Unseasonal Sydney weather hurts air-conditioning sales for most retailers.
Rezzie Betta Electrical and Home Living Superstore in Rutherford, 170km north of Sydney in the Hunter region, has seen cooling sales come to a halt in the past week, according to owner, Joe Monas (pictured).
“The weather is getting to a really bad point in the Hunter as it has not stopped raining for the past three days. It is causing severe disruption to our business due to road closures, and therefore foot traffic is down.
“Dryer sales are usually non-existent for this time of year, but now we are selling them by the dozen,” Monas said.
Betta Electrical Minchinbury store manager, Megan Haines says air-conditioning sales have also come to a halt with Sydney’s consecutive unseasonal weather conditions.
“Whenever there is at least three consecutive days of wet weather, consumers stop their search for an air-conditioning unit. Instead, customers come into the store and invest in a dryer. Some customers are replacing their old units, while others have never relied on a dryer in the home.
“The holiday season also means consumers are making impulse purchases and taking advantages of after-Christmas sales, particularly on TV and audio products,” Haines explained.
Conversely, Winning Group CEO, John Winning says Appliances Online’s sales of air conditioning and cooling products have doubled in comparison to the same period last year.
“Whilst NSW has not experienced long bursts of hot weather, the sporadic periods of sun since the beginning of December have led to significant boost in sales.
“We have also experienced growth across all categories, but particularly in BBQs, refrigeration and dishwashers, which suggests that consumers are preparing to enjoy summer entertaining and the school holiday periods,” Winning said.