the goan I network
MAPUSA
Soccer aficionados in Goa may be bracing up to watch the greatest spectacle on earth “ football World Cup “ on LEDs and giant screens but sales of LEDs/TVs have remained sluggish or at best normal.
Most electronic showrooms in Mapusa have found no much difference in sales of LEDs or TV sets.
“Spurt in sales? No way. It’s just like any other day. At least till today I have not seen any football fever translating into sales of our LEDs,” said Sushma Gawas, owner of Supreme Sales Electronics and Furniture, one of the largest electronic showrooms at Karas-vaddo, Mapusa.
A sales executive at Shetye Sales Syndicate another dealer in electronic goods in the same lane had a similar story to tell.
“We haven’t seen any impact of football world cup on our sales. The sales of LEDs have remained normal. But it may pick up,” said Priyesh Naik, a sales executive manning the counter.
There could be several reasons for the gloom in sales and one of the most common one paddled around is the advent of e-commerce.
“A lot of people now buy goods online. They find it very convenient and get good discounts too,” said an owner of an electronics showroom.
There are others who say that almost everyone owns a TV set nowadays and only those who wish to graduate to a bigger set may walk into the showroom.
But the picture may not be all that depressing. Sales executives are expecting last minute rush, as there is still a week left for the world cup to kickoff.
Meanwhile, in a bid to capitalize on soccer fever, some big names in the manufacturing of LEDs have come out with various offers.
“Sony has come out with a scheme offering an Adidas football worth Rs 1,599 and a sporty T-shirt depending on the model you buy,” Sushma Gawas disclosed.
Sony has also been offering easy finance scheme only for the period of the soccer world cup.
Other companies have offered extended warranty on their sets as part of world cup scheme.
“Lloyds are offering four year warranty on LEDs for the football world cup period. Otherwise the sets come with three year warranty,” said Roshan Salgaonkar, sales executive at Punnyaee Electronics Sales.
