Cold boosts sales of showers

Sao Paulo-the cold more rigorous this year has helped boost sales of the manufacturers of showers and water heaters in Brazil. But the increase in demand is still on time and should not be enough to reverse the slowdown in industrial activity in the segment.
"When, in a year like this, the lowest temperatures are below historical averages, the consumer finds himself faced with the need to search for equipment with greater capacity. That, effectively, with pardon the pun, heats up the market ", said the technical advisor in the area of electrical material of the Brazilian Association of electrical and Electronics Industry (Abinee), Roberto Barbieri.
According to him, the shower this year sales show recovery in confrontation with the performance registered in 2015. The Association does not disclose the numbers of the segment. Currently, the 11 manufacturers in the country represents Abinee, including Hydra Corona, Lorenzetti, Tramontina Elektric and Fame.
The high in demand, along with sales of resistances to the spare segment, has helped the Duratex, owner of Hydra brands and Corona, to compensate for the weakening of sales. "Our main market is replacement of showers and parts and not exactly the demand of new construction," he quoted the General Director of Hydra Corona, Robert Matthew. The expansion in sales appeared in the financial results of Duratex in the second quarter of this year. The Deca Division Sales totaled R$ 6,600,000 from April to June, up 8.5 percent over a year earlier.
The increase in the volume sold by the company was awarded also the purchase of the brand Corona, to product launch and expansion of the customer base.
"We have several new products, such as a digital line that allows you to monitor the performance of the product, as water flow and temperature and a hybrid that uses electricity to heat the water until other heating system, gas, is put into operation. These lines were thought from the demands with the water crisis, "explained Matthew.
Exports of showers also contribute to mitigate the lower pace of sales in Brazil. With production lines in Tubarão (SC) and Aracaju (SE), Duratex exports showers to Paraguay, Bolivia, Colombia and Peru, but the product has little participation in those countries.
Shipments to other countries are also on the radar of Tramontina Eletrik, who markets to Latin America countries showers. "We focused investments in the expansion of the portfolio, with the launch of product lines in threads in which hitherto we worked, as showers, circuit breakers and switchboards. This increase of portfolio enables entry into new markets and, to some extent, facilitates negotiations with resellers, "commented the Director of Tramontina Eletrik, Roberto Aimi.
Docol already be operating with reduced wages and journey in all product lines, in Joinville (SC), said people close to the operation. Sought, the company will not be deployed until the closing.
Heaters
Low temperatures, combined to the increase in energy prices from 2015, also is driving sales of gas water heaters and solar. In Komeco, orders already exceed the targets for the year.
"In addition to the seasonal concentration in demand for this type of product, the increase in energy prices helped the solar heating lines," said the marketing executive of the Komeco, Vinicius Amaral. The company produces solar water heaters in San Jose (SC) and import gas equipment.
"We''ve assessed, but local production of gas heater is still not interesting for Komeco, because it requires technical knowledge and machinery that we don''t have today," he said. The total sales volume of Komeco is about 20% below the level recorded in 2014. The company does not disclose the volume and sales revenue.
According to Amaral, the proportion of water heaters in the Komeco billing, although come registering growth in recent years, it still accounts for only 20% of the total earnings, with air conditioning representing most of the sales.
The German Bosch, whose portfolio includes gas heaters, Brazil also recorded increased demand for equipment. For the product manager of Bosch Termotecnologia, Luciano Santos, the most rigorous cold took clients ahead of schedule the purchase of heaters. "Many customers who were holding the investment, ended up deciding to buy now to meet the high demand [on the edge of the jail]," he said.
The volume of orders placed by large retailers of building materials, made every two months, are bigger, said the Executive of Bosch. The move led the company to revise its projections for the year, leaving fall for stability in sales.
"The high price of electric power, even with the green flag and the impact of the increases followed on electricity bill last year has made many people migrate to the gas water heating as a way to save money. But if real keep on appreciating against the dollar, we can have a negative impact on sales, "he pondered. Bosch stopped producing radiators in Brazil and today matter of Portugal. The migration was attributed to the brazilian tax burden.