Heating equipment market attracts customers

(Baonghean) -Along with the Northern provinces, Nghe An has had to experience severe cold, with nighttime temperatures sometimes dropping to 100C. It is forecasted that the cold air will continue to intensify, the severe cold will last until the end of January 2014 and will reach 70C. Many people have chosen to buy heating devices to protect their family's health, making the heating market more vibrant than ever...

Customers look at heating equipment at a store in Vinh City.

Ms. Ngo Thi Lien - owner of a heating product store outside Vinh market gate revealed: "On average, the store sells about 5 - 7 products per day. Customers mainly buy heating fans because of their affordable prices, from only a few hundred thousand VND to 1 million VND/piece. Along with regular heating products, electric blankets and mattresses are also being researched by many customers, however, with prices ranging from 1.8 - 3.8 million VND/piece, the high power consumption makes this product mainly only sold to customers with high incomes. With purchasing power continuing to increase in the days leading up to Tet, we have increased imports to meet people's needs."

A survey of the Vinh City market shows that there are dozens of heating equipment sales points. Although there are no specialized establishments, consumers can find these products at bedding, pillow and mattress stores, electrical, electronic and refrigeration stores, in markets and on the streets. In general, this year the heating equipment market is quite diverse and rich. Although there are not many breakthroughs in new features, there is a focus on improving designs and power saving capabilities. Currently, Halogen heater fans of the Lion, Saiko, Komasu brands are priced from 350,000 - 1,000,000 VND/product, depending on capacity; oil heaters of the Tiross, Samsung, Nagakawa brands... are priced from 2.2 - 3.5 million VND/product. Along with heating fans and heaters, heating bags are also used by many families because they are compact, energy-saving, and easy to carry anywhere; The average price of the product is from 80,000 to 200,000 VND, originating from China or Vietnam. In particular, this year, heating bag manufacturers have launched a number of cute animal-shaped products that are loved by many children.

Talking to us, Mr. Pham Van Thang - the employee in charge of the household electrical appliances counter at Hong Ha Supermarket said: "For more than a month now, heating equipment has been selling very well, there are days when the Center sells more than 10 products. This year, consumers are more careful in choosing to buy heating products, not interested in cheap products of unknown origin, especially products of Chinese origin. Many customers are willing to spend a little more money to buy domestic or imported products with instructions for use, product quality certificates and clear warranty policies. This year, the trend of oil heaters is chosen by customers more than ever because the machine's operating mechanism is to plug in electricity to heat oil to emit heat, so it is safer, suitable for families with the elderly and children. Another convenience that consumers like is that the product base has wheels, making it easy to move to different locations in the room."

This winter, the market also has a "three-in-one" infrared heating lamp with heating, lighting and fan functions. This is a specialized product for use in bathrooms or in small rooms. The price of infrared heating lamps ranges from 800,000 to 2.2 million VND/piece, depending on the number of heating bulbs, heat dissipation capacity and additional functions such as water resistance, anti-electric shock, temperature control to cool down when too hot... While blankets, electric mattresses, heating bags, and heating fans are mostly from China and Korea, the types of heating lamps on the market are all from Germany and Korea.

Ms. Nguyen Phuong Thao - a customer who just bought a Hans brand bathroom heater at An Thinh Electronics Supermarket said: "I thought the cold spell would only last a few days, but unexpectedly it lasted a whole month and the temperature dropped so low some days. So I had to buy two heaters right away because my family has both young children and the elderly. Knowing that the electricity bill will increase, but to ensure the health of my family, I still decided to buy them, not daring to save on this amount." In addition to heaters, the two-way air conditioner market is also quite active these days. Although the price is many times more expensive than other heating devices, many customers are willing to spend tens of millions of VND to buy this "vip" heating product. Mr. Van Cong Hoa, in Hamlet 16 - Hung Loc Commune (Vinh City) thought: Compared to fan and heater products at the present time, buying a two-way air conditioner is much more expensive, but in terms of function and usage time, it is still a more economical choice than other devices. Buy air conditioner, whenever needed I can use it.

Due to the seasonal nature of the product, heating devices become a hot item every time the weather gets cold. Currently, there are many products on the market that do not have the correct quality standards announced on the packaging and labels, and the safety of the products has not been assessed by the authorities. Moreover, many shop owners also "look at the face to judge the customer" to quote prices. Therefore, consumers are easily "tricked" because each store offers different prices, with a difference of up to hundreds of thousands for a product of the same type. For example, an 800W fan heater at an electronics store on Tran Phu Street is sold for 420,000 VND, but at another store on the same street, the price is only 350,000 VND/unit. Similarly, an oil heater of the same brand is listed at 2.2 million VND in some places, but in other places, the price is only 1.85 million VND/unit...

Although it is a useful product in winter, heating equipment also has many things to note for users. Mr. Le Trong Tam, owner of an electronics and refrigeration store on Quang Trung Street (Vinh City) shared: "Each type of electric heater has its own advantages and disadvantages. For example, Halogen heaters are simple to use, compact in design, heat up instantly, and are affordable, but they pose a potential safety risk due to high heat generation and high capacity, which can easily cause short circuits and fires.

Oil heaters use electricity to burn oil inside the radiators, which has the additional function of creating humidity and drying clothes, without giving off a burning smell. However, this type of heater warms up slowly and is quite bulky, making it difficult to arrange. To ensure safety and to limit damage, consumers must follow the instructions for use. When using, place the heater on a flat and sturdy surface, and do not place the heater near flammable objects such as blankets, pillows, and bed sheets. For bathroom heaters, a lamp protector must be installed and the electrical cord must be checked regularly to avoid leaks. If used while sleeping, a timer should be set to avoid leaving the device running for too long, which can cause dry skin, lack of oxygen, and waste electricity"...

According to the owners of heating equipment stores, every time the cold season begins, the number of customers looking to buy increases sharply. Moreover, these products have only appeared on the market in recent years, so consumption is still high and has not been saturated like some electronic and refrigeration products. Predicting the market trend, many heating equipment retailers believe that from now until the Lunar New Year, this product will still be in the best-selling category because consumer demand is still quite high.

Ngoc Anh