Tuesday, April 27, 2010

With temperature air conditioner sales soar

 
Tuesday, 27 April 2010 12:07 Mizzima News

New Delhi (Mizzima) - Soaring temperatures in Rangoon has sent air conditioners flying of shop shelves with sales figures sky rocketing to 150 per cent compared to last year.
Rangoon boasts over 50 air conditioner shops. The machines are made in Japan, Malaysia, Thailand and China. The China made ‘Chigo’ brand of air conditioners are the most popular and sell the most because they come cheap. The Chigo air conditioner prices range from 180,000 Kyat (180 US$) to 1300,000 Kyat (1,300 US$).

An air conditioner shop owner on 39 Street, Kyauktada Township told Mizzima, “The temperatures began rising this week, along with it sale of air conditioners went up. About six or seven machines on an average are sold every day. The temperature has gone over 40 degrees Celsius”.

According to the Department of Meteorology the temperature was 44.3 Celsius in Chauk (Magway Division), 44.2 in Minbu (Magway Division), 43 in Magway (Magway Division), 43.5 in Mandalay (Mandalay Division), and 43 in Myin Chan (Mandalay Division) yesterday.

“We are selling about 10 air conditioners a day. The temperature is soaring higher and higher. And sales have shot up to about 150 per cent compared to last year,” an air conditioner shop owner from Thingangyun Township told Mizzima.

Power cuts, however, are hampering sales, shop owners said.

A person on 33 Street (Kyauktada Township), who bought an air conditioner, said, “We are aware the power consumption by an air conditioner is very high. However, we can’t withstand the heat. So, we had to save money to buy one. An air conditioner cannot be used whenever one wants to because of frequent power cuts. And we don’t have our own generator”.