KOCHI: Though the summer rains have come in as a relief, bringing the temperatures down, the month of April was a very good period for the home appliances stores in the district.The soaring heat saw people make a beeline to the stores in search of air conditioners and coolers. The stores saw a 20 per cent to 30 per cent increase in sales this year, compared to the same period last year.
All the brands were selling like hot cakes, said Ajith, sales manager, Bismi. "It was not as if the customers preferred only ACs. The coolers too were in demand," he said. According to him, in the past, ACs were considered to be a thing for the upper middle class and the rich.
"But due to the availability of EMI option, which had been made available by nearly all the brands, ACs have become more affordable," he added. The demand was so high that many of the well-known brands went off the stock. "We were selling around 100 AC units and around 80 to 90 coolers per day. Even the coolers went out of stock. The companies were struggling to meet the demand," said Ajith. Both the 1 tonne and 1.5-tonne units were in demand in the AC section, while all variants of coolers were doing brisk business since the summer heat strengthened.
However, experts caution about excessive use of ACs. According to Anand M, assistant professor, School of Environmental Studies, Cusat, an increase in the use of artificial modes of cooling is indirectly affecting the environment. "The working of the AC units involve pushing out the hot air from inside the room. Air conditioners collectively contribute to the greenhouse effect and global warming. The hot air released into the atmosphere can create more heat. In cities where most homes and businesses have air conditioners, urban heat zones form in the sky, often changing weather patterns," he said.
Of course, technological improvements have helped ACs to be more eco-friendly compared to their predecessors, he added. "Today there is no threat of the chlorofluorocarbons unlike in the past. But the concrete buildings and the ACs have led to an increase in the atmospheric temperatures in the cities.," he said.
20 per cent rise
The stores saw a 20 per cent to 30 per cent increase in sales this year, compared to the same period last year.