There seems to be a new trend underway in the air cooler industry as people are preferring fibre body air coolers over the metal body desert coolers these days. The fibre body coolers have flooded all the main markets in the city. This indicates that the consumer demand has shifted towards the compact, sophisticated and elegantly designed fibre body coolers as compared to the locally made metal body desert coolers, said traders in the cooler industry. “Interestingly the demand for fibre body commercial air coolers has surged beyond expectations with it’s market share estimated at 60%, as compared to metal body dessert coolers at 40%,” said Aslam Opai, proprietor of Quality Enterprises, Mahatma Phule Market and a cooler manufacturer from past 24 years while speaking to The Hitavada.

 

Opai further said, “Nagpur was once famous for its desert cooler manufacturing. First it was the wooden body coolers and then came the metal body desert coolers. For several decades, these coolers were in high demand and supplied across the country. From the past few years there has been a sharp decline in demand, due to shift in consumer preferences. Most of the local desert cooler manufacturers are confused and have cut production by more than 50 per cent as there is higher demand for fibre body air coolers, Opai said. They are not manufactured in Nagpur but are brought from UP, Bihar, Haryana, Hyderabad among other places, he added. The prices of metal body desert cooler are: 2 feet cooler at Rs Rs 1,600 to 2,000, 2.5 feet cooler at Rs 2,000 to Rs 2,500, 3 feet cooler at Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,500, 4 feet cooler at Rs 4,500 to Rs 8,500, 5 feet cooler at Rs 11,000 onwards, 6 feet cooler at Rs 22,000. Apart from this, the fibre body coolers starts at Rs 3,500 to Rs 35,000 depending on size, quality, fan and brand.

 

Also, the dry wood wool prices have increased to Rs 80 per kg, as compared to Rs 60 per kg last year, he said. Sanjay Topre of Navdurga Traders, Mahatma Phule Market or Cotton Market said, that the fibre body air coolers were more in demand as people are attracted towards its modern design, electronic features, multiple colour options, rust proof among other features. Apart from this, he expects that there will be huge demand for all types of air coolers due to higher temperatures this season.