The Hindu Business Line : Siemens Home Appliances arm eyes 40 pc growth

RBS Home Appliances, the retail arm for Siemens Home Appliances in India, is looking at a 40 per cent growth this year, which it hopes will be fuelled by its premium category. Also on the cards is the company's foray into the super-premium segment with the launch of refrigerators and washing machines in the price bracket of Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh.

Mr Vipul Raval, Managing Director, RBS Home Appliances, said the company would focus on growing its premium category of built-in refrigerators, microwaves and dishwashers. "The high-end segment contributed more than 10 per cent to the company's revenues last year, and this year, we hope that it would contribute almost 50 per cent."

The company has chalked out an experiential marketing strategy to expand the category, which includes live demonstrations and free trials for its dishwashers and driers. To expand the drier category, it has also launched wall-mounted driers at Rs 10,000.

The company sold around 8,000 dishwashers last year and expects a 30-40 per cent growth in the category this year. The drier category, said Mr Raval, witnessed a 100 per cent growth last year. "We sold 4,000 driers last year and this year we hope to sell around 10,000 units."

On the retail front, the company is planning to invest close to Rs 2 crore to expand its standalone retail stores, Siemens, in cities such as Ludhiana, Chandigarh, Surat, Baroda and Surat. "We already have six Siemens stores in cities such as Mumbai, Chennai and Salem, and we plan to add 10 more by March this year."

Mr Raval said the company would substantially increase its focus on standalone stores as it felt that its products, especially, the premium ones, were not getting enough shelf space at the multi-brand outlets.

The company has also tied up with modular kitchen companies such as Hacker Kitchen, Alno Kitchen and Poggonpohl, to promote its built-in products.