Panasonic unveils new air-conditioners

Higher sales: Models at the launch of Panasonic Sky Series air conditioners. Panasonic has achieved a higher market share for this segment despite softer demand.

PETALING JAYA: WHEN it comes to Panasonic’s innovative ideas, the sky is the limit.

Paving the way for its latest in cooling technology is the new Elite Inverter Sky Series range of air conditioners.

Set to turn the world of air conditioning “upside down”, the models feature the new Sky Wing flap design at the top, which distributes cool air from above by drawing hot air from below.

Panasonic Malaysia Sdn Bhd senior marketing executive Brian Hew said the top discharge air vent provided a more efficient cooling.

Called Radiant Cooling, Hew said this cooling system applied the “Coanda Effect”, a principle that is similar to the natural cooling effect one can experience in caves.

“Our house ceiling and walls trap heat and this is known as radiant heat, which is what Malaysian households face on a daily basis.

“When we switch on an air conditioner where the airflow is directed to us, it cools us down but not the room, and the chills we get directly will eventually give us discomfort,” he said.

“When we move the flap up, the cool air will then cling on to the walls and ceiling, effectively cooling down the entire room, like a cave.”

Hew said there are three main benefits to this cooling system whereby it reduces heat source that comes from the surroundings, provide even cooling, as well as minimises skin moisture loss through indirect airflow.

Among the range’s other specification include its premium and luxury design, sliding LED panel, Backlited Sky remote controller as well as being enabled with Nanoe-G with Dust Sensor. The range features three models from one to three horsepower priced between RM2,168 to RM3,898.

Following the launch of Sky Series, Panasonic Malaysia Sdn Bhd managing director Cheng Chee Chung revealed that despite the demand for air conditioners dropping by 28% last year, the company has observed a 110% growth in terms of quantity of units sold. “As such, we’ve registered a higher market share in terms of quantity at 33.1% in this category,” he shared.

As the company is about to close the 2015 fiscal year ending March 31, Cheng said the company expected a double-digit growth in air conditioner sales against last year.

“The total sales for Panasonic is at RM1.6bil with the air conditioner segment contributing 27% with RM450mil,” noted Cheng, adding that Panasonic Malaysia was expected to close with a 7% growth in total as a whole.

Despite the soft market in the year ahead, Cheng said the company would continue to forge ahead.

“Our overall direction for 2016 is to focus on acquiring competitor share by intensifying sell-through activities as well as to promote higher value products.”

In terms of total strategy, the company looks to strengthen B2C retail as well as to expand B2B projects with regards to their four product pillars – Econavi, Panasonic Cooking, Panasonic Beauty and 4K.

For air conditioners, Cheng said the company targets a 5% growth in sales for its air conditioner category in the coming year and looks to hit 36% in market share.