Shops and supermarkets in HCM usually offer discounts of only 10 or 15 per cent, but as the peak hot season is near, they are now discounting fans and air conditioners by 15 to 50 percent and offering free delivery and installation, as well as a zero percent interest rate on installment payments.

A survey conducted at a number of large electronics stores such as Nguyen Kim and Thien Hoa found that demand for air conditioners and fans had skyrocketed with the onset of summer.

Nguyen Trong Tuan, a representative of Nguyen Kim Electronic Appliance Centre, said the sales of air conditioners, refrigerators, fruit juicers and blenders had increased significantly compared to the same period last year.

Sales are expected to continue as the heat wave is predicted to reach its peak in a few weeks, he said. This is the best time to buy before prices rise during the hot season.

The Southern Hydro-Meteorology Station said that hot temperatures had arrived earlier than usual, with average temperatures in the city and southeastern region from March to May expected to be 0.5-1 degrees Celsius higher than the same period last year.

Tran Nguyen Anh Tu, sales clerk at Thien Hoa Electronics Centre, said sales of fans and air conditioners had shot up by 50 per cent compared to earlier last month, and were 25 per cent higher than the same period last year.

The most popular products include energy-savings technology such as water-misting fans, air conditioning, automatic refrigerators, and inverter air conditioners with timers and touch control.

Small electronic shops also report higher sales of cooling products. A shop owner on Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street in District 3 said sales of fans, air conditioners, fruit juicers and blenders at her shop had risen significantly.

Demand is expected to continue to rise in the coming months, with sales predicted to go up by 25-30 per cent, she said.

Traders said that fans from companies KDK, Panasonic, Mitsubishi and Asia are priced from VND300,000 (US$13.45) to VND1 million for low-end products and up to VND3 million for high-end products.

Customers are increasingly paying more attention to product quality and durability, and prefer to buy energy-efficient air conditioners, according to shop owners.

The most popular are 1-1.5 HP air conditioners from Toshiba, Daikin, LG, Panasonic and Reetech, with prices between VND8 million and 12 million.

With the hot and dry season expected to be more severe this year, electronic shops foresee strong sales of cooling products. – VNS