Kathmandu

Gone are the days when side by side refrigerators used to be considered as premium refrigerators. However, with the advancement of technology, today one can get four and five-door refrigerators with an array of options like air boosters, moisture retention technology, freshoniser, energy efficient and new finishes. Of late, many refrigerator brands have been introducing smart refrigerators in the market.

Every home needs an efficient refrigerator to keep food fresh, hygienic as it craftily caters to each specific needs. With the onset of summer, a few recognised brands have put forward their best selection of latest makes and of models of refrigerators in the Nepali market.

“The April Earthquake followed by the economic embargo largely affected the refrigerator business in the country,” shared Sunny Shrestha, Marketing Manager of Nepa Hima Trade Link, authorised distributor of Whirlpool, adding that the overall refrigerator market witnessed a slump in sales by around 70 per cent as compared to the previous year. Citing that the market is slowly shaping up as the peak season has just begun, he said, “We have been experiencing a tough competition in the Kathmandu centric market for the refrigerators.”

“This year, we intend to surpass our sales of the year 2014,” shared Shrestha. According to him, French door (model no 14620), Protton three-door (model no 20150) and Professional two-door (model no 20333) are some of the popular refrigerator models from Whirlpool. The price of these models ranges from Rs 65,500 to Rs 225,000.

Samsung is yet another brand that offers a wide range of refrigerators to its customers. Out of 65 different ranges that Samsung worldwide offers, 31 models are available in the Nepali market. According to company source, almost 80 per cent of their sales are dominated by single-door refrigerators.

The earthquake last year dismantled all businesses in the country and Samsung was not an exception. According to the source, “The demand and supply were affected negatively but we managed to achieve some revenue even in such times. Now, the situation has improved and we have positive expectations tied up with all new products to be launched.”

Soon to be launched in July, the noble and innovative Samsung Smart Convertible Refrigerator model no RT34K3753S9 has special two in one function; regular mode and efficient mode which will help create more space, specifically up to 88 litres for more food storage.

“The market was already marred by the earthquake and again adding fuel to the fire the blockade hit it even harder,” shared Puroshottam Bhandari, Assistant General Manager of CG Electronics, authorised distributor of LG.

“The new smart refrigerators best suits for the Nepali market as these refrigerators run efficiently by home inverters,” he said, adding that thus they are confident about the success of the model in the domestic market. He informed that they will aggressively come up with New Year and UEFA EURO 2016 schemes to boost the sales.

LG carries a wide selection of refrigerators, and now their latest model the New Smart Refrigerator with Smart Connect Technology is also in the market. The refrigerators — model no GL-S292RPCL, model no GL-S302RPCL and model no GL-S322RPCL are of the latest products from LG in the market. The price of these models ranges from Rs 50,190 to Rs 55,890.