Sharp expects higher sales this year

Sharp (Philippines) Corp. is still optimistic of growing its domestic sales of washing machines and television sets, according to Hiroshi Hatano, assistant vice president and division general manager for domestic sales, after experiencing a "stagnant" year for its fiscal year 2005.

Like all Japanese firms which count their fiscal year from April to March, Sharp Phils. yesterday unveiled its latest product lineup for its fiscal year starting April 2006 to March 2007.

Hatano boasted that Sharp is actually already No. 1 in terms of television and washing machines sales in the Philippine market.

However, Hatano explained, the penetration rate for washing machines is just a low 30 percent.

As such, Sharp is still optimistic that it can grow its domestic market for washing machines.

The Philippines, Hatano disclosed, is actually one of Sharp’s core production site for washing machines both for domestic sale as well as export to other ASEAN countries.

Sharp, in fact, Hatano revealed, recently put in additional investments to retool its plant operations for washing machines. However, Hatano could not reveal how much Sharp put in for retooling.

Sharp, likewise, Hatano said, also still locally manufactures conventional televisions but only for the domestic market.

In fact, Hatano said, it is only Sharp which continues to do local manufacture of television sets unlike its competitors which import their TV products.

Hatano explained though that Sharp is importing from Japan its 65-inch Aquos LCD (liquid crystal display) TV which it introduced yesterday.

The largest LCD TV in the market today, Sharp’s 65-inch TV will retail for a small fortune of P1 million.

The Philippine TV market, Hatano said, also has room for growth since about 55 percent of the market still use conventional TVs and only 45 percent are shifting to flat or LCD screen TVs.

Local use of plasma TVs, Hatano said, is still negligible.

Sharp also introduced its double French door plasmacluster refrigerator.

Sharp refrigerators, however, Hatano admitted, ranks just No. 3 in local refrigerator sales.