centre for its air-conditioners.
“Building the brand is also key for a newcomer like Haier,” Yang stressed.
Apart from the launch of new premium products targeting customers residing in Bangkok and other key cities, the company will open its first Haier shop in Bangkok to be a platform to communicate with target consumers and improve its brand position.
Upcountry, the company aims to add 30 new dealers to the current complement of 250.
“Besides serving domestic demand, Thailand is also our manufacturing hub in the Southeast Asian countries and beyond, as about 60-70 per cent of production capacity at our factory is dedicated for export,” Yang said.
Currently, Haier exports its |products to Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Cambodia, Laos and other regions such as the Middle East, Japan, Latin America and Europe.
After experiencing the global economic slowdown, the company is seeking new markets such as Israel and Taiwan.This year, its factory’s earning is expected to be more than Bt8,800 million with a growth of 10 per cent from a previous year.
