DITF: Home appliance items are on high demand

Despite a low turnout of visitors at this year's Dhaka International Trade Fair (DITF), which has returned after a year due to the pandemic, home appliance items sales have been rather good compared to other products, said sellers.

Visiting the fair on Thursday at the new venue in Purbachal, a good number of visitors were seen at the stalls of home appliances as the day progressed.

Home appliance sellers said, people are washing machines and electric kettles are selling the most as many companies are offering free home delivery while others are attracting customers with discounts ranging from 10 to 20%.

However, many visiting the fair said they felt the overall number of products, including the home appliance items, were comparatively less than usual years.

"The stalls are small. The atmosphere doesn't feel like we are in the fair, rather a shopping mall of sorts," Shilpi Khanom, who was visiting from Rupganj, told The Business Standard.

Home appliance products at this year's trade fair include rice cooker, washing machine, blender, juicer, microwave oven, induction cooker, air cooler, air fryer, cloth dryer, ironing, electric kettle, pressure cooker, rechargeable lamp, rechargeable lamp, stabilizer, IPS, water purifier, weight machine, rechargeable fan, wall fan, ceiling fan, rechargeable battery etc.

"We have introduced some new home appliance items.  A few more items might be added towards the end of the fair. However, microwave ovens are selling the most." Walton Deputy Director Golam Samdany told The Business Standard.

A number of companies, including Walton, are only exhibiting products at their fair stall this year to take bookings and deliver products from their outlets free of charge.

Vision Electronics, another home appliance maker, is selling smaller items from their stall while exhibiting heavier product-line for sales from showrooms, said its Pavillion in charge Masud Rana.  

Raihan, manager of Jamuna Electronics, told The Business Standard, "It is too early to assume the sales rate, however, home appliance items including irons and electric kettles are certainly selling more."

Sajibul Islam, Assistant Manager, Minister Electronics, said, "We have been getting a lot of response from the buyers from the very beginning, contrary to what we expected."

Abu Hassan, deputy showroom manager of RFL, told The Business Standard that there have been good crowds in their stalls so far, although not as much as previous years.

Asked about the most selling items, he said that electric kettles and room heaters are selling the most.

"Since the location of the venue this year is far from the city centre, people are avoiding the purchase of heavier products," he added.