KARACHI (June 29 2007): Unabated load shedding followed by pre-monsoon rains have badly affected the sale of refrigerators and air-conditioners and, for the first time in Karachi's history, the consumption of the two most-sought electric appliances amid peak-buying season was reduced to only 50 percent.

"Frequent load shedding and then rains hit the market badly, bringing about the premature end to refrigerators and air-conditioners sale," market sources said on Thursday.

March to August period is considered peak season for the sale of refrigerators and air-conditioners, but this year, their demand could not reach even an average level, they said.

They observed that first May 12 incident hampered the thriving businesses in the market, which could not regain the momentum, and now it was the power outages and rains which put a negative impact on electronic goods' sales.

"Electronic goods' dealers are worried over the post-selling payments to the companies, as market is almost deserted and the customers are now least interested in buying items they needed earlier during the sizzling weather in the metropolis," they pointed out.

"I am here at my shop out of orders and the customers, enjoying pleasant weather are now interested in buying things other than refrigerators and air-conditioners," a refrigerator dealers said.

He said despite decreasing demand, the prices of refrigerators and air-conditioners would remain the same. Minimum price of a good refrigerator was selling at Rs 15,000 and air-conditioner at Rs 16,500, he said.

He said: "Today (Thursday) is the first day when the shops maximum number of shops are opened, but accumulated rainwater on the streets discourage customers from entering the market."

Things in the market will take time to come to normalcy, because the recent rain has proved to be the deadliest, claiming about 250 lives in a single stroke, he said, and added that amid such uncertain conditions, customers were least interested to come out for shopping. Criticising the city government, he said that it had failed to drain out the rainwater from the market.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2007