"Busy Preparing for the Heatwave... Home Appliance Industry Gears Up for Summer"

Samsung and LG Electronics Offer Summer Cleaning Service Limited to Air Conditioners
Surge in Air Conditioner Cleaning Requests Leads to Staff Shortage
Air Conditioner Industry Active Amid Expected Heatwave This Summer
Window and Portable Air Conditioners Popular for Installation Anywhere

[Asia Economy Reporter Suyeon Woo] The home appliance industry has officially started preparing for summer. As applications for pre-inspection and cleaning services for air conditioners, which had been left unused during the winter, surge, the air conditioner market is also gaining momentum amid expectations that this summer's temperatures will be higher than average.

According to the industry on the 2nd, recently Samsung and LG Electronics have been prioritizing air conditioner cleaning services among home appliances in preparation for the summer peak season. This is due to the overwhelming demand for air conditioner cleaning to prepare for the intense heat, resulting in a shortage of service personnel.

In the case of Samsung Care Plus service by Samsung Electronics Service, the number of users has increased by more than 40% monthly on average over the past five months, and from April, applications for air conditioner cleaning in preparation for summer have started to increase significantly. A Samsung Electronics Service official said, "About 90% of customers in June applied for air conditioner cleaning, showing that demand is concentrated on seasonal appliances," adding, "For specialized cleaning of appliances other than air conditioners, schedules are being adjusted for after the summer season."

A Samsung Electronics Service employee is providing professional air conditioner cleaning services. Photo by Samsung Electronics Service

LG Electronics also provides home appliance cleaning services limited to air conditioners during the summer peak season. Additionally, LG Electronics hopes that the night-time unmanned stores, which were first opened in the domestic industry last May, will become a new concept resting place to cool down the tropical nights of summer. Currently, LG Best Shop unmanned stores operate in nine locations nationwide, with operating hours from 8:30 PM to midnight on weekdays and weekends during night hours. LG Electronics expects a significant increase in customers using the night-time unmanned stores, where non-face-to-face consultation and purchases are possible, as the peak summer season approaches.

With forecasts predicting this summer's weather to be hotter and more humid than usual, expectations for air conditioner sales are also rising. The domestic air conditioner market, a seasonal summer appliance, grew to about 2.5 million units during the scorching heat of 2018-2019 but shrank to around 2 million units last year due to the longest rainy season on record.

However, this year, consumers looking to purchase air conditioners have been increasing since May, so the peak air conditioner season is expected to be longer than usual. Furthermore, the overall market size is expected to expand as integrated outdoor unit air conditioners, such as window-type and portable air conditioners, penetrate niche markets.

Samsung Electronics launched the new window-type air conditioner "Window Fit," which had been discontinued for 20 years, in April, and LG Electronics introduced a portable air conditioner last month that can be custom-installed in various spaces and window frames. Paseco, which holds the number one market share in the domestic window-type air conditioner market, has also set a hit record with 50,000 units sold this year and a cumulative total of 200,000 units.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.