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Sales of hotplates soar

09 Jan 2022

  • Stocks sell out in no time
  • Inquiries flooding in
By Yakuta Dawood Amidst the existing domestic gas crisis, sales and inquiries for hotplates have significantly risen in the month of December 2021, The Sunday Morning Business learns.  An official from Singer Sri Lanka who wished to remain anonymous told The Sunday Morning Business that the stocks were selling out within an hour due to the rapid surge in demand.  “Previously, the price was Rs. 5,500, but due to the inconsistency in the dollar rate, the prices of new stocks are likely to increase. However, new stocks will be available on 10 January.” The official further noted that stocks would be sold out very soon as they were “getting many calls and inquiries regarding the induction cooker”. Another official from Singer Sri Lanka stated that there was high demand for industrial cookers as consumers feared possible gas explosions due to the recent incidents reported islandwide as a result of leaks from Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders.  “Consumers now want to buy good quality equipment due to the recent LPG cylinder incidents, so there’s a high demand for Singer industrial cookers,” the official mentioned.  When asked if prices of industrial cookers had increased due to the high demand, the official issued a denial, stating that Singer was currently selling at the same price of Rs. 12,500, which was in place prior to the surge in demand.  An official from Abans told The Sunday Morning Business that the demand for an alternative for the gas stove was very high. Therefore, at present, the company has acquired new stocks of about 100 to 300 units of infrared gas cookers to meet consumer demand.  “The demand is very high,” the official asserted.  Likewise, another leading electronics store in Sri Lanka also expressed similar views on the rise in demand for any and all sorts of substitutes that can be used instead of a cooking stove that uses LPG cylinders.  Similarly, a recent hike in demand was also noticed for firewood and clay stoves in the country.  Speaking to The Sunday Morning Business in December 2021, a wholesale supplier said that firewood sales were thriving at present, as people were seeking replacements due to the gas shortage. The supplier noted that many grocery shop owners had started to use firewood, which had increased sales by about 300 more firewood bundles per month compared to previous months. Public fears regarding the safety of LPG cylinders arose following the recent spate of explosions and fires that were reported from around the country including Colombo 7, Weligama, Kandy, Homagama, Ratnapura, Pannipitiya, Nikaweratiya, Jaffna, and Puttalam. Sri Lanka has been experiencing a gas shortage since September 2021, which reached a crisis level by November 2021 as companies faced difficulties in obtaining dollars to import LPG and demanded a price hike to match the international market prices, which have increased by at least 70% within a year due to increasing fuel prices. In October, the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) allowed the two gas companies in the country to increase prices to match international rates. Litro Gas Lanka Ltd. has increased the price of a 12.5 kg domestic gas cylinder by Rs. 1,257 to Rs. 2,750 and LAUGFS Gas PLC increased the price of a 12.5 kg domestic gas cylinder by Rs. 984 to Rs. 2,840.


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