record sale of TV sets as FIFA World Cup approaches
07 June 2014 BSS, Dhaka
Bangladesh is witnessing a record sale of television sets in the last couple of months as just few days left to begin the FIFA World Cup 2014, the biggest sporting event in the world.
Kickoff of the FIFA World Cup 2014 is on June 12 and here in Dhaka full-on party mode will continue till about the end of June, until Ramadan starts.
Irrespective of young and old, rich or poor, most of the people from all walks of life especially youths are enthusiastically waiting to watch live their favourite football sport on new TV screen as every match to be turned into celebration.
This correspondent visited a number of markets of electronic goods in the city and found that both local and foreign brands are in hurry mode while selling the electronic goods, offering various discounts and reduction in prices.
Talking to BSS, Engineer Shakura Sharmin Khan, a civil servant, who was buying a new television at the National Stadium, said she wants to replace her old TV set with a LED one just for the FIFA World Cup.
"Although it is an additional pressure for my family but I will have to have a new TV as this year too, I don't want to miss the opportunity to watch the World Cup football together with all of my family members," said Khan, who came from Mirpur.
Local manufacturers beefed up their production of television sets while traders of foreign companies increased the supply of the electronic product to meet the additional demand for the same among consumers. Apart from local brands - Walton and Marcel- foreign companies such as Samsung, LG, Singer, Panasonic and Transtec are among them in the markets.
Emdadul Haque Sarkar, Head of Marketing of RB Group, said the sales of Walton television has increased by around 41 percent last month compared to the month of April.
"We use to keep 40,000-50,000 television sets in our stock but this time we kept stock of over 1.5 lakh to meet its extra demand just for the FIFA World Cup 2014," he said.
"We've a target to sell 70,000 televisions sets during the next 45 days.we've already introduced in markets 10 models of 14 inch CRT television, eight models of 21 inch television as per the taste and attitude of consumers", Moudud Parvez Mamun, In Charge (Sales) of Walton Television said.
Sarwar Jahan, Sales Manager of Rangs Electronics, an importer of Sony brands electronics, said their company sold out around 4,000 TV sets each month this year.
"Our sales will exceed 5000 this month," he hoped.
Around 12-13 lakh TV sets are produced in the country every year while the country imports two lakh sets, according to the Bangladesh TV Manufacturers Association (BTMA).
As many as 14.44 lakh TV sets were sold out in last 2013-14 fiscal year and 7.38 lakh sets were sold in just six months till December of the current fiscal, according to the association.
