Haier targets 30 bil. yen in sales in Japan in 2015

TOKYO, Sept. 16 Kyodo -
Chinese home appliance manufacturer Haier Group said Thursday it aims to
roughly quadruple its sales in the Japanese market to 30 billion yen in 2015
compared with 2009 by expanding its business in white goods such as
refrigerators and washing machines.
As part of the plan, Haier will launch in December a large drum type
washer-dryer, a model developed for the Japanese market, with a view to
enhancing its lineup of medium to large size household appliances in Japan.
''We have strong confidence that we will become a home appliance brand that
will be accepted in Japan,'' Zhou Yunjie, senior vice president of Haier Group,
said in an interview with Kyodo News.
Haier has mainly sold small appliances such as refrigerators and washing
machines in Japan since its entry into the market in 2002, mostly targeting
single-person households, a niche not widely embraced by Japanese competitors.
The large washing and drying machine will be followed by other products such as
refrigerators, air conditioners and vacuum cleaners, with the company planning
to triple its lineup to more than 100 products in 2015.
The new washer-dryer will be able to wash up to 10 kilograms of laundry and dry
up to 8 kg, the largest capacity sold in Japan. It is likely to retail for
somewhere between 100,000 yen and 150,000 yen, about 20 percent lower than
similar products made by Japanese rivals.
While it remains uncertain whether Haier products can win over Japanese
consumers who tend to prefer well-known brands in consumer electronics and have
an eye for product quality, Zhou said the group must pass their test to be able
to expand its business worldwide.
==Kyodo