Onam 2020: Mixed bag for appliance manufacturers in Kerala

Sales picked up from mid-August ahead of Onam festival. Televisions were the most popular product followed by refrigerators.

M Saraswathy

September 11, 2020 / 19:25 IST

It was a mixed bag for appliance manufacturers in Kerala during Onam 2020. Industry officials told Moneycontrol that the lockdown led to disruptions in sales in some parts of the state, though overall sales were better than previous months.

Onam kicks off the festive sales season in India. Sales during the 10-day festival offers a glimpse of how the rest of the festive season could pan out for consumer durables firms. The 10-day Onam festivities began on August 22 and will continued till September 2.

Industry sources said that while the sales number was lower than last year, it was better than the gloomy expectations.

“We were expecting close to Rs 800 crore of sales. But the actual figure is only around Rs 500 crore. In 2017, it was Rs 770 crore. But from April to June there was barely any sales, so this is a good number,” said the head of consumer appliances at a mid-size white goods firm.

The white goods market in India, currently worth about Rs 50,000 crore, is growing around 15 percent every year.

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