issue: November 2007 APPLIANCE Magazine Tokyo Report RAC Sales Down, But High End is Hot	Share  Printable format  Email this Article  Search
by Wasaku Ishida, Japan correspondent and president, JARN (Japan Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration News)

Domestic shipments of room air-conditioners (RACs) in Japan from January to May of 2007 remained level or were several points lower than last year, an unfavorable situation by all accounts. Domestic RAC shipments in May were 782,072 units, down 1.1% from last year. From January to May, 2007 shipments totaled 2,758,218 units, down 4.7 percent from the same period last year. According to an industry source, sales of high-end models and large-capacity models in the domestic RAC market have increased by 5 to 6% over last year in terms of value, with flagship models and units larger than 4.0 kW selling well.

During peak demand season, domestic AC producers implemented a variety of promotional activities, including broad-based advertising campaigns and in-store events.