White goods sales up 41 percent in first half of 2021

ISTANBUL

White goods sales, exports and sales in domestic markets combined, increased by 41 percent on an annual basis in January-June to stand at 17.4 million units, the White Goods Manufacturers Association (TÜRKBESD) has said.

Data includes sales of six main products: Refrigerator, deep freezer, washing machine, dryer, dishwasher and oven.

Sales in the domestic market grew 27 percent in the first half of the year, while the increase in exports of those six products was 47 percent.

Production of local white goods manufacturers showed a robust 48 percent rise in January-June from a year earlier, the association said.

However, domestic sales dropped 5 percent year-on-year, but the sector’s exports grew 29 percent on an annual basis in June alone.

“Sales figures declined in the month due to the waning base effect and slower home sales,” said Can Dinçer, the head of TÜRKBESD.

Home sales in Turkey plunged more than 29 percent in June compared with the same month of 2020 to some 135,000 units, the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) reported earlier this month.

“The course the COVID-19 will follow and its impact on the overall economic activity will determine the sales of white goods in the period ahead,” Dinçer said.

Turkey is the second largest white goods production base in the world after China with more than 29 million units of annual output, he noted, adding that the industry exports some 22 million units of its products.

“The local white goods industry employs 60,000 people and it also indirectly helps create 600,000 jobs in other sectors,” Dinçer said.

Mehmet Yavuz, from the TÜRKBESD board, warned that problems regarding flat steel supply have reached to a point which affect production and exports.

“At a time when exporting goods is crucial, supply problems are pushing costs and put production at risk,” Yavuz said.